Big shot: Defending champion Dustin Johnson hopes to exploit his big-hitting prowess at the US Open which tees off on Thursday. 1 won his first major in last year’s US Open at Oakmont, after several near-misses, and is the bookmakers’ favourite at the picturesque Erin Hills course in rural Wisconsin. If he keeps his title, Johnson will be the first man to win back-to-back US Opens since Curtis Strange in 1988 and 1989. 2 Rory McIlroy, who won the event in 2011, has declared himself ready despite a frustrating season dogged by niggling injuries. McIlroy arrived in Wisconsin last week to begin surveying a course he believes he can thrive on.

Source: The Hindu June 14, 2017 16:41 UTC