How this U.S. Open turned into an beautifully absurd fiasco

Russell Knox … When he was ramping into his PGA TOUR career in earnest four years ago, the Scot was displaying one of the most balanced and superior attacks throughout the bag. While it’s the reason he sustained top-shelf form and nabbed two victories since, it’s also exactly the mold benefited most at TPC Scottsdale. Case in point, he debuted here with a T15 in 2015. In his return visit last year, he was inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking and missed the cut by four. Now having slipped to 78th in the OWGR, the 32-year-old has regained that patented consistency. He’s started this season 7-for-7 with a pair of top 10s and he’s 36th in the all-around, his highest rank since finishing 2013-14 slotted 31st. William McGirt … If you can accept assessing any golfer on any course at any time, then you’ll understand why this is his second consecutive showing as a Sleeper. He last attracted attention at the Sony Open in Hawaii where he settled for a T65, but he demands the same elevated expectation at TPC Scottsdale. Since debuting in 2011, he’s perfect in six starts, each of which resulting in a finish somewhere from T19 through T32. His scoring average in those 24 rounds is a tidy 68.96. Thanks in part to a T25-T10-T8 flourish pre-holidays this season, he’s fifth on TOUR in adjusted scoring. McGirt is lso T31 in total driving, 16th in GIR and eighth in scrambling. Emiliano Grillo … This member of the famed “Class of 2011â€� hasn’t so much been forgotten as overshadowed by his brethren, even though he hasn’t missed any of the big events since capturing the Rookie of the Year award in 2015-16. However, and suddenly it seems, he’s in the last year of the exemption for winning the Safeway Open to launch that season, as well as measurably outside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking (currently 73rd) and eligible for only one major (Open Championship) and one WGC (Bridgestone) at the moment. Perhaps those realities are inspiring improved form since he capped 2017 with a T9 at Mayakoba. And now, the 25-year-old arrives for this third start at TPC Scottsdale (2-for-2) fresh off a T12 at Torrey Pines. Grillo is currently 14th on TOUR in total driving and T42 in greens hit. Brian Stuard … Essentially the prototype for what kind of skill set should thrive at the redesigned TPC Scottsdale, and he has. In both of his previous trips (2015 and 2017), he’s scored 10-under 274 for respective finishes of T10 and T16. And that’s after failing to break par in both opening rounds. His tee-to-green proficiency has already yielded a trio of top 10s this season, and with a taut short game (31st in scrambling), he’s 21st on TOUR in adjusted scoring. Robert Garrigus … Profiles as the kind of bomber that makes sense on occasion at TPC Scottsdale, just as long as his putter is cooperating. The 14th club has been both his bane and boon over the years. It was on display in the opening round last year when he signed for a 66 en route to a pedestrian T36. Perhaps it’s warming up again, as he authored a sporty T8 at Torrey Pines where he ranked second in scrambling. Garrigus did that while finishing T11 in greens in regulation, an area that has rarely been an issue in the long-term.  

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