Fearless predictions for the Open

Johnny Miller said a lot Wednesday during NBC's conference call with the media, but he uttered two sentences that actually hit the golf ball on the sweet spot of the driver.

"The U.S. Open is a strange one to predict," the outspoken commentator said. "Anyone trying to predict golf is an idiot, anyway."

Undaunted, we move on with our picks for this week's Open.

The top five:

1.Luke Donald – Anyone that has shown his consistency over the last 10 weeks (two wins, eight other Top 10 finishes) fits the style you need to win an Open.

2.Matt Kuchar – Again, consistency is the best thing in Kuchar's bag, and he trusts his swing to perform well under pressure.

3.Lee Westwood – He finished one stroke out of the Woods-Mediate playoff in 2008 and has been in good form thus far this season.

4.Phil Mickelson – The sentimental pick after a record five runnerup finishes, the audience – both live and on television – will be analyzing his strategy every step of the way.

5.K.J. Choi – He challenged for the green jacket at the Masters and won The Players Championship. He's a great ball-striker who doesn't let occasional putting miscues get him down.

And the darkhorse …

David Toms – Toms had two weeks of great golf at The Players (lost in a playoff) and Colonial (win) to prove to himself he still could perform under pressure. His control and experience is key.

Enjoy the Open.

--Joe Juliano