Who could win their first major at the US Open?
By Simeon Gholam
Last Updated: 16/06/17 3:00pm
Sergio Garcia's victory at The Masters in April means that the last six majors have been claimed by a first-time winner.
Jason Day, Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Jimmy Walker and Garcia have all claimed maiden wins since Zach Johnson's second major triumph at The Open in 2015, but will that run continue at the US Open in Erin Hills?
We take a look here at six potential candidates for their first major win...
Hideki Matsuyama
While Matsuyama has never finished in the top three at a major, his form this year so far puts him right up there when discussing potential first-time winners.
The Japanese player has two PGA Tour titles in 2017, at the WGC-HSBC Champions and the Waste Management Phoenix Open, to take his career tally to four in total.
Last year he finished tied for fourth at the US PGA Championship, five off of eventual winner Walker, having shot under 70 in every single round to show he has the concentration to see out the four days.
Lee Westwood
Will Westwood ever win a major? The Englishman has three second-place finishes, a host of other near misses and 18 other top-10 finishes to his name.
He came close at the US Open in 2008 and The Open in 2009, but 2013 was arguably his real chance as he held a two-shot lead at the start of the final round at Muirfield and even increased that lead with a birdie on the fifth. But poor errors throughout the rest of the round allowed Phil Mickelson to come from behind and win the Claret Jug.
Westwood now arguably possesses the unofficial tag of being the best player on tour without a major after Garcia's victory at The Masters.
Rickie Fowler
Fowler has twice finished as runner-up in a major. At the 2014 US Open he never really came close to Martin Kaymer, who won with an eight-stroke lead, but he did get far nearer to Rory McIlroy at the The Open in the same year, cutting into his six-stroke lead at the start of the final day to finish just two behind at Hoylake.
In that same year he also recorded his best finishes at the USPGA Championship (third) and Masters (fifth), but hasn't got anywhere near that form in majors since with nine straight finishes outside the top 10 (while also missing the cut on three occasions).
It looked like Fowler would have a real chance of breaking his major duck at the Masters this year as he began the final round just a shot behind the leaders, but a nightmare round of 76 ended his chances.
Steve Stricker
The 50-year-old has made more money on tour than any other player without winning a major, and has 13 top 10s in the big four tournaments.
Stricker has managed just one runner-up finish in his career at the USPGA Championship in 1998 as he finished two shots down on Vijay Singh but a fourth at The Open last year showed he can still mix it at the top.
He'll also be stirred on by a supportive home crowd at Erin Hills, having been born just a few miles away in Edgerton, Wisconsin.
Paul Casey
Casey has been ranked as high as third in the world rankings but has never really shown his true potential at the majors, despite nine top-10 finishes.
The Englishman has just one third place to his name at The Open in 2010, although he was eight shots off runaway winner Louis Oosthuizen, but did manage a fourth at last year's Masters.
His recent record at the US Open has been poor, though, failing to even make it into the top 30 since 2007.
Matt Kuchar
Seven PGA Tour wins hasn't translated into major success for Kuchar, who still ranks third at the Masters in 2012 as his best finish.
A dismal 2016, where he finished outside the top 20 in the third three majors before missing the cut at the USPGA ended with a finished in tied fourth at the Masters this year.
He did, however, win the Players Championship in 2012, a tournament often regarded as the unofficial fifth major, so he does have the credentials to last the distance in the big tournaments.
