The 2020 PGA Tour season may technically have ended two weeks ago, but two majors remain up for grabs before attention can switch to 2021 and a much-needed return to normality.
The first of the two tournaments begins on Thursday as Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, hosts the U.S. Open for the sixth time in history and the first since 2006. Originally scheduled to be held between June 18 and June 21, the tournament was postponed by three months because of the coronavirus pandemic and will now serve as the second major of the season instead of the third, with The Masters postponed from April to November and The Open Championship canceled for the first time since World War II.
The postponement could serve Dustin Johnson well, as the world No. 1 entered a red-hot stretch of form in the summer. The 36-year-old finished tied for second at the PGA Championship in August, before winning two of the last three tournaments of the season and finishing second in his other start.
Johnson is the firm favorite to add a second career major to the U.S. Open title he won in 2016, while Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth will be looking to end major droughts that have extended into their sixth and third year respectively.
Tiger Woods makes his first start since the BMW Championship late last month as he looks to add a fourth U.S. Open crown to his trophy cabinet, while world No. 2 Jon Rahm will be hoping to win a first career major.
Here's all you need to know ahead of this week.
U.S Open date
The U.S. Open runs from Thursday, September 17 to Sunday, September 20.
U.S. Open course
The tournament will be staged at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York. This will be the sixth U.S. Open played at Winged Foot and the first since 2006, when Phil Mickelson famously double-bogeyed the 18th hole on the final round to hand Geoff Ogilvy the win.
The U.S. Open will be played on the West Course, a par-70 that stretches over 7,477 yards. With its narrow fairways, raised greens and thick rough, the course is one of the hardest and most demanding of those on the PGA Tour—at the 2006 U.S. Open the West Course stretched over 7,264 yards and the stroke average was 74.99, almost 5 over par.
What does the field look like?
Unsurprisingly, the field is stacked with talent. From World No. 1 Dustin Johnson to four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and defending champion Gary Woodland, the world's best golfers will be battling it out in Mamaroneck this week. Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas, the world No. 2 and No. 3 respectively, are also among the participants along with 15-time major winner Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau and Jordan Spieth. Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, however, is a notable absence after opting to withdraw from the tournament due to injury.
TV coverage (All times ET)
The U.S. Open will be broadcast by Golf Channel and NBC.
Thursday, September 17
- 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.—Golf Channel
- 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.—NBC
Friday, September 18
- 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.—Golf Channel
- 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.—NBC
Saturday, September 19
- 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.—NBC
Sunday, September 20
- 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.—Golf Channel
- 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.—NBC
Live stream
A live stream of the U.S. Open will be available via Golfchannel.com and NBCSports.com throughout the four days, while usopen.com, the U.S. Open app and the U.S. Open streaming app will offer coverage of featured holes and groups throughout the tournament.
Additionally, the opening two hours of coverage on each of the four days will be available for free via NBC Universal's new streaming service, Peacock, except for Thursday when the platform will carry the final two hours of coverage between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
A live stream of all four days will also be available via fuboTV.
U.S. Open odds
Dustin Johnson is the man to beat this weekend, according to the bookmakers. The world No. 1, who won the US Open in 2016, is a 15/2 favorite with DraftKings and a 17/2 with FanDuel, followed by Jon Rahm, who is a 17/2 with DraftKings and 10/1 with FanDuel.
Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele are third favorites at 14/1, followed by Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa at 16/1 and 18/1 respectively. Bryson DeChambeau and Webb Simpson, meanwhile, are both 28/1 shots.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he was a news and business reporter at International Business Times UK. Dan has also written for The Guardian and The Observer.
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