U.S. Open golf bets: Does Wyndham Clark have a chance to repeat?

Current Form: One could argue that Clark was cut from the PGA Championship field last year and rebounded to win the U.S. Open and that he could do the same thing this year. But another cut at this year's PGA Championship isn't the only reason to be cautious about backing Clark.

Clark has actually missed the cut in three of his last five starts, exiting the field at the Masters, PGA Championship and the Memorial Tournament after the second round. His lone top-10 finish over this stretch is a T3 at the RBC Heritage, which was followed up by a T46 at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Course Difficulty: While that T3 may inspire hope that Clark can rebound this weekend, there is a stark difference between playing at Harbour Town and playing at Pinehurst No. 2. 

The Hilton Head Island locale for the RBC Heritage is considered a shorter course on the PGA Tour and, according to the Tour website, requires "precision shots over power shots" to be successful there. By contrast, this year's U.S. Open site features a mix of challenging terrain en route to complicated greens that make it one of the most infamous and challenging courses in the country.

Clark ranks fifth on the PGA Tour in driving distance and third overall in birdie average, so it's possible his game could translate from Harbour Town to Pinehurst without too much of a headache. Then again, he ranks 112th in driving accuracy and 42nd in putts per round.

Tested Confidence: No one is more aware of his struggles than Clark himself. As such, he is making tweaks to his game and experimenting with new equipment to get his game back on track. 

This method worked for Clark earlier in the season, when he changed his driver and his putter after finishing T39 at The American Express. The result was a first-place finish at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am the following weekend.

When he changed up his clubs yet again ahead of the Memorial, however, he shot a 77 and a 72.

Even a pro like Clark has his confidence tested in a situation like this. Whether it's switching clubs, taking extra practice rounds or finding a way to focus away from the links, it won't be surprising if he applies another new tactic this week to help get his groove back.

While watching a golfer defend a title is great, there is a very real possibility that Wyndham Clark has difficulty doing that at the U.S. Open. Given his current form and the difficult event location, he isn't a safe bet to win the U.S. Open this year.