Our picks for the 2021 U.S. Open

A few weeks after Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship, we return to his home course for the U.S. Open.

One major storyline coming into this week is Jon Rahm is coming back after everything that happened last week at the Memorial. After missing out on over $1 million and a win, I expect him to come into this tournament with a chip on his shoulder. He's also the favorite at +1000.

We also have the Brooks vs. Bryson rivalry. Are we finally going to get this pairing this weekend? Or are they going to keep taking shots at each other through Twitter? With how celebrity boxing has been going, maybe they need to have a boxing match at Torrey Pines to settle who's the biggest meathead on tour.

The U.S. Open is always tough to predict. Every player on tour always says the U.S. Open is one of the toughest tournaments to play because of how they set up the course. Let's get into my picks.

JON RAHM +1000

Had to go with Rahm. After everything that happened at the Memorial, I had to pick him. It sucks how the PGA handled the whole thing. As I mentioned earlier, I think Rahm is going to be motivated to come out and dominate the field. Every competitor wants to win, but him losing out on a little over $1 million is gut-wrenching. One of the best players on the tour is looking to win his first major, and what better place to do it than Torrey Pines.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE TOP 5 FINISH +340

Death, taxes, and Xander finishing top five in tournaments. I was tempted to take him outright, but him finishing in the top five is one of the most automatic bets in all of sports. Xander pretty much gives out free money every time he steps on the course for a major. He's also returning home to San Diego where he grew up and went to college.

WILL ZALATORIS TOP 10 FINISH +315

Ever since his breakout performance at the Masters, Zalatoris has played pretty well. He finished 8th at the PGA Championship. I'm going to continue to ride on the Zalatoris train because he doesn't seem to be fazed on the biggest of stages. He might be one of those guys like Koepka, who turns it on when the light shines the brightest.