2022 U.S. Open: Sleeper picks to win at The Country Club

With the U.S. Open coming up, it’s easy to consider the guys who have been playing exceptionally well on tour.

Guys like Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and Scottie Scheffler come to mind, and then you have guys like Will Zalatoris, Sam Burns, and Max Homa, who are one major away from breaking onto the scene.

However, there are few guys that I expect to fly under the radar at this year’s U.S. Open. Who knows. They might end up winning the whole thing.

Sleeper Picks for the 122nd U.S. Open

Davis Riley

Out of the guys that had to qualify to get in this week, I think Davis Riley has the best shot at making a move on the field.

As a first-timer on tour this season, the former Alabama standout has had a solid rookie campaign, recording six top 10s, including a runner-up finish in the Valspar Championship.

Riley also had a good showing at this year’s PGA Championship, finishing T13.

Like fellow rookie Cameron Young, Riley looks poised to capture his first win on tour and has come so close so many times.

Last year, Zalatoris burst onto the scene with his stellar showing in majors. Could Riley do the unthinkable and capture the U.S. Open?

Tom Hoge

Another guy with tremendous upside is Tom Hoge. A winner on tour early in the year, Hoge has racked up 4 top 10s this season, including a T9 finish at the PGA Championship.

Hoge is a tremendous ball-striker, which could bode well for him this week at The Country Club. It would be nice to see someone like Hoge burst onto the scene and capture his first major.

Justin Rose

We haven’t heard much from Rosey this year, as the Englishman has struggled all year. However, the former U.S. Open Champion at Merion seemed to find his game last week at the Canadian Open.

Rose managed to shoot a final round 60 with three eagles. If he hadn’t recorded three bogies, he might’ve shot a 57.

Despite all that, he finished T4: his best finish all year. Heading into this week, the former world number one could be a guy worth watching, as maybe his performance last week marked the beginning of a remarkable run.

Phil Mickelson

Call me crazy, but I kind of like Phil’s chances this week. I know his press conference may have been a bit shaky, and he has a lot on his mind now, but the fans have been behind him all week, and that’s all he needs.

Phil doesn’t exactly have an excellent track record at the U.S. Open, having finished runner-up six times, but the past is the past, and you never know what you’re going to get with Phil.

So far, the first impression of Lefty has been that he looks like a nervous wreck. However, once he steps foot on the golf course on Thursday, we could see that side of Phil we’ve grown accustomed to over the last ten-plus years in majors.

I’m aware that picking Phil as a sleeper this week is a bit silly, but hey, over a year ago, he managed to become the oldest major winner of all time, and no one was talking about him.

Now, people are talking about him for all the wrong reasons. It would only be fitting if he went out and played the best golf of his life.