As he was embarrassing the field, Martin Kaymer felt embarrassed himself.
That guess he’d made ahead of the 2014 U.S. Open? It was very, very wrong.
“I was asked what I believed the winning score would be,” Kaymer said, “and I said probably two- or three-over par, and then you shoot 10-under, and you surprise yourself.”
Kaymer wasn’t alone. Others were stunned at Pinehurst No. 2. In 1999, when Pinehurst hosted its first Open, the winning number was one-under. In 2005, when it hosted a second time, it was even-par. But then Kaymer opened strong, and his rout was on. On the weekend, he shot a 72 and a 69, and he won by eight.
All of this makes him at least an investment thought as we head back to Pinehurst this week for the Open. Kaymer’s not just a horse for a course. He’s Secretariat. He’s also listed around 200-1, which is spicy.
Of course, there’s a reason. Kaymer left Pinehurst that June, and he hasn’t won since.
Is this the week? Among the Schefflers, McIlroys, Schauffeles and Rahms? Likely not. But stranger things have happened.
Like 10-under at Pinehurst.
“if you would have told me at the press conference that I’m not going to win the tournament from 2014 until 2024, I would have thought you were crazy,” Kaymer said last week ahead of his LIV Golf tournament. “But this is the reality and this obviously is quite difficult for me to handle, that I haven’t won since then.
“But this is the sport, and I guess this is what we try to do to become better, and hopefully we’re going to be on top soon again.”
With that, members of our staff have each made a to-win and a sleeper selection to assist you with your own weekly picks, whether those are for a low-stakes office fantasy league, or (legal!) big-bucks bets with a sportsbook. It’s an enjoyable endeavor for us. Deploy it as you wish.
On to our analysis.
