The 117th U.S. Open kicks off this week at Erin Hills, marking the first time that the championship will be held in Wisconsin. So what can fans expect from the course that has been open since only 2006?
And which championship-caliber players are currently flying under the radar?
On the grounds northwest of Milwaukee, our panel of experts give their takes for the week ahead in a special U.S. Open edition of Monday Four-Ball.
1. Give us a sleeper pick for the U.S. Open.
SportsCenter anchor Matt Barrie: A sleeper pick for the U.S. Open is the 6-foot-1 Shane Lowry. He was at the top of the leaderboard going into the weekend at Oakmont last year but couldn't hold off Dustin Johnson. Lowry is long and straight off the tee, which is a premium at Erin Hills, and has a pair of top-10s in the past two U.S. Opens. Confidence and game will wake up this sleeper this week.
ESPN.com senior golf analyst Michael Collins: I'll give you lots ... Anyone who averages less than 290 yards on their tee shots will have to play almost perfect golf to have a chance at winning this week.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: Charl Schwartzel. I have always believed he had the game for a U.S. Open title, and he's coming off a strong result in Memphis where only a poor third round kept him from possibly winning.
ESPN.com senior golf editor Kevin Maguire: Thomas Pieters. Since the Genesis Open, the young Belgian has finished inside the top 5 on three occasions, and his big-hitter status will come in handy on a course that will tip out at around 7,700 yards. The wide fairways won't hurt, either.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel: Depends how sleepy you want to be. If we're just talking short nap kind of sleeper, give me Kevin Kisner, who won just a few weeks ago at Colonial. If we're talking "Rip Van Winkle slumber" kind of sleeper, give me local boy Jordan Niebrugge, who will have the luxury of playing soft(ish) greens first thing Thursday morning.
2. What's the most intriguing storyline heading into the 117th U.S. Open?
Barrie: Erin Hills -- and specifically the gamble the USGA made in picking a course that opened in 2006 -- is the most intriguing storyline. You get the sense that players are analyzing and judging every fairway, bunker and green on a course that seems most comparable to the controversial Chambers Bay of 2015 -- even if their similarities are limited to novelty and a lack of trees. The intrigue and drama of newness will have my attention all week.
Collins: The storyline of the week is the course. Is this course the identity of the USGA? How do they change the course throughout the week to challenge the players? Which hole is the most likely to get out of hand or be over-the-top?
Harig: The course. For the second time in three years, the USGA is going to an unknown venue. How it fares will be of interest all week.
Maguire: The evolution of Sergio Garcia. Will the Spaniard rest on his laurels and bask in the afterglow of his Masters victory? Or will he get right back on the horse and flirt with a Grand Slam run this year, just as Jordan Spieth did in 2015? I suspect the latter is more likely, given how hard he worked to earn that first major win.
Sobel: I think it revolves around the golf course. There are still so many unknowns. Erin Hills could prove itself to be America's next great course and slide into a regular place in the USGA rotation -- or it could become the next Chambers Bay.
3. With Erin Hills being a first-time U.S. Open venue, what are your expectations of the course for the week?
Barrie: I think the course will show itself well to the players. How it fares in the eyes of fans and TV viewers is another story altogether. The greens seem to be the best a U.S. Open has seen in a few years, which will allow players to roll and score. The course is long, but fairly wide. I'm expecting fair and challenging, which should make for good golf.
Collins: I expect there will be no "in between": Guys are either going to love it and embrace it or hate it and complain about it. I expect many caddies to take full advantage of the free massages after every round because of the length and difficulty of the walk.
Harig: I expect there to be complaining about the rough and praise for the layout itself. There could also be some very long rounds, as the course is on a huge piece of property with lots of ground to cover between greens and tees.
Maguire: Since it's a U.S. Open, I suspect there will be plenty of complaining -- as usual. What will pique my interest is how much quibbling we hear from the field about blind shots on a course that the majority of competitors have never seen. And there will be plenty of bumps in the road -- let's just hope they don't affect anything inside the ropes like they have in the past two years.
Sobel: I think it will be good but not great. More forgettable than memorable. That's not to say we won't have a dramatic tournament and a deserving winner, but I don't think this will be a championship where the host course shines as the biggest attraction.
4. How important is it for the USGA to have a controversy-free U.S. Open?
Barrie: It's everything. Coming off Chambers Bay and Dustin Johnson's 2016 Bunkergate, the USGA can't afford another week of mishaps dominating the storyline, particularly when they detract from the quality of golf being played. Players have been critical of the USGA, and the organization can't afford more negativity. This week is crucial for the USGA, especially because it gambled on a new course with no history.
Collins: It's not do-or-die. I believe a rules split is coming regardless of how great this year's championship plays out. Unfortunately, when a group collectively loses confidence or trust in an organization, one good event won't erase those hesitations.
Harig: It would be nice. The past two U.S. Opens have been dominated by controversy, at times detracting from the championship itself. For the USGA's sake, it might be best if its top man, Mike Davis, doesn't have his name mentioned so much.
Maguire: It's not Game 7 of the NBA Finals-important, but it's getting closer. As bad as the past two U.S. Opens have been (Oakmont/Dustin Johnson ruling and Chambers Bay/bumpy greens), golf's governing bodies were saved by the status of the winners (DJ and Jordan Spieth). A brand-new venue is going to put the USGA under even more scrutiny, so they'll definitely need to bring their A-game to turn the tide.
Sobel: It's absolutely imperative for them. After last year's ruling fiasco involving Dustin Johnson and the upcoming U.S. Women's Open on a Trump-owned course, the USGA needs some positive vibes. And trust me: They understand that.