On the eve of the first round of the 2012 U.S. Open, Tiger Woods remains the favorite to win his fourth national championship. Woods enters the week coming off a rousing win at the Memorial that included a dramatic Sunday charge over the final four holes. He won at Bay Hill prior to The Masters, but finished T40 at the season's first major -- his worst career showing at Augusta National.
But the week at Muirfield Village was different than Bay Hill, with Woods converting his par-saving putts from six to 10 feet. That's perhaps the most important stat at the U.S. Open, with the winner usually at the top of the list of players who save pars from that distance. While he still has yet come through with his Sean Foley re-made swing at a major championship test, this certainly seems to be hist best shot with his form in control.
After Woods, the European trio of Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, and Rory McIlroy are considered the next group with favorable odds. The top three ranked players in the world will all play together on Thursday and Friday. Some more of the favorites this week:
Tiger Woods 13/2
Lee Westwood 11/1
Luke Donald 11/1
Rory McIlroy 14/1
Phil Mickelson 20/1
Dustin Johnson 25/1
Jason Dufner 25/1
Justin Rose 28/1
Matt Kuchar 28/1
Adam Scott 33/1
Jim Furyk 33/1
Rickie Fowler 33/1
Zach Johnson 33/1
Hunter Mahan 40/1
Sergio Garcia 40/1
Steve Stricker 40/1
Bo Van Pelt 50/1
Bubba Watson 50/1
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