US Open 2014: 10 To Watch

Nick Bonfield picks out his 10 players to watch at this week's 2014 US Open - do you agree ? add your comments below.

Phil Mickelson

On recent form, Phil simply doesn't deserve a place on this list. And, if he  we're any other golfers, I'd discount him. But Phil Mickelson is someone who can produce his best golf at any moment. I'm not for one minute suggesting I think he'll win, but stranger things have certainly happened. He's is terrible form - in fact, the worst form he's been in in the last 10 years - but that's something that could work in his favour. Expectation levels might, and should, be slightly lower this year, given his indifferent form and the fact he's currently the subject of an FBI investigation, but Pinehurst is a course that should suit Mickelson. The demanding green complexes will play into his hands and the comparative lack of rough will suit his somewhat erratic driving.

Paul Casey

Paul Casey has been in sparkling form over the last few months, something kick started by a victory in the Irish Open last year. Encouragingly for Casey, he's been playing good golf on both sides of the Atlantic - a clear indication that his game's in excellent shape. The Englishman reached world number three only a few years ago and he'd dearly love to return to such heights. In recent years, he's been superseded by the likes of Justin Rose and Luke Donald, but we mustn't forget he was the mist highly-rated and ranked Englishman not too long ago. With injury now behind him and his ability to win a major simply not in question, now could be the time to do what he's always dreamed of. 

Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson hasn't really got going this season, but he's proved in the past he's a big-game player with the pedigree to win the most prestigious titles. Most recently, he won the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, showing excellent temperament to pull away down the stretch. Intriguingly, Johnson performs well on courses with similar characteristics to Pinehurst - as he proved in the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, where he held the 54-hole lead, and the 2011 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, where only a local ruling prevented him from winning. Johnson is an excellent driver of the golf ball - and whilst his short-game leaves a little to be desired - he's someone I expect to be challenging. 

Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson has been in exemplary form all year, narrowly missing out on victory in Phoenix before winning the Northern Trust Open and, more significantly, The Masters. He's recorded nine top 10s already this season and his creativity - both off the tee and around the greens - will be invaluable on an inimitable golf course with doglegs, huge waste areas and tricky green complexes. Watson also leads the PGA Tour in Driving Distance and his length will be a huge advantage on a course with four par 4s measuring more than 500 yards.

Adam Scott

There will be a huge amount of money staked on the world number one this week, for a number of reasons. Scott is in excellent form, having beaten Jason Dufner in a play-off at the Crowne Plaza Invitational and coming close a week later at the Memorial Tournament. What's more, his stats this season are hugely impressive. He ranks first in the All-Around, second in Total Driving - a hugely significant statistic at Pinehurst - fourth in Sand Save Percentage and fifth in Scoring Average. His driving should be a massive asset this week, and I simply can't envisage any scenario where he's not in contention. 

Jim Furyk

Jim Furyk is someone who may well slip under the radar, but I'll certainly be having some money on the gritty American. No one is better at getting the most out of his game and finding a way to get his ball round on tough golf courses. He's a strategist, adept at course management and, more significantly, wonderful with his wedges and around the greens. Indeed, he currently ranks first on the PGA Tour in Scrambling at 69.85%, something absolutely vital to US Open success. Furyk won the title in 2003 and came close in 2012 at San Francisco's Olympic Club, so he clearly has a special affinity for the tournament.

Rory McIlroy

Questions legitimately remain about Rory McIlroy's mental state following his break up with professional tennis player Caroline Wozniacki. He may have won in a hugely impressive performance at Wentworth, but his post-round interview with Kirsty Gallacher - in which he appeared rather distant and aloof - was rather revealing. I just think two weeks is enough time for the magnitude of his break up to really sink in, and that must affect him in some capacity. Still, if he finds a way to control his emotions, the course should suit him down to the ground.

Graeme McDowell

Much like Furyk, Graeme McDowell is an expert at getting his ball around on tough golf course, something attributable to his steely determination, constitution and desire. Whilst he's not the longest hitter in the world, he'll be able to use the firm conditions to his advantage, and his short-game creativity and execution is almost second to none. McDowell hasn't been in the best form this season, but he's a player who comes to the fore in the big tournaments.

Matt Kuchar

Aside from Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar has probably been the stand-out performer on the PGA Tour this season. He won at the RBC Heritage - the culmination of a four-week stretch in which he contended in every tournament. Kuchar hits a lot of fairways and greens, but it's his chipping and putting that will stand him in better stead at Pinehurst. He currently ranks 12th in Strokes Gained: Putting and 6th in Scrambling and he's been trending in the right direction over the last couple of years, so he's worth a pound or two. 

Victor Dubuisson

Victor Dubuisson is somewhat of a long shot, but he's a hugely talented individual who proved earlier this year he's not phased by the big occasion. Dubuisson has quietly moved inside the world's top 25 and secured his place on the European Ryder Cup team, so he'll have nothing to loose at Pinehurst. He's a calm, unflappable player with an outstanding short game, and he comes into the tournament off the back of a play-off loss at the Nordea Masters. 

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