The Blue Course at Congressional Country Club may be different in 2011, but the winner of the 111th U.S. Open likely will be similar to Ernie Els and others who have prevailed there in the past: long and accurate.
Anthony Kim was 11th in driving distance in 2008 when he captured the AT&T National at Congressional that year. Sergio Garcia (eighth in total driving this year) won the Booz Allen Classic there in 2005.
Length helped Fred Couples (1983 Kemper Open champion), high-altitude epitomized Greg Norman (’84, ’86 Kemper) and power and control defined Craig Stadler (’81, ’82 Kemper).
The following golfers may not be considered favorites, but they’ve got the game to be in contention:
Bo Van Pelt » Sixth in total driving with a total game coming together. An eighth-place finish at the Masters was far enough back to miss but close enough not to overlook. He was third at the Colonial two weeks ago and had three rounds in the 60s at Congressional in 2008.
Martin Laird » Just shy of 300 yards a drive (299.9), the Scotsman is ranked ninth in distance. If he can keep the ball in play, he could find himself vying for a seventh top-10 finish this year.
Gary Woodland » Sixth in driving (304.3 yards), he blasted his way into the field with a solo sixth-place finish at the Memorial, earning one of the field’s final berths. He’s also been accurate, ranking 14th in greens in regulation.
Adam Scott » A pair of 67s gave him a share of the runner-up prize at the Masters and showed he’s adjusting to the long putter to complement his combination of length and accuracy from the tee.
Alvaro Quiros » The Spaniard is notable for his swing speed on the European Tour and impressive showings on this side of the Atlantic Ocean at the Masters, where he led after 18 holes with an opening-round 65, and the Players, where he tied for sixth.
