Flags are seen near the clubhouse during the practice round at the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) in Mamaroneck, N.Y. on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. (USGA/Jeff Haynes)

U.S. Open at Winged Foot will provide stern test for golf’s elite!

It is a different feel this year for the U.S. Open, but even the COVID-19 pandemic could not stop the United States Golf Association premiere event from being played in 2020.

The 120th Open starts Thursday at Winged Foot Country Club with 144 players taking part. Because qualifying was cancelled due to the pandemic, this field is all exempt players and the lowest number of entrants since 1932.

The last time the U.S. Open was in September was in 1913 when amateur Francis Ouimet won at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass. The story of that Open was the subject of the book “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” that later became a major motion picture.

The U.S. Open has a history of being tough on the world’s best golfers and this year will be no exception as the early forecast has even par, or even above par as a likely winning score. That has been the case in four of the five past Opens that Winged Foot has hosted.

In 1974 Hale Irwin won at Winged Foot with the winning score of 7 over par. It was the first of three Open championships for Irwin. The last U.S. Open at Winged Foot was in 2006, with Geoff Ogilvy winning with a score of 5 over.

The TV coverage this year will be extensive, with 45 hours of live coverage through the NBC platforms, including Golf Channel, NBC, and Peacock (NBC’s new streaming service).

Following are the broadcast times in Pacific Daylight Time: Thursday – Golf Channel 4:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.; NBC 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Peacock 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday – Peacock 4:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.; Golf Channel 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; NBC 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday – Peacock 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.; NBC – 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday – Peacock 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.; Golf Channel 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.; NBC 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

One of the world’s top players will not be in the field because Brooks Koepka, the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Open champion, withdrew from the tournament on Sept. 9.

Strategy will be interesting to watch this week as the game has continued to evolve. For many years when playing in an U.S. Open, players put a premium on accuracy with the narrow fairways and long rough.

Nowadays the next generation are all about hitting it has far as possible and even if you hit it in the rough, you have a shorter iron into the green. The last few Opens, USGA officials have  seemed to back off a bit as to how tough they set the course up, but you have to wonder at Winged Foot if they don’t conjure up the ghosts of past U.S. Opens.

Here are my thoughts on who may be standing on top when the tournament ends Sunday.

The Favorite

It has to be Dustin Johnson. He is coming off a win in the Tour Championship and two weeks before that, he won the Travelers – and PGA Playoff event in Boston – by shooting 30-under par in the tournament. He has had the lead after 54 holes four times in a major and has yet to win one in the situation. Something to think about if DJ sits on top on Saturday night.

Will be right there

Justin Thomas has every reason to be in contention come Sunday on the back nine. My big concern is that JT has not played all the well in majors since winning the 2017 PGA. You have to wonder if those thoughts creep into his mind on Sunday if he has a shot.

Xander Schauffele is one of those players that you know is going to win a major, we just don’t when. He has all the tools and has been in the top 10 in half the 12 majors he has played in. He is accurate off the tee, dialed in with his irons, and can roll the ball with the best. But until you get that first major, there is going to be a tremendous burden to carry.

Rory McIlroy has to be a threat every time he steps on the course, but something just doesn’t seem quite right with his game. He has been one of the best drivers of the ball in his career, but at times he gets a bit wild. If that happens here it will be a long week. If he does find the fairways, with his length, McIlroy will be dangerous.

John Rahm is a player where the tougher the course, the better he seems to play, and that should make him right at home here at Winged Foot. I wouldn’t be shocked if he won this, but I have a little cause for pause when I see the fiery side of the Spaniard come through. To win an Open, patience is a virtue.

Collin Morikawa won is first major this year, taking the PGA at Harding Park, at the ripe old age of 23. He was unflappable down the stretch at Harding on Sunday, including his amazing tee shot on the 16th hole when he drove the green, then made eagle. Winning consecutive majors is a Herculean feat, but Morikawa just doesn’t seem to get caught up emotionally.

Wouldn’t be a shocker

Jason Day was playing lights out golf but has slid a bit in his last couple of starts. Still, with his ball striking it is hard to leave him out of the mix. One concern is that Day seems to have back issues at the worst time and if they rise up here, playing out of U.S. Open rough will do him no good.

Tommy Fleetwood is a European player that is among the elite ball strikers in the game and that makes him a threat on an Open course which absolutely demands accuracy off tee and on your approach shots. One drawback is the Fleetwood has yet to win in the United States.

Bryson DeChambeau has become the Incredible Hulk of professional golf after his off-season body building explosion. He hits the ball hard and long. It’s an interesting skill set to bring into an Open set up where accuracy is usually a must. Might be the one the most fun players to watch now and he goes down after it.

Crowd Favorites

Tiger Woods always moves the needle and as a big fan I am always picking him to contend. You can count on me pulling for him throughout the tournament, but I just can’t see him winning. Could he contend? Sure, he’s Tiger, but realistically I think he’s got a better shot coming up in The Masters.

Phil Mickelson has been embraced by the New York crowds, which is not too bad for a California boy. There are very things in golf as fun as when Phil is in contention on Sunday, but I just don’t see it here. He did easily win a Champions Tour event a few weeks back, but he didn’t play great at the Safeway Open last week in a tournament where the players could post some scores. Now he comes to a much tighter, tougher course where he won’t have the luxury of missing fairways like he did last week.

Rickie Fowler just doesn’t seem to get over the top in the majors, but he always has been one of my favorites and a favorite of the crowd. He obviously has the game to contend and is one of the best putters in the game. If he is solid tee to green, the flat stick should put him in contention come Sunday.

By Dennis Miller