W2W4: Who will win the U.S. Open at Erin Hills?

ByESPN.COM
June 17, 2017, 8:35 PM

— -- ERIN, Wis. -- With nine golfers within 4 shots of Brian Harman's lead, who do our experts think will come out on top Sunday at Erin Hills? It's time to prognosticate.

Justin Thomas will win his first major championship Monday in a playoff against Brooks Koepka. Rickie Fowler will miss the playoff by 1 shot. I'm not gonna lie, as a lefty, I'm rooting for Brian Harman, but I'm nervous about a guy who's sleeping on the lead alone Saturday night. Look for someone like Bill Haas to drop a low round and give guys something to shoot for Sunday.
-- Michael Collins

Rickie Fowler. After a tough second round, Fowler bounced back nicely with a 68 on Saturday and has put himself in excellent position to win his first major championship at the U.S. Open on Sunday. He's not leading, but he's lurking, and that might be the perfect position from which to make his move. Fowler is as accomplished as any player on the leaderboard, and he's determined to get one of the game's biggest trophies. It's right there for him now.
-- Bob Harig

Going out on a limb here, but Tommy Fleetwood. The Englishman has been unflappable this week and seemed extremely comfortable in his pairing Saturday with Brooks Koepka, who he will play with again on Sunday in the final round. Fleetwood isn't a household name in the U.S., but he's a rising star on the European Tour.
-- Kevin Maguire

An 18-hole playoff. Nothing but contenders on the board who have never won a major, which tells me it's going to be awfully difficult for any of them to close this one out. I'll stick with Brooks Koepka as the man to beat. I'll take Koepka over Justin Thomas on Monday.
-- Ian O'Connor

Brian Harman plays with a chip on his shoulder. He's always felt that he hasn't gotten the respect he deserves -- and he's probably right. It's because he doesn't look like an outside linebacker and doesn't send the golf ball into orbit like so many of his fellow pros. All he does is get the ball into the hole in a hurry, which is a pretty good way to win a U.S. Open. I think most people will expect him to fade on a leaderboard that includes more polished contenders, but I'll take Harman for the win. I like the guy with a chip on his shoulder.
-- Jason Sobel

I'm predicting someone implodes early, basically ejects from the competition and we barely see him on television again. Normally I'd be convinced it was Brian Harman, the shortest hitter and least accomplished player among the leaders, but his iron play has been exceptional all week. Somehow, he'll keep it going and be in the mix. Instead, I suspect it's Tommy Fleetwood who buckles to U.S. Open pressure, and the winner is either Justin Thomas or Brooks Koepka.
-- Kevin Van Valkenburg