Good Luck: Trying To Handicap The 2015 U.S. Open

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A major arriving at a mystery venue is not entirely unusual except that this one is a modern links. Sort of.

There was a U.S. Amateur there not too long ago. Eleven players from that week are back (Ryan Lavner with the list). Yet don't put too much stock into those second round qualifying scores since the USGA admittedly lost control of the setup.

Memphis? It's always worth seeing who plays well but winning the PGA Tour event leading up to the U.S. Open doesn't mean much, Cliff Schrock points out.

Then there is the player attitude toward Chambers Bay. Early visitors have groaned, the legends (sort of) suggested they like the design, depending on the setup. The winner of the U.S. Amateur there in 2010, who missed out on qualifying, loves it for the right reasons (the test of skill and day-to-day variety), reports Jim McCabe. So players may take to Chambers Bay more than expected.

Increasingly, there is a view that power will be at a distinct advantage. Greg Norman makes a strong case for their edge, as Jessica Marksbury reports.

This all adds up to the toughest handicapping major in a long, long time. Which is why, with total certainty, I was able to narrow it down for GolfDigest.com to these 11, plus four longshots because this has all the makings of a longshot year. Happy handicapping to all!