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US Open Golf 2021: Daily Fantasy Picks and Tips for Sunday

Joe Tansey

Russell Henley, Mackenzie Hughes and Louis Oosthuizen go into the final round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Club tied for the lead.

Of the three, Oosthuizen should be trusted most for single-day daily fantasy contests because of his vast experience.

The South African has been a constant at the top of major leaderboards throughout his career, and he should be used to the pressure of leading a major on a Sunday. Henley and Hughes, meanwhile, are entering a new situation.

All you have to do is look two shots back for other reliable players to add into the mix. Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau both turned in strong third-round scores to get within striking distance.

Dustin Johnson and Collin Morikawa have a chance to add hardware to their major trophy collections, and Jon Rahm is looking to cap off a fantastic run of form with his first major.

While Hughes and Henley could play well Sunday, there are better options to trust because of the wealth of experience around them.

Trust Louis Oosthuizen the Most from Leading Threesome

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Oosthuizen carries a massive edge in experience over Hughes in Sunday's final pairing.

The South African won The Open Championship in 2010 and has six other top-three major finishes, including five second-place marks.

The 38-year-old knows what it takes to win and contend at a major and should not feel the pressure of playing in the final group out on course.

Hughes has had a decent career on the PGA Tour, but this is his first major breakthrough. His best major finish is a tie for 40th at The Masters in April.

The 30-year-old missed the cut in his previous five PGA Tour events, so his performance at Torrey Pines has come as a shock.

Hughes used a second-round 67 and third-round 68 to reach the top of the leaderboard, but he also carded a first-round 73. Oosthuizen does not have a round above 71 at Torrey Pines.

Henley, who tees off with McIlroy in the penultimate group, does not have a top-10 finish in his major career, so Sunday's setting will be new to him as well.

Hughes or Henley could surprise us all with a terrific final round that leads to a victory, but both men have been nowhere close to as reliable as Oosthuizen at majors, which makes the South African a better pick from the trio.

Ride with Rory McIlroy

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

When McIlroy plays well at majors, he is usually in the mix for a title.

The Northern Irishman has not been consistent enough lately at the top tournaments, but he has a tendency to produce low weekend rounds, such as his third-round 67 at Torrey Pines.

During his last top-10 major finish at The Masters in 2020, McIlroy fired off three consecutive rounds in the 60s to gain a tie for fifth.

McIlroy's consistency on the front nine and ability to gain strokes on the back nine from Saturday could be vital for his chase of a major title Sunday.

On Saturday, McIlroy carded eight pars and a birdie at No. 2 before making the turn. He turned in four birdies and a bogey on the back nine. His final birdie came on the par-five 18th hole, where he has three birdies in three rounds.

McIlroy's strength on the back nine could be vital if the final round turns into a shootout between the game's biggest names.

Johnson, Rahm, Oosthuizen and DeChambeau can all go low as well, but McIlroy appears to be in the perfect spot in the second-to-last pairing alongside Henley.

McIlroy will know exactly what he has to do to claim the title, and he should have the confidence from Saturday to take some calculated risks and go low on the back nine.

                       

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90Statistics obtained from PGATour.com.

   

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