Amazingly, there are more than two in field

LA JOLLA -- Tiger Woods said he still hasn’t walked a full 18 holes, but that hasn’t stopped many from making him the overwhelming favorite to win the U.S. Open. This is probably due to the fact that he is the favorite at every tournament he plays.

There is also a vast group who back Phil Mickelson, possibly because he’s so comfortable at Torrey Pines that he could show up and break par in his bathrobe and slippers.

So opportunities abound for anyone who wants to climb on board the Tiger bandwagon or sign up to join the club of Phil’s Fans.

That’s the conventional wisdom, at least before the first ball is hit Thursday. While it’s not too challenging to take the favorites first, it’s also not too accurate, at least lately. Michael Campbell, Geoff Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera are the last three U.S. Open champions, and the only thing they were favored to do was to make the cut.

If Tiger and Phil don’t win, who does? Here are some suggestions, all of them completely non-guaranteed, so help me Big Brown.

Luke Donald

He just wrote in his latest blog that he likes the U.S. Open, but he said there are some leaks in his game, so he’s going to have to plug those. But he is overdue to make a statement in a major sometime, so maybe this is the week. Plus, he can putt.

Trevor Immelman

The Masters champion is the only player in the field who still has a shot at the grand slam. He took a nose dive after the Masters but has pulled himself together lately. He knows how to get the ball on the green and how to get it into the hole.

Stewart Cink

He already should have won one, in 2001 at Southern Hills, so he may be feeling his seven-year itch. His power off the tee and ability to hit greens in regulation (he ranks fourth on the PGA Tour) are suited to Torrey Pines.

Jim Furyk

It’s fashionable to underestimate him, so we’re not going to do that. When he’s on, he’s numbingly efficient at hitting fairways and greens. He won the U.S. Open five years ago at Olympia Fields and he has a chance this week, assuming he hits it far enough off the tee and makes his share of putts.

Justin Rose

Here’s another player who has had some good rounds in majors and then disappeared. But he may be the most talented of the international players who have yet to break through (see Sergio Garcia). He has two top 10s in his three U.S. Open appearances.

Sergio Garcia

He should have won last year’s British Open and it’s a question mark whether U.S. Open conditions are best suited for him, but his qualities as a big hitter with touch are valuable. Ultimately, the winner this week will be someone who can handle the greens, and that means he can’t have one of his customarily shaky performances.

Sean O’Hair

Hey, who would have picked Campbell or Cabrera? He has missed five cuts already this year, but he also has a victory, at the PODS Championship, traditionally the U.S. Open warmup tournament. No, it’s not, but O’Hair is the real deal at 25.

Geoff Ogilvy

He’s the guy who stopped Tiger’s winning streak, and with gusto, at the CA Championship. He’s a proven major player, he’s clutch, and he’s a distant relative of Robert the Bruce of Scotland. He’s also Australian, so if he wins again, the champions dinner is a combination of haggis and barbecued shrimp.

Paul Casey

You must give consideration to somebody who knocks the heck out of the ball, and that’s this guy. He hasn’t had much of a year so far (one top 10 on the PGA Tour), but don’t forget that Campbell missed the cut four consecutive years in the Open before he won at Pinehurst.

Boo Weekley

He would become the first Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College grad to win, the first from Milton, Fla., the first to introduce camouflage into golf’s color scene and the first nicknamed after Yogi Bear sidekick Boo Boo Bear. Plus, once he wins, he would surely be very animated.

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thomas.bonk@latimes.com