With the year’s 3rd, most exacting major a little over a week away, I have decided to look at some of the dark horse candidates who could make a run at this year’s title. The parameters for this list are simple- non-major winners are the only players included.
5. Si Woo Kim
This is a bit of a shot in the dark. The former Players champ has never really got to grips with major championship golf (he only has one top 10 in his entire career). He was also cut at the US Open held at Shinnecock in 2018. But he looks a different player this year, picking up a stunning eight top ten finishes to sit 4th in the current FedEx Cup standings. He also feels like a perfect statistical match for avoiding the copious trouble at Shinnecock. Kim currently ranks 7th on tour for SG: Approach and 3rd for Driving Accuracy. Sure, his putting is still an issue. But these famously glacial Shinnecock greens could be a bit of a leveller.
4. Tyrell Hatton
Perennial major nearly-man Tyrell Hatton will go to Shinnecock in excellent nick, having won his 2nd LIV title at last week’s LIV Golf Andalucia. He had to withstand a late surge from Jon Rahm, highlighting a growing maturity in high-pressure situations. Hatton has two top five finishes in his last four major starts and crucially finished T6 at Shinnecock during the 2018 US Open. Until he claims that maiden major title, there will always be questions about his temperament under pressure. But that combination of favourable course history and red-hot current form makes for a tantalizing proposition.
3. Cameron Young
The hottest player on the planet about a month ago, Cameron Young has lost a little bit of the heat that saw him claim titles at TPC Sawgrass and Doral. The big-hitting New Yorker has finished outside the top 20 in each of his last two starts but should have the quality to bounce back at the uber-challenging Shinnecock Hills. Young- who has two top four finishes in each of his last four majors- has improved in almost every single metric over the last six months or so. He is relatively straight for such a big hitter, and his putting has come on in leaps and bounds. A former Open Championship runner-up, Young’s explosive game should give him a leg up on this fiendish links setup. It’s surely just a matter of time until Young breaks through at the premier level of the game.
2. Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood is going to be a hugely popular choice next week. The Southport product joined the golfing elite last year, winning at East Lake to edge Scottie Scheffler- rightly or wrongly- for FedEx Cup bragging rights. Fleetwood hasn’t been at his electrifying best this season but has still managed to accumulate six top ten finishes. He came close to winning last week, ultimately settling for a T4 finish at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Fleetwood is in desperate need of a major pick-me-up, having not picked up a top ten finish since the 2024 Masters. But he has some reason to be confident ahead of the daunting trip to Shinnecock. Fleetwood tamed the wild beast back in 2018, shooting a course record 63 on Sunday to finish one shot back of champion Brooks Koepka. His accuracy and elite iron play should give him a chance to keep his card clean and possibly emerge victorious.
1. Russell Henley
Statistically, Russell Henley looks like a real dark horse contender who could threaten the established major winners. Sure, he is a bit of a charisma vacuum (not exactly going to get the pulses racing). But what he lacks in aura he more than makes up for with gumption and skill. The world No.5 returned to winning ways at Colonial, outmanoeuvring the field to win at 12-under-par on a tough layout. Henley has been heading the right way in major championship golf, picking up six top 10’s in his last 14 outings (including a career-best T3 at Augusta earlier this year). Henley currently ranks 1st on tour in Driving Accuracy, meaning he should be able to avoid much of the thick fescue that can assault your scorecard. While his approach game hasn’t been elite this year, he does rank 3rd in approach from 150-175 yards (which should be ideal around Shinnecock). He also ranks 1st for Scrambling, meaning he should be well equipped to deal with these notoriously slick, treacherous green complexes.
