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gb-patch · 3 years

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Ask Answers: June 6th, 2021

I’m back with more ask responses! You can also check our Frequently Asked Question sheet if there’s something you’re wondering that’s not answered here.

FAQ Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

Thank you for the patience with these questions ♡

Hey in very beginning of step 3 in the scene where Mr.Holden had a thought dancing on the tip of his tongue but he kept it to himself after MC and Cove were being cute (idk if it makes a difference but this is when they're dating)... Can we know what he was thinking/ wanted to say? It's been bugging me lol

He would’ve gone into a “look how much you’ve grown”, “your dad is so proud of you”, “I’m so glad things worked out with the MC”, and etc spiel, haha. But he resisted the urge to fawn on his baby boy, at least for that scene.

If we planned to move away for college/future plans in step 3, is it implied that MC and Cove would have a long distance relationship for sure? Could MC have convinced Cove to come with them? How is the dynamic of their relationship going to be addressed in Step 4, if that makes sense?

Cove is willing to follow the MC where they went after everything is settled for them there, and if they’re sure they want him to come! You’ll get to decide how things shook out during those transitional years just by making choices about it during the opening prologue of Step 4.

Hi! First off, how does it feel to have created one of the best games when it comes to inclusion for lbtq+ peeps? I've never felt as validated with my identity and sexuality when playing a game and I'm seemingly not alone ♥ Second, and this might be a little too specific, but what kinds of drinks does Cove like as well as dislike? Thank you, you're the best ♥

Thank you for very much! It’s really nice to hear the game felt inclusive. Cove likes regular water and fruit juices/smoothies most! He dislikes coffee and cola, and he’s not super into most teas either.

Hi, may i ask what gb patch stands for? Specifically the gb part lol

It stands for my old, silly username I used in places like Neopets as a kid, aha. The company name wasn’t super thought out since it was originally just me making VNs as a hobby. Luckily, “GB Patch” kind of seems like it could mean something reasonable, so I didn’t have to rebrand when it did become a more serious, commercial group.

If we chose to not propose to cove in the step 3 dlc would he propose or would the mc propose in step 4 or the wedding dlc?

Yeah, you or Cove can propose in Step 4 if you’re not already engaged! The Wedding DLC takes place after the engagement so the proposal scenes aren’t there.

will you guys announce if the early access for the new game is out on patreon ?

When beta builds of Step 4 or whatever start coming out on the Patreon we will mention it here on social media too.

Heyy I just had a quick question about Baxter if that’s okay :)?

I saw in an ask+answer that it’s possible to casually date Baxter In step 3, but what leads up to that? I have the step 3 dlc and I’ve tried playing them In a different orders and ways but it doesn’t seem to get anywhere ^^;

The Step 3 DLC is Cove-based because he’s the default guy. There’s a separate Baxter romance DLC that’s not out yet. That’s where you can get him to date you. I’m sorry for the confusion!

Will we ever get any LI's or side characters with physical disabilities or deformities? I think your games would be a great place to have them in since they're always so accepting and safe!

Yeah, we do hope to have representation for that in future projects ^^. Thank you for the confidence in us.

Is it possible to get Cove to take the bed and MC to sleep on the floor?

Not in Step 3, I’m afraid.

So, I have played the prologue of Our Life countless times and I haven't gotten the [Your Life] achievement, why is that?

Steam sometimes isn’t connected properly when an achievement unlocks and so it remains locked on your account. If that happens, unfortunately getting the scene again won’t unlock it. The achievement becomes inaccessible because the game thinks you already have it. Playing with the same Steam account on a different device or fully deleting your game data (more than the only the save files) are the only work arounds we’ve found.

Since when you talk with Jeremy in step 3 it's mentioned he goes on dates with someone (which assume is JB because who else would take this boy on dates) that makes him happy, does that sort of make JB and Jeremy the canon relationship in the first game?

The default for XOXO Droplets is that JB casually goes on dates with each of the jerks! Shiloh would’ve been harsher if Jeremy was the only guy getting her attention, haha. But the player can change that default by dating just one person the whole game for their own story and who she ends up with for real has no default.

Hi, hello! Huge OL fan, thank you so much for the wholesome content, it was very much needed during these times. Managed to get several people to join team Cove, so that's very exciting, I always have people to fawn over him with. I have a little question and I'm sorry if it was asked before, but does it ever come up in the game what Cove has told his mom about us? (who knows, with so many options, one can miss it) Or, alternatively, will it come up in the Step 4 DLC?

Thank you very much for sharing the game with people <3. It’s really great to hear people are liking it. Right now that doesn’t come up in game. Kyra is willing to keep her mouth shut and Cove isn’t gonna have that conversation either. At least not when he’s younger, but yes, perhaps when he’s a fully grown big boy in Step 4 you can ask him about it.

I’ve been thinking about this ever since it has been confirmed that there would be two love interests for OL2, would there be the possibility of forming a polyamorous relationship with both love interests? I’m sorry if you answered this previously, I’m just curious.

We are considering it, but it’s not a guarantee yet. It’d be really great to have but it’d add so many extra alterations that’d need to made, aha.

Hello! You mentioned how Cove would be uncomfortable with kids at 23, but how old would he be when he’s comfortable with having/adopting kids? (Same goes for the other LI’s.) btw, love your game!!

He’d want to be at least 25, but even older would be good. Derek would want to have kids when he and his partner could reasonably support them, the age itself wouldn’t matter. If they were doing good at 22 and wanted kids, he’d be up for it. Or they could wait until their 30s or whatever. Baxter is also more of a “when it feels right” guy rather than having a specific age requirement. Cove is just especially wary of being a young parent because of his own parents. I’m happy you like the game!

does step 4 immediately play after you press "end summer" in step 3? or is there another button/transition (like the story text thingy) before the epilogue begins? what happens after the epilogue? roll credits? 😂

Step 4 will have transition section always and there will be an extra button, if you own the Derek or Baxter DLC. By default the Cove-based version of Step 4 just plays once Step 3 is over. However, having the other guys’ storylines will mean you get to pick which version of Step 4 plays; Cove Step 4 (the basic one), Derek Step 4, or Baxter Step 4.

Happy pride, thank you for all you do for us🥰

I have a quick question though, I recently got a MacBook after my old windows computer broke, and now steam says I cannot download it, but it has no issues with other games, what can I do to download it?? I’m sorry if my English is bad

Happy pride month! Unfortunately, Our Life isn’t available for Mac on Steam right now. To be an approval application Apple requires having special notarization and we as a small group haven’t gotten that. Itch doesn’t care and lets us release the game for Mac there anyway, Steam does care so we’re locked out of putting the Mac build up on their storefront. Feel free to email us and we can try to help the situation out further!

[email protected]

Hello! I was jus wondering if the Baxter and Derek DLCs are still happening? I haven’t heard anything about them on here or patreon in a while so I just wanted to make sure ^^

They’re still coming and we just released a new sprite sketch on the Patreon for the Derek DLC c:. But right now Step 4 is still much more of a priority. Once that’s closer to being done we’ll focus way more on sharing previews for the other guys.

is it possible to tell cove you love him (platonically) at step 3 fondness/selecting him as basically family? i just love the mc and liz sibling interactions and it got me wondering about it (especially if you've selected that option)

You and Cove can be as close as family, but there’s not a specific scene in Step 3 where you say “I love you” in a family context. But there’s always Step 4~

do you intend on ever adding a collectors mode to Our Life? Like a way to collect achievements and CGs for the gallery without it effecting any save files?

We weren’t considering it before. But if a lot of players would find that helpful, we could start thinking on that!

Sorry if it's a silly question haha, but (in crush/love) is Cove really aware of how cute and cuddly he seems to MC? If so, what does he think or do about it? Or does he just ignore it?

He isn’t particular aware. Cove never truly stops being surprised that the MC is interested in/attracted to him, haha.

Would you say that the alone ending of xoxo droplets is worth playing again to get?

Nope, haha. The goal is to make friends/get a boyfriend and so the alone ending is kind of the bad ending for the game. Though there is a consolation prize if you get it by accident.

Is there any possible situation which would ever prompt Pran to bake for his girlfriend? Like I know it's unlikely I mean even if JB broke her leg somehow I'm pretty sure he'd still be like "I considered baking you a cake and doing the frosting the way I think looks interesting but you don't deserve a cake, no one does." right but also ahhh it would be super nice if some day he just surprised her with baked goods one day out of nowhere. JB would be so shocked it would be cute. So is there any possible situation where that could/would be a thing that he would do?

He might bake out of spite, like if he felt he had to prove her wrong on something. Or if JB used some good reverse psychology on him. Or he might do it in a relatively nice way if he could make his GF so shocked by the kind gesture that his amusement with that overrode his insistence on not being sweet. Pran is very difficult in high school, aha.

Is the "one route (where) it can be seen that Everett will drop his seemingly eternal waging with Jeremy pretty easily and can start getting along without thinking much on it" the Lucas route? I'm curious!

Yep! Everett will side with Jeremy if it’s between him and Lucas.

Hi I hope you guys are having a great day :) I just had to ask how Cliff would feel about Cove's partner/fiancé Mc calling them dad whether it be accidental or otherwise and secondly I also wanted to ask how he would feel about being asked to be the one to give the mc away at their wedding.

He would be very touched and excited! I hope you have a good day too :D

Hello! I saw an ask relating to whether Cliff "moves on" after Cove's grown up and stuff (and he stays single), but what about Kyra? Will she be with anyone else or will she stay single?

She does start dating again, but she takes it slow.

Hi! I absolutely love the art for characters in OL and I wonder is this fine to draw my MC in same drawing style and upload online later? Is this something artists would be okay with? Thank you!

Yeah, you can certainly do that C:

Hey there!

I wonder if I'm just being stupid here.. Is Step 4 a DLC? And if so, where can I find it? I can't seem to find it on Steam :< Thank you!

Step 4 is a free epilogue! It’s not done yet, but once it is finished you’ll just update your game file and Step 4 will be there after Step 3 ends.

hi! are step 4 and the wedding dlc two different things?

They are. Step 4 is a free epilogue that’ll be a default part of the game once it’s done, the wedding DLC is an optional paid expansion that takes place after Step 4.

Why did Baxter not receive a step 2 sprite seeing how he shows up later

Sprites are time consuming to draw and take money out of the budget that could’ve gone to other things. His tiny appearance in Step 2 wasn’t worth all the effort to make a sprite, aha.

I just realized, what happens if if you get the patreon exclusive moment but at a later date, when you don't have the membership anymore, it's updated (like a bugs fix update for example)? Would you have to get the membership again?

You would have to get the membership again to redownload the build. But there’s very little chance there’s going to be an update once it’s been out for over a month. If a build gets released with errors, players catch/report them within the first few days. So by the time the first subscription period ends, any problems that were noticeable would already have been fixed. And we’re certainly not gonna be adding new content to it once it’s been released for a long time. There’s no need to worry about missing out on something worthwhile in the future if you cancel your membership. It’s being made with the idea in mind that many players are gonna be getting it and then going.

Hello! Wanted to ask about gaming choice in step 3? Once upon a playthorugh I got the option to buy Cove a bracelet for his graduation present. I played the same basic character again and that option wasn't there anymore. I'm not sure where I went wrong. My Cove wears a bracelet on each hand and my MC is into fashion and jewelry. Do I need to put an earring on him or? Sorry, love your game so much.

He also needs to have liked bracelets in Step 2 for that to be considered a good gift option for him. Sorry for the confusion! I’m happy you love the game :)

Is Step 4 being released at the same time as the Wedding DLC or will the first come before the latter? Thank you!

I’m not sure. Ideally they’ll come out at the same time, but the wedding DLC has a lot of art to get done and we may have to release it after Step 4.

Can mc still get confession from Cove at the end of step 3 even if mc casually dates Baxter in step 3? Such as in crush mode?

I don’t think so. Maybe that’ll change, but generally there’s differences to the Step 3 ending if you were dating Baxter and those differences likely will conflict with getting the Cove confession.

For the patreon moments/dlcs, will it be available for all tiers?

It’ll be available for tier 2 (Fans) and up!

#our life #xoxo droplets #gb patch #ask #gb patch games #Our Life Beginnings & Always

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maknaekink · 7 years

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found you.

Based off this AU.

words: 1,817

rating: Fluff fluff fluffy AU (I’m thinking about making more out of this AU so tell me what y’all think)

summary: A world where when you write something on your skin with pen/marker/whatever the hell you want, it will show up on your soul mates skin as well. Yugyeom’s favourite part of the day is watching small doodles and lines show up on his skin, hoping to one day decipher your scribbles and be able to find you.

Yugyeom watched as lines began to surface on his forearm once again. You were obviously bored, wherever you were, because it was a new piece that carried on for ages. He watched, hypnotised as you drew a fairy and surrounded her with intricate patterns and flowers. He watched as you drew the one flower that made it’s way into every piece you drew.

A lily.

He had pieced together bits and pieces about your life and who you were. You were an art student somewhere in Korea, itching to become a tattoo artist. He discovered this as you scribbled down your art history homework on your arm before writing a reminder to ask Hyungwon for the name of the tattoo parlour looking to hire. Yugyeom had frowned when he saw another boy’s name but shook his head as he prayed that you would write down the name of a shop and he’d be able to find you.

He had tried meeting you before, writing locations on the back of his hand, hoping you would see it and realise. But you never came. You had somehow assumed it was an old reminder, completely forgetting the fact that every time you marked your skin, you marked his too.

He himself was a bit of an artist as well, although he prefered dance. He would add little details to your pieces here and there, allowing you the reminder that he was out there and waiting.

You knew he was there. Adding things, giving you reminders. But you were scared. Scared that he wouldn’t be satisfied with the broke aspiring tattoo artist you were. Scared that he wouldn’t be everything you dreamed of. So you pretended to be oblivious.

After a while, Yugyeom gave up on trying to trick you into meeting him and just tried to meet you by chance. Hoping that the supermarket you were going to was the one near his dance studio or that you bought your paints from the same store his friend Jackson worked in. No such luck.

You began to make your reminders a little bit more specific, as if understanding somehow that he was trying to find you.

Breakfast @ Kwang’s Noodle Palace with KiKwang.

Buy new pens @ Kinokuniya by Bingsu Barn.

You would linger a little longer after paying the bill or pretend to not see your pens as you circled the familiar store for the umpteenth time, hoping to run into him.

No such luck.

Years began to pass as you continued to scribble along your skin here and there. It had become a routine for him, watching you aimlessly doodle. You continued to watch as he added himself into your pieces, taking pictures of the final products for your boss at the tattoo parlour. You love how he signed his initials next to yours. KYG.

KYG. Three letters which belonged to someone who could change your life forever.

Your move from Busan to Seoul had been a quick one, and you thrived on being independent. You were doing what you loved and you loved where you were headed. What if KYG was controlling? Or misogynistic? Or unsupportive of your dreams?

You shook your head as you walked through the coldness of autumn to the shop, rushing past others on their way to work.

“Y/N!” Your boss and piercing expert, Im Jaebum, called, “You’re here!”

“Yah! Sorry I’m late, the train was packed this morning so I decided to wait for the next one.”

“No worries.” He pushed his chair back, “Could you man the front desk for a bit? I have to go pick up my little brother. He wants an industrial but is too pussy to come here on his own.”

“Yep, sure.”

“Cool, you’ll like him. Youngjae is pretty cute.”

“You say that about all your brothers. The artsy one, the music one, the dancey one, the martial artsy one. They’re all cute, I get it. It was a common trait in your foster home.” You laughed.

“Don’t sass me, girl. I do pay you.” Jaebum grinned before ducking out of the shop to pick up his brother.

“Next appointment is...” You mumbled to yourself, hoping to get some designing time in, “4pm, Jeon Jungkook.”

You internally danced at the four hours of free time you now had to decorate your arms with. Your designs were by far the most popular and you needed to produce new one.

“What shall our centrepiece be today?” You bit your lip and flipped through the animal and mythical creature designs, “Mermaid it is then.”

You began to lightly sketch the mermaid in the centre of your forearm with the carbon paper. You stopped mid sketch, and decided to put supposed Mr. Right to the test.

“Let’s see if you notice what’s missing, jagi.”

You rubbed the lily off and replaced it with a magnolia, continuing your design until the ink had finally dried on your skin.

Yugyeom was at the dance studio with Jungkook and Bobby when he began to see faint lines appear on his forearm once again.

“What are you painting for me today, my love?” He whispered as he continued to watch your masterpiece come to life. He loved watching you create, it was his favourite part of the day. It meant that you were well and alive somewhere in Korea, doing what you loved. He could just imagine you sitting at your desk, with your tongue out in concentration. He could feel that you were one of those people.

“You should bring your soulmate’s designs to the tattoo parlour I’m going to later.” Jungkook said, “They may just hire her.”

“Last time I checked she has a really good job. Her salary is more that you’ve ever earned.”

“Salty!” Bobby chided, “Jungkook was just making a suggestion, kid.”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s finish this routine, then we can go watch Kookie squirm under the needle.”

“You should get one too!” Jungkook bounced on the balls of his feet, “Something significant to you.”

Yugyeom shook his head, “Not without her permission.”

“So ask her. There’s bound to be a pen somewhere.”

“It’s okay. I’d prefer to ask her in person. Then she can tattoo me herself.”

“You guys will be one of the the most artistic couples I know. A tattoo artist and a dancer. Your kids will be so creative Van Gogh will have a run for his money.” Bobby laughed before turning the music on once more, “Alright then. 5, 6, 5, 6, 7, 8...”

You had finished your mermaid piece and was awaiting any amendments made by him. He would notice right? He had been watching you sketch for almost your whole life, he had to know.

You remembered the first time you sketched on your skin. It was senior year of high school, and you had been bored in your Spanish class, no dar una cogida. You had been scrolling through tumblr, looking at tattoo designs for your friend. You spotted an intricate design of a lily of the valley and immediately needed to mark your skin with the design. So you did.

Once you had finished, you noticed a word below your art piece.

Wow.

He had to remember. It was your first encounter with the man on the other side.

After two hours of staring at the piece on your arm, you noticed a lily being sketched at the bottom of the portrait, making you smile.

He knew. He knew what was missing.

Maybe it was time to let him in. Maybe it was time for you to allow him the luxury of being yours.

Yugyeom traced his attempt at a lily at the bottom of your new design with a sharpie, slightly upset that he hadn’t done it as well as you would have.

“Sorry, love, never going to be as nice as yours.” He blew on the wet ink and lay down on Jungkook’s couch.

“Yah! Jeon Jungkook!” Heol, Jungkook’s girlfriend yelled, “You better pick a nice design. I’ll be stuck with it forever as well.”

“Well, there goes my forehead dick tattoo idea.” He grinned at her cheekily before looking at his friend, “You ready to go?”

“Yeah.” Yugyeom smirked, more than ready to watch Jungkook hold back tears as he got his and his girlfriend’s names tattooed over his heart.

“Are you sure I’ll be okay?”

“My brother makes a shit ton of money off his tattoo parlour. You’re lucky he even squeezed you in, pabo.”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. You know this is just nerves speaking.”

“Mhmm. Suck it up.” Yugyeom ran his hand through his blonde hair, “At least your pain tolerance is better than Youngjae’s. Jaebum said he had never heard anyone scream as loud as him when he pierced his ear.”

“Oh lord.”

“Don’t pussy out now. You promised yourself you would do this.”

“Right. No turning back now.”

The pair pushed their way into JB’s tattoo shop, heading to the front desk where they found Yugyeom’s foster brother.

“Hm, the artist went to buy lunch for us, so she’ll be a while.”

“She?” Jungkook gulped, “Is she goo-”

“The best.” Jaebum answered firmly, “One of the best artists I’ve ever met.”

“Okay, okay.”

“You can check out her designs if you want. The book is somewhere in the pile on the table.”

Jungkook picked up the first book, which contained the designs for lettering, “It’s okay, I’ll just look for the font I like the best.”

Yugyeom’s curiosity to see how good this artist supposedly was compared to his girl caused him to grab the book under Jungkook’s. He made himself comfortable on one of the loveseats in the waiting area and read the front cover.

Y/N’s designs.

“Y/N.” Yugyeom murmured, “What a pretty name.”

He opened the book and froze. This piece looked so familiar. From the sharp edges of the vampire queen’s teeth to the lily at the bottom of the page. He frantically flipped through the book and found every single design you had designed together with your initials next to his near the bottom.

The door to the shop opened, “Yo boss man, they didn’t have your go to order so I just got you the beef fiesta burrito.”

There you were in all your glory, tight black jeans, Ramones t-shirt and black boots.

“Y/N.” Yugyeom stood up from the seat.

“Hello there...” You tried not to drool at the insanely attractive boy in front of you.

“This is my brother, Yugyeom, and his friend Jungkook. You’ll be doing a piece for him today.”

“Nice to meet you, Yugyeom,” You loved how his name rolled off your tongue.

You stretched your inked arm out to shake his hand, only to be met with a hand connected to an arm with the same exact design. You looked up at him and gaped as he grinned.

“Found you.”

#yugyeom #soulmate!au #yugyeom soulmate #got7 soulmate #got7 au #yugyeom au

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junker-town · 7 years

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U.S. Open 2017: Ranking the weekend contenders at Erin Hills

A crowded leaderboard with only two major wins among the Top 23. Let’s sort out the contenders & pretenders ahead of the weekend at Erin Hills

ERIN, Wisconsin — We’ll start the weekend at the U.S. Open with a crowded leaderboard at Erin Hills, but with little in the way of major championship pedigrees at the top. Eight of the world’s top 12 players missed the cut in Wisconsin — including Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, and Jason Day.

What’s that leave us with? Still plenty in the way of compelling golf. The leader for the majority of the golf tournament, Rickie Fowler will play headliner for the weekend, starting Saturday just a shot behind a quartet of players at 7-under-par. And, my, how things change. And could it be Sergio Garcia playing the role of proven, confident veteran? (We’re going with SergioSlam, do note it’s stylized without a space or hyphen.)

Our leaders are set to take to the course around 1:30 local time. Let’s sort out the contenders & pretenders at Erin Hills ahead of Saturday’s action.

15. (tie) Xander Schauffle & Cam Champ (a)

Listen, young Americans Champ & Schauffle are fun to watch, big hitters that have the talent to hang around professional golf for a long time — and get back to this stage regularly. But it’s a big ask for two major championship rookies to hang around through the weekend.

Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

There are three major wins total among players in contention at Erin Hills. Martin Kaymer has two of them.

14. Martin Kaymer

Unless you’re a fan of Jordan Spieth’s chances seven shots behind the leaders, Kaymer’s the only multiple-time major winner left in contention this week. He’ll start the weekend four shots behind, but it’s fair to wonder his form will hold out through the weekend. The former top-ranked player hasn’t had a top-three finish anywhere in the world since 2015.

13. Bill Haas

If you did a quick survey of the media center & players’ locker room, no one would complain about Bill Haas picking up the major champion designation. A six-time winner & FedEx Cup champion who probably doesn’t quite get his due, Haas will start the weekend three off the lead. The downside? He’s 35 years old with exactly one major championship top ten finish.

12. Marc Leishman

Always in the shadow of countrymen Adam Scott & Jason Day, he won’t have that problem this weekend at Erin Hills. A forever trendy pick to contend, he had a near miss at the 2015 Open Championship & won at Arnie’s event earlier this year. If you’re looking for one of the pack at 4-under-par to emerge, Leish may be the best bet.

11. Brian Harman

I’ll admit: Ranking Brian Harman this low is straight-up disrespectful. He’ll share the lead, play in the final grouping on Saturday, and has been in good form of late. But! There are players perhaps better suited to Erin Hills than Harman, and his major championship contention experience is basically zero. That’s a lot to ask of a dude walking in the final grouping today.

10. Jamie Lovemark

It feels like a long time coming for the former USC star in Lovemark at a major championship. His big-hitting style suits well to Erin Hills — if he can drive it accurately, and he’ll enjoy a comfortable Saturday pairing with fellow SoCal native & Walker Cup teammate Rickie Fowler. If he can survive treacherous traps like the 9th, Don’t be shocked if he pops into the lead at some point early on Saturday.

Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Thomas’ advantage off the tee could help us add another star on the leaderboard ahead of Sunday.

9. Justin Thomas

Sure, he’s five behind and out of the spotlight a bit. But there’s 36 holes of golf left, and that’s plenty of time. In a leaderboard that lacks some punch outside of Rickie Fowler up top, Erin Hills could use another punch of star power. JT’s exactly that and this course suits him well. He’s your best bet to make a move up from the group at 2-under-par.

8. JB Holmes

No one at 4-under-par or better on this leaderboard has won a major championship, so JB Holmes’ veteran experience & strength off the tee could propel him to a win here. He turned in finished in the top 5 in half of last year’s majors

7. Tommy Fleetwood

Sure, sure -- call it a double-standard. I knocked fellow leader Brian Harman for his lack of major experience, yet this is only Tommy Fleetwood’s second major championship weekend ever. But he’s had high finishes in quality events in 2017 (a win in Abu Dhabi, 2nd at the WGC-Mexico) and there’s perhaps no better iron player in the world right now than Fleetwood. He’s greens at around an 85% clip on the European Tour. At a ballstriker’s paradise like Erin Hills, that’s a good predictor of success.

Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Si Woo Kim just won golf’s biggest non-major title last month. At 21, could he upgrade to major champion just one month later?

6. Si Woo Kim

Does Si Woo Kim have a pulse? Coming off a Players Championship win at 21-years-old, the South Korean phenom’s just two behind the lead at Erin Hills entering the weekend. He didn’t blink at Sawgrass on Sunday a month ago. Is he perhaps the safest bet to stay up near the top of the leaderboard of this relatively unproven bunch?

5. Sergio Garcia

We could go higher here, but since he’s four behind, let’s start out conservative. But if you’d told me Sergio would win a major in 2017, Erin Hills might have been the first venue to which I would’ve pointed of Augusta. He says he’s confident at the moment, and admits to believing he’ll have an advantage if the golf course toughens this weekend.

We’re through the looking glass. Sergio’s the proven, confident shark now, coming for the rest of the field. Sergio. Sergio Garcia. God, this is so weird but I love it.

4. Brooks Koepka

It’s really hard not to like Brooks Koepka at Erin Hills.

He’ll be the best professional driver (Hi, Cam Champ!) of the golf ball remaining in the field this weekend, and his strengths line up well with Erin Hills — especially if overnight rains make the course play a hair longer. And at just 27-years-old, he’s been a solid pick in majors since he first broke onto the PGA Tour back in 2014. In fact, since the 2014 U.S. Open, Koepka’s only finished outside the Top-21 of a major twice.

Nice, solid finishes are worlds different from wins, but the ingredients seem ripe for a Koepka breakthrough this weekend.

3. Paul Casey

Consider: Take an appearance of a triple-bogey off Paul Casey’s second round card -- and the Englishman’s your three-shot leader heading into the weekend. He’ll still own a share of the lead and tee off last on Saturday, but the question for Casey is simple: Will this time be any different?

Casey’s weekend major championship struggles are well-documented. For a player that’s reached the 3rd in the OWGR & owns 17 worldwide wins, he’s never had much in the way of success on the weekends at majors — a 3rd place finish at the 2015 Open Championship his lone top-three finish.

Sergio got the burden off his back at The Masters in April. It’d be apropos for another cursed European star to get it done at Erin Hills.

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Rickie was better than everyone though most of Thursday and Friday. It’s his or Hideki’s to lose.

2. Rickie Fowler

For much of Thursday and Friday, all seemed to be aligning for Rickie. He played three full nines at the U.S. Open without a bogey, a task that’s difficult to fully appreciate. But through the early rounds, he’s looked the part of a major champion.

Yet, perhaps Rickie’s never had an issue with the early rounds, nor has he with the physical aspects of the game. In 2016 especially, Fowler struggled to finish golf tournaments. Sunday collapses at the Wells Fargo & the Barclays stick out in my mind, particularly.

Golf needs major champion Rickie Fowler. Rickie Fowler deserves major champion Rickie Fowler. In a post-Tiger world, there’s no one in golf with more potential star power. He’s got the ability to captivate more casual fans that Jason Days & Dustin Johnsons perhaps are unable to draw. He’s marketable, personable, friendly — and has broad interests outside the sport. If some agency sketched up the ideal player to carry the sport into the future, Rickie would be close to the final draft.

The question: Is he ready for all that? Is he ready for the mental crucible of a six-hour Sunday walk at a major championship? I think so. We’ll find out this weekend.

1. Hideki Matsuyama

I watched golf in concert yesterday, perhaps the closest thing to perfection I’ve seen in a round in person. You can read me wax poetic about it here. When he’s on, I’m still not completely sure there’s anyone more fun to watch — or anyone better in the world than Hideki Matsuyama. But we won’t need to litigate that argument this weekend! The three players above the Japanese star in the world rankings are long gone.

Majors are most fun when we get one of two types of winners: either (1) current major champions or (2) first major wins for guys that are going to win more. Hideki’s capable of winning many, many more. From what I saw on Friday, I think he’s your favorite this weekend.

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