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Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler are among the PGA Tour players in this week’s Wells Fargo Championship earning multiple mentions among our expert picks. See the rest right here.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The primary merchandise tent for the U.S. Women’s Open will be about triple the size of any merchandise pavilion in the 68-year history of the event. It also will be 28 percent smaller than the pavilion a week earlier for the men’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

This is part of the challenge – and the thrill – for Mary Lopuszynski.

”In 20 years … this is the most exciting Open I’ve worked on,” said Lopuszynski, the USGA’s senior director of licensing and U.S. Open merchandising.

The USGA is about six weeks away from its grand experiment of hosting the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open on the same course in consecutive weeks. Several structures already will be in place, such as the media center, grandstands, television towers and concession areas.

And so will be the merchandise pavilion, which will be a record 39,000 square feet.

Lopuszynski said the host club typically handles merchandise for the U.S. Women’s Open, and the tent is about 8,000 to 10,000 square feet. For Pinehurst, she said the pavilion will be shrunk to about 28,000 square feet.

”We’re going to move a wall to reduce the size of the square footage of the sales floor,” she said. ”We won’t have as much product. My goal is for the merchandise to look great and to have no empty spaces. We want it to look fantastic for the Women’s Open.”

This 18-day sales extravaganza at Pinehurst No. 2 will feature three logos. The men’s logo is the ”Golf Lad” character hugging the U.S. Open trophy. The women’s logo features a cardinal on the branch of a pine. And a third logo figures to be the most popular because it has both trophies – the hat of Golf Lad on the men’s trophy, and the cardinal on the women’s trophy with ”U.S. Open Championships” across the top.

”The main logo is the joint logo. That’s what is special about this year,” Lopuszynski said. ”We’re treating it as two championships and one event, and we’re also doing that with our merchandise. We’re trying to celebrate the joint logo.”

Count her staff among those who might not want to see a Monday playoff for the men. That’s the day set aside to give the pavilion a makeover from the structure to the shelves to the merchandise. The plan is to work through the night on Sunday and all of Monday, when the grounds are to be closed to spectators.

As for the goods?

There are shirts and hats and towels and accessories with each of the three logos, though Lopuszynski said the majority of items have the joint logo. As an example, she said approximately 70 percent of the headwear will feature the joint logo. The merchandise can be replenished on demand.

She said the most successful merchandise sales in U.S. Open history was in 2008 at Torrey Pines (which had a Monday playoff), followed by Merion last year.

”We’re hoping for our best merchandise sales ever for a U.S. Open,” she said. ”I think we’re going to do great.”

TIGER’S REIGN: Adam Scott has had three chances to go to No. 1 in the world, squandering the best opportunity at Bay Hill when he closed with a 76. Henrik Stenson had his best chance last week until he tied for fifth in the Volvo China Open after starting the week with an ailing stomach.

One of them is certain to reach No. 1 before long, perhaps by default.

Tiger Woods is No. 1 for at least the next two weeks, but his most recent reign is about to end. Even if no players make a move, Woods will keep losing points (and Scott plays such a limited schedule) that is likely to have been displaced by the end of May, if not sooner.

The short-term forecast indicates five players – Scott, Stenson, Masters champion Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar and Jason Day – could move to No. 1 at The Players Championship in two weeks. Day, who has played only one time the last two months because of a thumb injury, and Kuchar would have to win at TPC Sawgrass. Watson would have to be runner-up, while Stenson would need to finish in the top six and Scott in the top 16.

Currently, only Lee Westwood and Luke Donald have been No. 1 without ever having won a major. Day, Kuchar and Stenson have not majors. It’s also worth noting that since Woods first went to No. 1 in 1997, only one American has occupied the top of the world ranking. That was David Duval in 1999.

BIG BONUS: The typical purse on the LPGA’s Symetra Tour is $100,000. Cindy LaCrosse holds the minor circuit’s record for season earnings in 2010 at $94,578. The Symetra Tour’s total prize fund for the entire season is $2.25 million.

That should help put the value of a new bonus into context.

Charlotte-based Park Sterling Bank is putting up $1 million to the player who wins all three tournaments on the Symetra Tour’s swing through the Carolinas. The tournaments are the Self Regional HealthCare Foundation Women’s Health Charity Classic on May 8-11 in Greenwood, S.C.; Friends of Mission Charity Classic on May 16-18 in Asheville; and the Symetra Classic on May 22-24 in Charlotte.

The Park Sterling Cup would not count toward the official money list.

FRENCH REVOLUTION: Not long ago, a pair of French sports journalists proclaimed a historic day at Augusta National. ”For the first time in history, there are more journalists than players at the Masters,” one of them said. How many journalists? ”Two.” How many players? ”None.”

Don’t look now, but with the Ryder Cup headed to Paris in 2018, French golf is on the rise.

Victor Dubuisson won the Turkish Open last year, earned his first trip to the Masters and leads the Ryder Cup standings. Alexander Levy won the Volvo China Open last week, shooting 62 in the second round and never giving anyone a serious chance.

They are among five French-born players to have won in the last year. The others are Julien Quesne (Italian Open), Gregory Bourdy (Wales Open) and Raphael Jacquelin (Spanish Open).

Allez!

DIVOTS: Royal Cinque Ports received so much damage from winter floods in Kent that it has been replaced as a British Open qualifying site this year. Instead, the 36-hole final qualifier will be held July 1 on the New Course at Sunningdale. The other three qualifiers in Britain are at Gailes Links (Scotland), Hillside and Woburn. … Bill Bachran, a longtime golf publicist and historian who ran the Sony Open press center for more than 40 years, died Sunday morning at his home in Honolulu. He was 87. … The last person to officially enter the U.S. Open was 14-year-old Travis Wells from Land O’Lakes, Fla. He submitted his online entry 26 seconds before the 5 p.m. EDT deadline on April 23.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Rory McIlroy fell to No. 11 this week, his first time out of the top 10 in the world ranking in more than three years.

FINAL WORD: ”I hate missing cuts more than I like winning.” – Billy Horschel, who missed the cut in New Orleans as the defending champion.

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The kids are taking over both the PGA and LPGA tours, so it got our writers thinking about who are the top players (male or female) under 25 with the brightest futures. GolfChannel.com’s writers ranked their top 5 below.

By JASON SOBEL

5. Harris English: It was a toss-up between English and Hideki Matsuyama, but I’m going with the guy who’s more of a sure thing. The UGA product will enjoy a Jay Haas – or David Toms-like career – consistent and productive.

4. Lydia Ko: Two days after watching her win a third LPGA title, it’s tough to rate her this low, but there have been plenty of cautionary tales from teenagers seemingly just as talented.

3. Jordan Spieth: What else can we say about him? He nearly won the Masters not only before the legal drinking age, but while still living in the same bedroom of his parents’ house in which he grew up.

2. Lexi Thompson: Even though they’re only separated by two years, Lexi seems a bit more mature than Lydia. I feel like what we’re seeing right now is more of the finished product than what we’ll eventually see from Ko.

1. Rory McIlroy: Oh, I love a good technicality. The two-time major champion won’t turn 25 until Sunday, so I’ll take him here while he’s eligible. Ask me this question again next week, though, and he’ll have to settle for the biggest upside of any player 25-and-over.

By REX HOGGARD

On the cosmic leaderboard, the intersection of life and competition is not always an easily foreseen outcome. Marriage, children, injury, interest all dictate how far one will take natural talent and dedication, but given current track records here are the top 5 players under 25:

5. Michelle Wie: Given the hype that surrounded her career, perhaps Wie has underachieved, but as her victory earlier this month demonstrated, the 24-year-old still has plenty of potential. 

4. Jordan Spieth: Although he came up just short at the Masters, Spieth, 20, has continued to crush the learning curve since he earned his way onto the Tour last year.

3. Lexi Thompson: At 19, Thompson already has four LPGA victories including her first major earlier this month. We are no longer talking about how good she could be.

2. Lydia Ko: It’s not that Ko won her third LPGA event on Sunday so much as it is who she beat. Ko went toe-to-toe with Stacy Lewis, a former world No. 1, on Sunday in California. It was an impressive win for anyone, particularly a 17-year-old.

1. Rory McIlroy: At 24, McIlroy must top the list based on his current résumé alone. Two major championships by a combined 16 strokes is an indication of what the Ulsterman is capable of and despite his current winless streak on the PGA Tour – the 2012 BMW Championship was his last PGA Tour victory – his potential is undeniable.

By RANDALL MELL

5. Ariya Jutanugarn: If not for the shoulder injury last year, the big-hitting 18-year-old might already be ranked among the top five in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings.

4. Jordan Spieth: All-around game sets the 20-year-old Spieth apart. So do internal dynamics. There’s manageable fury driving him to the top.

3. Lexi Thompson: When she’s firing on all cylinders, nobody in the women’s game will touch her, but the 19-year-old might not be as consistently excellent as Ko.

2. Rory McIlroy: His two runaway routs in majors never stray far from the memory. The 24-year-old will dominate big stages again.

1. Lydia Ko: While Lexi Thompson may be more explosive, capable of more spectacular performances, the 17-year-old Ko has the game to consistently give herself chances in the biggest events.

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Major winners and home favourites Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke along with European Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, will be joined by American John Daly when the Irish Open returns to Fota Island Resort from June 19-22.

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Major winners and home favourites Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke along with European Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, will be joined by American John Daly when the Irish Open returns to Fota Island Resort from June 19-22.

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Major winners and home favourites Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke along with European Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, will be joined by American John Daly when the Irish Open returns to Fota Island Resort from June 19-22.

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Coming off his first PGA Tour victory Sunday at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Seung-Yul Noh moved into the top 100 in the latest Official World Golf Ranking while Rory McIlroy dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since 2011.

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Two-time major winner Rory McIlroy says his game is in good shape as he looks ahead to the PGA Championship in May.

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Two-time Major Champion Rory McIlroy is targeting The European Tour’s flagship event as the next addition to his glittering CV after confirming his participation in the 2014 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club, from May 22-25.

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Media members got a sneak peek at Pinehurst No. 2, site of this year’s U.S. Open, on Monday. That got our writers thinking, which player does the setup favor the most? They debate here:

By JASON SOBEL

Dustin Johnson’s game should be well suited for Pinehurst No. 2.

Based on the dispatches from colleagues who attended media day at the U.S. Open venue on Monday, the greatest determining factor at this year’s national championship just might be a little thing called luck. That’s because the randomness of lies off the fairways will leave players in varying degrees of optimal positions.

And hey, while Johnson has certainly earned everything he’s attained, it always seems like he’s enjoyed a decent amount of luck, too.

This should also help: The USGA will have rules officials walking with each group, letting players know whether they’re in a hazard or a waste bunker. That should be, um, helpful for Johnson.

But really, the main reason the course suits his game is because he’s one of the best ball-strikers around. Of the current top 10 in that category, players like Billy Horschel, Graham DeLaet and Louis Oosthuizen are all potential contenders, but DJ has the most upside of the bunch.

That doesn’t mean he’s the favorite, nor does it mean he’ll win, but he should find some advantages in the surroundings during U.S. Open week.

By RANDALL MELL

Phil Mickelson will finally get his U.S. Open title.

This year’s championship at Pinehurst No. 2 will reward creativity more than most U.S. Opens. It will also reward bravado without overly penalizing failure.

That’s right down Mickelson’s alley.

With Pinehurst No. 2’s turtle-back greens making it difficult to hit greens, the short game will be especially important. Getting up-and-down regularly will be vital. 

That favors Mickelson.

With fairways framed by wire grass, sand and pine straw instead of traditional rough, you won’t be seeing the typical chop out when players miss fairways. You’ll see some creative recovery shots.

That’s Mickelson’s game.

Factor in the good vibes of having come so close to winning at Pinehurst No. 2 in ’99, and this feels like a great opportunity for Mickelson. 

By REX HOGGARD

The house always wins and your scribe has learned that betting against Las Vegas is a zero sum game, but it is not Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy who should be the favorites heading into June’s U.S. Open.

That honor belongs to Matt Kuchar, and this isn’t just about what he has done for his odds lately.

Sure, the smiling assassin has earned more money in his last four PGA Tour starts than Tom Weiskopf did in his entire career and he hasn’t finished outside the top 5 since the middle of March.

Kuchar’s victory on Sunday at the RBC Heritage may have been his first of the 2013-14 season, but consider that in 11 events he’s finished inside the top 10 eight times and is first on Tour this season in scoring average.

But that’s not why he should be the early favorite for this year’s Pinehurst Open. Kooch is our frontrunner because of how well his game has travelled this season.

From the bomber’s ballparks at the Golf Club of Houston (where he lost a playoff to Matt Jones) and Augusta National (where he finished tied for fifth) to the ballstriking haven of Harbour Town, Kuchar refuses to be typecast which is a perfect recipe for Pinehurst.

By RYAN LAVNER

Only one player in the past 40 years has won the first two majors in a season, but Bubba Watson is positioned to make a run at the double dip. The Masters champion should also be the favorite for Pinehurst.

No. 2 will play more than 7,500 yards for the U.S. Open, with four par 4s stretching over 500 yards. That will put Watson, the Tour’s leader in driving distance, at a massive advantage, especially at a course that will feature virtually no rough. And with the severe slopes and runoffs around the greens, Watson will be able to rely on his deft touch and imagination to get the ball close to the hole, as he did a few weeks ago at Augusta.

If he can refocus in time for the year’s second major, Bubba has an opportunity to add his name to an elite list of Grand Slam winners.

By WILL GRAY

The conditions at Pinehurst No. 2 will favor Graeme McDowell as he looks to win the U.S. Open for the second time.

The Ulsterman has quietly put together a solid campaign in 2014, with five top-10 finishes in just eight starts, but two statistics will make him a favorite in June. McDowell is 16th on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy, which is annually a key stat at the U.S. Open but may be more important at Pinehurst as players look to avoid the unpredictable sandy areas lining the fairway. He’s also second on Tour in strokes gained-putting, and whoever is best able to conquer the devilish, turtleback greens on No. 2 will likely contend.

McDowell is also 32nd in greens in regulation percentage and 18th in proximity to the hole this season. As conditions become more firm as the week progresses, the viable landing areas on the greens will continue to shrink, which will require players to become increasingly accurate with their approaches.

This will not be a typical U.S. Open setup, but McDowell’s game appears ideally suited for whatever Pinehurst – and the USGA – will throw at the field seven weeks from now. 

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