Patience is a virtue, especially when ranking the U.S. Open

Updated: June 13, 2007, 11:29 PM ET

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By Jason Sobel
ESPN.com
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Plodders Can Find Success at Oakmont

Plodders Can Find Success at OakmontTags: Golf

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OAKMONT, Pa. -- Grinders. Plodders. Par-makers. You've likely heard these terms before, but never understood what they meant or appreciated how guys of such recognition get anywhere in professional golf.

Being called a "plodder" doesn't exactly sound like a compliment. And much of the time it isn't. At the tee-it-high-let-it-fly, shoot-for-the-pin birdiefests of the PGA Tour, these types of players get lost in the mix, their inability to shoot ultralow scores overshadowing their propensity for keeping things around even.

Well, the U.S. Open is the grinders' time to shine. Last year, Geoff Ogilvy won the tournament with 5-over as the winning score and early estimations are that it could be even higher this time around at Oakmont. That's good news for the game's steady Eddies, the guys who can seemingly knock it down the fairway, put one on the green and two-putt for par every hole -- or make an unbelievable up-and-down when they need to.

Rank 'em

Here's our list. What's yours? Go to our Ranker and put the top 18 players in the World Rankings in order. Story

Want to know what the U.S. Open leaderboard will look like come Sunday afternoon? All you've got to do is identify the grinders, plodders and par-makers, which explains the reasoning behind some of my picks to contend in this annual ranking of every player in the U.S. Open field.

U.S. Open Field: From 1 to 156
Player (a=amateur)	Best Finish	The Skinny
1. Jim Furyk	Win	The world's third-ranked player is still searching for his first victory of the year, but Oakmont should be right up his alley. A Pennsylvania native, Furyk has become more accurate off the tee than ever, second to only Jose Coceres in hitting fairways this season. And despite a final-hole putting foible at Winged Foot last year, he's a proven winner (claimed the Open title in '03 at Olympia Fields) who should remain mentally tough down the stretch on Sunday.
2. Padraig Harrington	5th	See Paddy plod. Watch Paddy grind. It may not look pretty, but Harrington can make pars with the best of 'em. More importantly than anything else, though, Harrington finally believes that his game is good enough to win one, saying recently, "I'm only starting to come into a situation where I'm probably a little bit more capable of winning a major."
3. Rod Pampling	T-32	No major leaderboard is devoid of players whose inclusion will raise an eyebrow and such will be the case for Pampling. Though his previous claim to fame came at the 1999 British Open, during which he parlayed the first-round lead into a missed cut, the Aussie is a patient player who's been hot this year, with seven top-25s and only one MC this season. Don't be surprised to see him contend this week.
4. Tiger Woods	Win	Still the prohibitive favorite anytime he tees it up, Woods has played in four straight U.S. Opens without winning one, his second-longest winless streak at any of the majors since turning pro. Though he's made three separate trips to Oakmont in the past month, Tiger has never played the course in competition. Then again, how much stake can we place on that? After all, the same could be said for last year's British Open at Hoylake and he won.
5. Sergio Garcia	T-3	From tee to green, Garcia is indisputably one of the most gifted players in the world. His main drawback over the past few years? Putting. Well, don't look now, but Sergio ranks 25th in putts per round and 27th in putting average on the PGA Tour this season. Will it hold up under the pressure of contending in the final round of a major? We just may get a chance to find out.
6. Rory Sabbatini	T-71	Asked for his thoughts on this year's remaining three majors, Sabbatini recently said, "I think I have every ability and every possibility of winning one, if not all three." Never one to mince words, he's been backing up the fearless talk on the course. The pessimist would point out that the South African never had a top-25 in 21 major starts before the Masters (where he finished T-2), but the optimist would note that his ball striking is top-notch, considering wins at Colonial and Riviera in the past year.
7. Retief Goosen	Win	The big question concerning Goosen's chances: How quick will the USGA allow Oakmont's greens to become? As we've seen in the past, the two-time Open champ is the world's best fast-greens putter, which means he's likely performing nightly anti-rain dances in hopes of keeping 'em fast and firm. Remember, when conditions got quick at Augusta this year, Retief went on a run, actually beating the champ, Zach Johnson, by six shots over the weekend.
8. Tim Clark	T-3	An injured neck has kept him from competing -- and contending -- as much as he would have liked this year, but Clark is a ball striker supreme who thrives on major championship setups when the score is closer to par. The reason? He recently stated his focus is stronger when he needs to think more about each shot, as opposed to those tournaments where birdies are the norm.
9. Arron Oberholser	T-9	Just a hunch or an educated guess? Check Oberholser's record and you'll see he plays some of his best golf when the conditions are hard, as evidenced by a T-9 and a T-16 in his only two Open starts. Now fully healed from a back injury that delayed the beginning of his season, this is the type of player who could be peaking at just the right time this week.
10. Steve Stricker	T-5	Ask most competitors what the most important trait needed to succeed at the Open is and they'll say the ability to two-putt from anywhere and hole a few when it matters. Ask most competitors to name the purest putter on the PGA Tour and they'll say Steve Stricker. See where this is headed? As long as Stricker can hit some greens in regulation, he'll churn out plenty of pars.
11. Stewart Cink	3	Talk about needing a little good karma. Remember the 2001 U.S. Open? Figuring Retief Goosen would two-putt from 15 feet, Cink rushed his 18-inch par putt on the final green and missed only to watch Goosen make a three-putt of his own. Had he holed the shorty, Cink would have found himself as part of a three-man Monday playoff. Someday he'll get his chance at redemption.
12. Trevor Immelman	T-21	Don't be surprised to see this gutty South African contending on the weekend. Though casual fans may not recognize the name, Immelman has climbed to 15th on the World Rankings. Can he handle the pressure of the big time? Well, this is the same guy who bested Woods for his first career PGA Tour win at last year's Western Open, so the answer is yes.
13. Ryan Moore	T-57	Talk about peaking at the right time. Moore finished solo second at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago and should enter this week with confidence at an all-time high. The wunderkind amateur-turned-solid pro doesn't own the world's prettiest swing, but knows how to work the ball and is the type of player who should thrive on USGA setups for years to come.
14. Ernie Els	Win	Ask most amateur golfers to describe their round, shot by shot from last Sunday, and they'll be able to proffer words on only a few of the better results. Ask most professional golfers to describe their round from 13 years ago, and they'll recall it like it just happened. That's good news for Els, who -- coincidentally enough -- won the Open here at Oakmont back in 1994 for his first victory on U.S. soil.
15. Adam Scott	T-21	Though he's finished in the top 10 in each of the last three starts, the most recent pair of those featured mini meltdowns on the weekend. Scott's latest M.O. is to go low on Thursday and Friday and then fade from the leaderboard, which doesn't bode well for his short-term major chances. He'll win plenty of big ones over the next decade or two, but not this week.
16. Nick O'Hern	T-6	Slow and steady wins the race, and O'Hern is among the steadiest performers in the world right now. Known more for beating Tiger in the third round of this year's Match Play Championship than anything else, the Aussie wields that ugly broomstick putter better than almost anyone else in the field does his flat stick. Expect plenty of drives striped right down the middle of the fairway.
17. Luke Donald	T-12	The next European to break through at a major … or just an overhyped 20-something? Donald may be as good as advertised, but he still owns only two career PGA Tour titles, coming up painfully short on multiple occasions this year. The U.S. Open should suit his style, though, which places a premium on hitting fairways. "You've got to manage your game around a U.S. Open course," he said earlier this week. "You can hit it 300 yards, but if you're not in the fairway it's not going to do you much good because the rough is so tough."
18. Vijay Singh	T-3	Three straight top-10s at the Open prove Singh's mettle under difficult conditions, but for the Big Fijian, it all comes down to how he's rolling the rock. So far this year, the answer is "very well," as Vijay ranks 12th in putting average. You know he's going to hit the ball well -- hey, all those hours at the range must count for something -- so if he can drain a few putts, he'll be a man to watch.
19. Zach Johnson	T-48	Here's the theory: Johnson won the Masters on a fast, firm golf course that obviously suited his game. So now that he's back playing on another tough course that will play similarly, the man with the green jacket in his bedroom closet should fare equally well. Tough to find fault with such an idea, as Johnson has proved himself to be among the world's top five players when conditions fit his style.
20. Phil Mickelson	2	Truthfully, any player with an injured wrist shouldn't be ranked this high, but Mickelson's reputation precedes him. Would it be within reason to expect a "Willis Reed moment" from Phil? Probably not, but that doesn't mean he can't get by on talent and determination alone to claim his ninth career top-20 finish at the Open.
21. Geoff Ogilvy	Win	Happy birthday to the defending U.S. Open champ, who turned 30 on Monday, leaving exactly zero current major winners in their 20s.
22. Scott Verplank	T-10	Dallas native said he had Byron Nelson watching over him at his most recent victory; perhaps Ben Hogan, the 1953 champ at Oakmont, will be looking out for him this week.
23. Ben Curtis	30	The definition of "unfair"? The 2003 British Open winner is still thought by many to be a one-hit wonder, despite the fact that he's won two more titles since then.
24. Robert Karlsson	T-45	Three top-25s on the PGA Tour and five more on the Euro circuit this year suggest the least-known player in last year's Ryder Cup has more game than we know.
25. Woody Austin	T-23	Coming directly off the best round of the year, a final-round 62 to win going away in Memphis.
26. Justin Rose	T-5	When the back is healthy, he's among the game's best players, but the back often isn't healthy.
27. David Toms	T-5	Such a weird season; he owns eight top-20 finishes in 14 starts, but hasn't seriously contended in any of 'em.
28. K.J. Choi	T-15	Memorial winner comes in hot, but has never broken 70 during a weekend round at the Open.
29. Nathan Green	MC	Dear Nathan's playing partners: Want to get inside his head? Ask him if he still uses his grandmother's clubs, the ones he started with when he was 10 years old.
30. Vaughn Taylor	MC	Paired with buddy Zach Johnson during the Masters final round, so he's seen firsthand what it takes to win a big one.
31. a-Trip Kuehne	T-57	Uh-oh, who snuck the amateur this high on the list? It's no accident; a regular participant in Oakmont's Swat tourney, Kuehne may have more experience on the course than anyone else in the field.
32. Ryuji Imada	T-12	Only two players have finished in the top 15 in each of the last two Opens. Vijay Singh is one. Imada is the other.
33. Stephen Ames	T-9	If he could bottle his ball striking from the '06 Players, he'd win every week.
34. Fred Funk	6	Length won't be too much of an issue this week, which is good news for the short-hitting 50-year-old.
35. Anthony Kim	T-9	Youngest player on tour is bound to get his first win soon; owns four top-10s in his last 12 starts.
36. Sean O'Hair	T-26	The kid may have lost the Players by dunking two shots on 17 in the final round, but he earned some fans by going for the win.
37. Kevin Sutherland	T-28	Quietly having a very solid tour season; made hole-in-one during sectional qualifying.
38. Jose Maria Olazabal	T-8	The last time the Open was played at Oakmont, Ollie averaged 235.3 yards off the tee; last year he averaged 300.8.
39. Robert Allenby	T-7	Has alternated making the cut and missing the cut in each of his nine Open starts; after a T-16 finish in '06, he'll look to break that trend once and for all.
40. Henrik Stenson	T-26	Wins against world-class fields at Dubai and the Match Play have vaulted Stenson into the world's top 10.
41. Lucas Glover	MC	Solid young player, but his game isn't quite designed for the Open; he's never shot better than 74 in two career starts.
42. Aaron Baddeley	MC	Fourth on tour in putts per round and sixth in putting average? Those numbers alone makes Badds a man to watch.
43. Shaun Micheel	T-28	Former PGA champ saves his best golf for the big ones; he quietly finished solo second behind Woods at Medinah.
44. Brandt Snedeker	MC	One of the top rookies on tour is fresh off his second top-5 result of the season.
45. Steve Elkington	T-21	Didn't play in last year's Open after showing up for sectional qualifier in metal spikes and refusing to replace them.
46. a-Rhys Davies	--	ESPN "College GameDay" studio host? Not quite. The recent ETSU grad was among the top collegiate players this past year.
47. Charles Howell III	T-18	Blistering hot to start the year, with a win at the Nissan and two other runner-up finishes, but where's Chucky been lately?
48. Boo Weekley	--	Don't let the down-home demeanor and aw-shucks attitude fool you; this dude can flat-out hit the ball.
49. Ian Poulter	T-12	Has shot 74 or better in eight of 10 career U.S. Open rounds, including all four last year at Winged Foot.
50. Colin Montgomerie	2	Ah, the saga of Monty continues. He fired longtime caddie Alastair McLean and will instead have on the bag Billy Goddard, a local who has looped at Oakmont for 48 years. "He said he would want a local caddie who knows the course and knows how to keep his mouth shut," Goddard said.
51. John Rollins	T-48	Week in, week out, this guy is the most consistent performer most casual fans have never heard of.
52. Ken Duke	MC	Last year's leading money-winner on the Nationwide Tour is enjoying a fine season in the big leagues.
53. Justin Leonard	T-12	A return to his old coach (Randy Smith) and a new caddie have equaled a moderate amount of success this season.
54. Carl Pettersson	MC	In two Open starts, he has shot rounds of 77-76 each time.
55. Michael Putnam	--	PGA Tour rookie hasn't been outstanding, but he's always around on the weekend, collecting checks in 12 of 13 starts.
56. Stuart Appleby	T-10	Traditionally not a very strong major performer, but did play in the final pairing at Augusta this year, finishing T-7.
57. Luke List	MC	Recent Vandy grad was first alternate, getting into the field when David Howell withdrew; he's playing his first tourney as a pro this week.
58. Mike Weir	T-3	Recent Open record (three top-six finishes in the past four years) indicates he should be higher on this list, but recent PGA Tour record (no result better than T-19 this year) says he's right where he should be.
59. Mathew Goggin	--	This guy has been poised to break out for a big season -- or at least one big week -- for years now, but don't expect it to happen at Oakmont.
60. Tom Pernice Jr.	T-13	Hit plenty of fairways and putted well while finishing T-21 at Winged Foot last year.
61. Johnson Wagner	MC	Solid start to his rookie season has hit a major roadblock, as he has MC'd in seven straight.
62. Graeme McDowell	T-48	How's this for bucking the trend: After a few years on the PGA Tour, the Northern Irishman is now fully committed to the Euro Tour.
63. Chris DiMarco	T-9	Perennial fan favorite has seen his stock plummet in the past year; still searching for first tour win since '02.
64. Paul Casey	15	Why so low? A big bomber, Casey's game is better suited for the Masters or PGA. He'll win one of them before his career is over.
65. Camilo Villegas	T-59	Let's hope he doesn't pull a muscle using that lotus-style move to read these ultraslick greens.
66. Andrew Buckle	--	Solid ball striker who should mature into a solid U.S. Open player in coming years.
67. Joe Durant	T-24	Fairways and greens are the name of Durant's game, but it hasn't equated to success at the Open, where he has made just two cuts in five starts.
68. J.J. Henry	T-57	Perhaps the biggest casualty at Shinnecock three years ago; he shot a third-round 86.
69. John Koskinen	MC	Still trying to work his way into the big-time, but a few minutes of eyeballing at the range shows he has a swing that's tour-ready.
70. Davis Love III	T-2	There was a time when Love was among the favorites any week he teed it up -- especially at the Open -- but not anymore.
71. Nick Dougherty	T-52	Nick Faldo prot�g� is a European Ryder Cup player in waiting; owns four top-10s on the Euro Tour this year.
72. Charl Schwartzel	T-48	Only 22 years old, but already known as another talented up-and-comer from South Africa.
73. Lee Westwood	T-5	In seventh place entering final round at Pinehurst two years ago, but dropped to T-33 with a 79 on Sunday.
74. a-Richie Ramsay	--	Reigning U.S. Amateur champion turns 24 on Friday; will it be a happy birthday?
75. Paul Goydos	T-12	Was first-round leader in '99 at Pinehurst, but the guy known as Sunshine hasn't competed in an Open in five years.
76. Angel Cabrera	T-7	Going against the grain? Cabrera's a long bomber who has never missed the cut in seven Open starts; he also has never been worse than eighth in driving distance at this event.
77. Johan Edfors	--	Swede is the only player who can consistently push Ian Poulter in the sartorial splendor department.
78. Chris Stroud	--	Disappointing season of MCs was interrupted by a surprising T-5 at the Zurich Classic two months ago.
79. Rich Beem	MC	Ex-PGA champ has never reached the weekend in five trips to the Open.
80. Jeev Milkha Singh	T-59	One of the highest risers in the World Ranking in the past year; he won four times worldwide in '06.
81. Pat Perez	T-40	Brutal course conditions + Perez's feisty temper = fireworks, most likely.
82. Shingo Katayama	T-35	Wore a cowboy hat during the '01 PGA, finished T-4 and now wears one for every round.
83. Tripp Isenhour	MC	Recent run of MCs and WDs doesn't bode well going into this week.
84. Eric Axley	MC	Has won on the Tear Drop Tour, Hooters Tour, Nationwide Tour and, with a victory at last year's Texas Open, the PGA Tour.
85. Michael Campbell	Win	Yes, since you're wondering, he was ranked right around here before his win at Pinehurst, too.
86. Bubba Watson	MC	What's that? A 288-yard par-3? Huh, sounds like, oh, maybe a 6-iron for big Bubba.
87. Nick Watney	--	Give the Zurich Classic champ a few years and he'll be a perennial top-10 guy in the Open ranking.
88. Kenneth Ferrie	T-6	The forgotten man in last year's final pairing, Ferrie gutted out a 76 to finish T-6 for the week.
89. Jerry Kelly	T-37	Hasn't broken 80 in either of his last two Open final rounds.
90. Darron Stiles	T-48	Entered the weekend in contention in his only previous Open start, at Olympia Fields in '03.
91. Steve Marino	--	Enjoying a very strong rookie season that includes three top-10s and only four MCs in 16 starts.
92. Lee Janzen	Win	Two-time champ has only one more year of Open eligibility before he must try to qualify again.
93. Anthony Wall	--	Euro Tour regular hasn't won since the 2000 Alfred Dunhill Championship.
94. Brett Wetterich	MC	Propensity to follow birdies with big numbers -- or vice versa -- doesn't equate to success at the Open.
95. Thomas Bjorn	T-22	Final-round 78 at Winged Foot cost him plenty of cash last year.
96. Dean Wilson	T-30	Doesn't make many headlines, but solid, consistent performer on PGA Tour.
97. Jason Dufner	T-40	Started 72-71 to reach seventh place entering the weekend at this tourney last year, but followed with 78-75 on the weekend.
98. Brett Quigley	T-28	Sure, the scoring conditions were a bit easier in '03, but that opening 65 at Olympia Fields must be one of the better rounds of Quigley's life.
99. Pablo Martin	--	Won as an amateur on the Euro Tour this year, but looked distracted toward end of the college season.
100. Chad Campbell	T-35	Once thought to be a lock to claim at least one Open title (if not more), Campbell has had an iffy-looking game this year.
101. Niclas Fasth	T-37	Euro Tour player once tried to compete in the U.S. at the same time, later complaining, "I spent all my time on a plane." Duh.
102. Tim Petrovic	T-15	Good ball striker who has never missed the cut in three Open starts, but hasn't competed in one since '04.
103. Bob Estes	T-11	In 12 career Open starts, he has made five cuts and earned just over $200,000.
104. Toru Taniguchi	MC	Has never seen a Saturday afternoon in four career Open appearances.
105. Jeff Sluman	2	Shot even-par 284 to finish T-9 here in '94; lost by 2 strokes to Tom Kite in the Open two years earlier.
106. Lee Williams	T-40	Reached the semis of the 2003 U.S. Amateur held at Oakmont.
107. Ricky Barnes	T-59	Once thought to be a can't-miss kid, the 2002 U.S. Amateur champ is biding his time on the Nationwide Tour.
108. Hunter Mahan	MC	With Barnes, was co-winner of the 2003 Ben Hogan Award for top collegiate golfer in '03.
109. George McNeill	MC	Has played in two Opens; hit 11 fairways and took 65 putts in '02, hit 11 fairways and took 64 putts in '06.
110. Jeff Brehaut	--	Splitting time between the PGA and Nationwide tours, he owns one made cut in nine combined starts this year.
111. Todd Fischer	MC	Missed the Open cut in '00 and '01, hadn't been back since.
112. Kirk Triplett	T-7	Has shot over par in 33 of 48 career Open rounds, but has finished in the top 30 in three of the past four years.
113. Ryan Palmer	MC	Any guy named Palmer should be a favorite of the Western Pennsylvania galleries, right?
114. Soren Kjeldsen	T-52	If the Open is a marathon, Kjeldsen should be in good shape, considering he once ran one, saying, "Once was enough for me. I try to stay in good shape, but not as extreme as that!"
115. Olin Browne	T-5	In his first Open start, Browne made the cut here at Oakmont in '94, finishing T-47.
116. Joey Sindelar	T-6	Tour's nicest guy likely will be brandishing the 1-iron, as usual, this week.
117. Craig Kanada	--	Earned his way onto the PGA Tour with back-to-back chip-ins on the final two holes of last year's Nationwide Tour Championship.
118. Marcus Fraser	T-54	In eight career Open rounds, the Aussie has never shot better than 72 or worse than 76.
119. D.J. Brigman	T-55	Pride of New Mexico washed dishes to pay for wife Marisa's wedding ring.
120. Darren Fichardt	--	Since back-to-back fourth-place finishes on the Euro Tour, has four MCs and a WD in his past five starts.
121. Anders Hansen	--	Win at the prestigious BMW PGA Championship last month vaulted him into this week's field.
122. Peter Hanson	MC	Sorry, couldn't resist the opportunity to group the Hanson/Hansen brothers together.
123. Harrison Frazar	--	Hard to believe this is the longtime pro's first time playing the Open.
124. Tom Byrum	T-8	Played in first Open 21 years ago, when he earned $600 for missing the cut.
125. Martin Laird	--	Scot already owns a Nationwide Tour win in Athens, Ga., this season.
126. Kaname Yokoo	T-57	Doesn't have any top-10s in seven starts on the Japan Tour in '07.
127. Jon Mills	--	College teammate of Ben Curtis at Kent State.
128. Adam Speirs	MC	One of five Canadians in the field this week; says his lucky charm is "hard work." (Can you carry that on a key chain?)
129. Todd Hamilton	MC	2004 British Open champ has seen his game fall on hard times lately; he's made the cut in only three of 16 starts this season, with a top finish of 66th.
130. a-Martin Ureta	--	A native of Chile, he played at the University of North Carolina (hence his baby blue outfit for the practice rounds).
131. Christian Cevaer	--	Born in New Caledonia and resides in Switzerland, the only player in the field who can make either of those claims.
132. Richard Lee	--	Calls family friend K.J. Choi his "uncle," but the 16-year-old, who recently turned pro, might be screaming "uncle" of a different sort come Friday.
133. Nobuhiro Masuda	--	Will need to learn the Milton High fight song if he wants to hang with playing partners Bubba and Boo.
134. Geoffrey Sisk	T-30	Led the field in putts per round (26.25) while finishing T-30 at the '99 Open in Pinehurst.
135. Mike Small	MC	Recently completed his seventh season as the head men's golf coach at the University of Illinois.
136. Allen Doyle	MC	Fellow competitors may complain that an Oakmont member has snuck onto the practice range with them, but nope, that's just former club pro Doyle and his funky swing.
137. Tom Gillis	T-70	Strong starter in previous two Open appearances; shot first-round 71 in '02 and 68 in '03.
138. a-Mark Harrell	--	Rising junior at University of Alabama was co-medalist at Hawks Ride sectional qualifier.
139. Joe Daley	MC	Once lost a chance to make the PGA Tour when a 4-foot putt at Q-school went into the hole and inexplicably jumped back out.
140. Sam Walker	--	May bear a resemblance to David Howell, but his game doesn't; Walker has missed the cut in nine of his last 10 Euro Tour starts.
141. Frank Bensel	--	Longtime assistant pro at Century Club in Purchase, N.Y., where he earned co-medalist honors in the sectional qualifier.
142. Andy Matthews	--	Mother Terri caddied for him at local qualifier; father Jerry caddied for him at sectional qualifier.
143. Warren Pineo	--	Minitour player didn't sneak into this field; he qualified against a large contingent of PGA Tour guys at the Columbus, Ohio, sectional.
144. Miguel Rodriguez	--	Argentinian, 33, recently won the Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open on the Challenge Tour, the Euro Tour's version of the Nationwide.
145. Kyle Dobbs	--	Two years before Rodriguez won in Costa Rica, Dobbs earned the title.
146. Michael Block	--	Talk about bad swing thoughts: How'd you like to look down at your bag and see "Block" every time you pulled a club? Guess it's better than "Pull-hook."
147. Michael Berg	--	Born on Dec. 22, 1975 -- exactly eight days before Tiger Woods.
148. a-Alexander Prugh	--	Interests include playing "Guitar Hero" on Nintendo Wii and skiing.
149. Todd Rossetti	--	Didn't start playing golf until high school; currently a member of the National Golf Tour.
150. Jason Kokrak	--	Recent Xavier University grad; might have some inside info as his high school golf coach is a member at Oakmont.
151. John Kelly	--	Lost 4 and 2 to Richie Ramsay in the final of last year's U.S. Amateur.
152. Philip Pettitt Jr.	--	University of Tennessee rising senior played a practice round with Garcia, Donald and Casey on Wednesday; does that qualify him for the European Ryder Cup team?
153. Jacob Rogers	--	The next Frances Ouimet? Maybe not, but the 23-year-old minitour player is using a local caddie this week.
154. a-Jeff Golden	--	Recent Rollins College grad, where he was team MVP.
155. Chris Condello	--	Only Ivy Leaguer in the field (he's a junior at Columbia), Condello is the pick if a locker room Scrabble tourney breaks out.
156. Jason Allen	MC	Bio includes these interesting facts: "After years of trying to make it professionally in golf, Allen got married and in 2004, when a sponsor backed out, he gave up his golfing dream to get into the home loan business. … Doesn't play much golf anymore, but still is classified as a professional." If that's not living the American dream at the U.S. Open, then nothing is.