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U.S. Open 2018 Preview

It's major time again and Hole19 HQ is literally buzzing with excitement waiting for the off.

It doesn't seem too long ago that we were all about the Masters 2018 but now the second major championship of the year is upon us and we can't wait for play to get underway.

Last year's tournament at Erin Hills saw Brooks Koepka secure his maiden major title in fine style and this week's field will be teeing it up in New York with the aim if wrestling the U.S. Open trophy from his grasp.

Catch the highlights of Koepka's win below:

The Venue

Course: Shinnecock Hills GC, Long Island, New York
Par: 70
Yardage: 7,445 yds

This year's U.S. Open sees the return of the event to one of the founding golf clubs of the USGA.

This will be the sixth time the New York-based facility will have hosted the year's second major championship, with the most recent outing back in 2004 when South African Retief Goosen secured his second major title. A seventh appearance on the U.S. Open rota will come in 2024.

The course itself is widely acknowledged as the best New York has to offer. Indeed, the back nine is thought by many to be up there with the best throughout world golf - and you won't get many arguments from us.

Signature Hole Par-3 7th (Redan)

Back at that 2004 U.S. Open many of the players faced a battle just to keep the ball on the putting surface on each of the four days. The target green was so small and firm that facing a birdie putt of any length was an achievement in itself.

Below is a preview of the course the word's best will tackle this week:

The Field

As you'd expect for such a prestigious event, the field this week is littered with major champions and champions-in-waiting.

Phil Mickelson is only a U.S. Open away from golfing immortality. Having finished runner-up on six separate occasions time might just be running out for 'Lefty' in his quest to close out the career grand slam.

Watch below as a few golfing experts give their opinions on Phil's U.S. Open 'curse'...

Rory McIlroy headed to Shinnecock Hills immediately after his T-8 finish at the Memorial Tournament to get a feel for the new set-up while Tiger Woods stated after the Masters that every golfer is at the mercy of the weather and an over-par winning score was, he felt, not out of the question.

Possible first-time major winners include Rickie Fowler who seems primed to shake the 'best without a major' tag and Spanish superstar Jon Rahm. Hideki Matsuyama will be looking to halt his slide down the Official World Golf Rankings by becoming only the second Asian male major winner (Y.E. Yang won the PGA Championship in 2009).

Who Wins It?

For a more in-depth look at our fancies for the season's second major championship have a look at our
'Players to Watch' piece from last week.

From the six guys we have pinpointed that could go well, our strongest feels are for Justin Thomas joining his good friend Jordan Spieth as a multiple major winner.

Though he may have relinquished the world number one title to Dustin Johnson this week, the young Kentuckian seems an obvious choice to go well in New York.

Who do you think could go well at Shinnecock Hills? Could DJ celebrate taking the world number one spot again in style? Let us know below.

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