Golfers with a real chance to win their first major at the U.S. Open

The Englishman is back in the field after not playing in the U.S Open the previous two years. Though Poulter's best finish in the event was a tie for 12th in 2006, he's been ranked among the top 10 in the world, has two victories in the World Golf Championships and won already on the PGA Tour this year. The veteran just seems to find himself among the leaders at some point during the majors.

Though it's been a tough go this season for Snedeker (three straight missed cuts over April and May), the former FedEx Cup winner has finished in the top 10 at the U.S. Open five times, including three of the last four years following a ninth-place result at Erin Hills in 2017.

The 34-year-old Spaniard has come into his own worldwide over the last two seasons. He tied for 17th at the 2016 Masters and tied for fourth at the British Open last year. He also has two top five finishes in World Golf Championship events this season, so Cabrera Bello is certainly someone to keep an eye on.

Hoffman's eighth-place U.S. Open finish last year should give him the confidence to feel good about his chances at Shinnecock. He has struggled of late with no top 20 finishes and two missed cuts in six starts through the Memorial, but memories of that strong U.S. Open last season might provide a boost for Hoffman.

Haas has struggled so far in 2018 (outside the top 100 on the PGA Tour Money List) and may still be recovering from a February auto accident that killed a friend. But like Hoffman, the memory of his strong play at last year's U.S. Open should provide at least a shred of confidence. Haas went 68-69-69 in the final three rounds at Erin Hills to tie for fifth. 

Looking for a member of the "best not to win a major" club? Kuchar, who turns 40 later this month, is in fine standing. He's placed in the top 10 at all four majors and has five top 20s in his last eight U.S. Opens, so Kuchar remains a threat to contend while still chasing that elusive prize. 

Looking for a U.S. Open sleeper, consider Perez. He's among the top 20 on the PGA Tour's Money List, won the CIMB Classic in October and recorded a second in New Orleans in April. Perez has not finished better than a tie for 36th in five U.S. Open attempts, but there's something about his calm demeanor and approach that could him a dark horse at Shinnecock.

Molinari missed the cut at Erin Hills last year but then tied for second at the PGA Championship and delivered a decent showing with a tie for 20th at this year's Masters. Molinari, who ranks among the top 20 golfers in the world, also outlasted Rory McIlroy to win the European Tour's BMW PGA Championship last month. 

Harman's tie for second at the U.S. Open last year is by far the highlight of his major championship career. He held a one-shot lead after 54 holes at Erin Hills following his second 67 of the tournament. However, his final-round 72 coupled with Brooks Koepka's 67 kept Harman from claiming his first major victory in his eighth such appearance.  

Cantlay has played in the U.S. Open only twice, and not since 2012, but he's back and playing some of the best golf of his career. His fourth-place finish at the Memorial marked the third time in five tournaments that the California native has placed within the top 10. That's just the kind of momentum needed at this time of year.

The Swede has two top 10 finishes at the British Open, including a tie for sixth last year, and he's a nine-time winner on the European Tour. His third-place finish at the WGC Match Play Championships proved once again that Noren is to be taken seriously no matter what part of the world he's playing in.

Finau has made just eight total major appearances, but he's survived the cut six times, finished in the top 20 four times and tied for 10th twice, including at Augusta this year. Finau is also in the top 20 on the PGA Tour Money List.

The 34-year-old Australian is on quite a major roll. Leishman tied for sixth at the British Open last year, then finished tied for 13th at the PGA Championship and picked up where he left off this season with a ninth-place finish at the Masters. Leishman has never finished better than a tie for 18th at the U.S. Open, but with the run he's on, that could change.

Grace is having somewhat of an inconsistent season on the PGA Tour, but he still has the potential to be a factor at Shinnecock. He's finished among the top six in half of the last 10 cuts he's made in majors. He tied for fourth at the U.S. Open in 2015 and shared fifth place in '16. Despite tying for 50th at Erin Hills, Grace still seems worthy of consideration this time around.

Fleetwood makes the list based on his steady play at Erin Hills last season and a quality effort at Augusta in April. The 27-year-old Englishman shot rounds of 67 and 68 at last year's U.S. Open and was among four golfers tied for the 36-hole lead before eventually finishing fourth. His 17th-place finish at the Masters also proved that Fleetwood has the temperament to annually contend on golf's biggest stages.

DeChambeau's track record in two years of playing majors hardly stands out, but it's a small sample size (seven events). He did tie for 15th at the 2016 U.S. Open and earned his first victory of 2018 earlier this month in a playoff at the Memorial. He also tied for second at the Arnold Invitational and was fourth at the Wells Fargo.

While Casey's bread and butter has been the Masters (three straight top 10s from 2015-17 and a tie for 15th this year), he was among a group tied for the lead after 36 holes at the U.S. Open last season. However, a 75 on Saturday did Casey in, and he ultimately finished 26th. He's still a golfer who usually ranks among the contenders at just about every major at some point. That should continue at Shinnecock.

Matsuyama is only 26, but he's already finished in the top 10 at all four majors, highlighted by his tie for second at last year's U.S Open. A second-round 65 and his 66 on Sunday enabled Matsuyama to share runner-up honors with Brian Harman. Matsuyama also tied for fifth at the PGA Championship last year and was 19th at this year's Masters, so it would be a surprise if he wasn't in contention at Shinnecock.

Ranked fourth in the world, Rahm is expected to contend on Long Island after finishing fourth at his second Masters in April. The Spaniard has played professionally for only two years, but he's followed a stellar amateur career with quick success on both the PGA and European Tours. It seems only a matter of time before Rahm becomes a major winner.

Is this the year the 29-year-old finally gets it done? Fowler came so close at the Masters with his runner-up finish, and the last two times he made the cut at the U.S. Open (2014, '17), he finished the in top five. Last year at Erin Hills, Fowler led after a first-round 65, but Friday's 73 and his 72 on Sunday resulted in a tie for fifth. He's among the favorites at Shinnecock and should be in the mix on Father's Day.