US Open 2024 (*** NO POLITICS ***)

[MattyO1984]

10 years have passed since the US Open visited the esteemed Pinehurst and it's world renowned No. 2 course. For some, 2014 will seem like it was only a few months ago, for others it will feel like a life time. What is certain is that the circus that visited this part of North Carolina in in 2014 is extremely different from the version that will arrive this week. Ten years ago the only golfing feuds we encountered were usually short lived and typically drummed up more by the media in order to create interest in a game which had entered a post Tiger lull. Fast forward to today and I won't need to tell you the circumstances we, as golf fans, are now forced to deal with. This week however, the fractured divisions that are men's professional golf will come together for the 2024 US Open and this will be an interesting one. The last time we were here in 2014 seemed to be the staging post for a change as to how the USGA approached their marquee event. Narrow fairways, thick rough had for time immemorial been order of the day. With that being so, even if we knew heading into 2014 that it was going to be a different kind of US Open, it still came as a visual shock to tune in and see little to no rough (at certain points), run off areas around the green that seemed quicker than the greens themselves and a sea of brown grass as opposed to green. Given the setups which have followed we have gotten a little more use to over the years but it remains hard to process that level par, so long the barometer for success in the US Open, was good enough for only 19th place in last years staging. The USGA gets a lot of heat, some deserved, some not but it hard to imagine that they will be keen to see scoring go as low as it did last year at LACC. 

 

The winner last year was Wyndham Clark. With only one Tour win prior, he would certainly have not placed high on many betting slips but he managed to hold strong in a final round when there were opportunities for him to eject and fall down the leaderboard. In holding on, he consigned the can't miss kid from 2014, Rory McIlroy to more major disappointment. Coming in 3rd last year was the 2024 can't miss kid, Scottie Scheffler. If we thought Scottie was good in 2023 he has gone into hyperdrive this year and even with the efforts of one over zealous law enforcement individual, the closest thing we have had to Tiger since Tiger was Tiger. Anyone that doesn't have him as favourite heading into this week is clearly not paying enough attention. Golf being the game that it is though, anything can happen and a number of guys will head into the week with their eye on glory. Our most recent major winner and world number 2, Xander Schauffele will be keen to add to his haul and Collin Morikawa who seems to have played the bridesmaid to Scottie for stretches this year will be keen to move ahead of Scottie when it comes to the number of majors won. A number of guys showing promise the OWGR will be keen to lay down a career marker and follow Schauffele in getting the major monkey off their back. Surely, it is only a matter of time before the likes of Ludvig Aberg, Max Homa and Viktor Hovland enter the winners circle. Time however, has a funny way of suddenly escaping us and Rory McIlory is a perfect example of that. 10 years have passed since his last major victory. He has squeezed a lot into that 10 years - some expected, some unexpected but nothing is more surprising the major drought that has followed his 2014 PGA. Can he be a factor this year? Of course. Can he go four rounds without at least one where his inability to take advantage of his prestigious driving rears it's ugly head? I am not so sure. He clearly should still have a number of years where is feasts at the top table of golf but he is definitely close to finishing his entree and needs, now more than ever, to make sure he makes the most of it. 

 

What of the LIV contingent? Well their poster boy Jon Rahm enters the week with a question mark. A foot infection resulted in an early bath last week and with his last individual win, of any kind, coming over a year ago at Augusta how long will it be before those questions becoming more pressing for the $600 million dollar man? He has loved a Top 10 since signing up to the Saudi circuit but if Brendan Steele and Deam Burmester can get over the line and claim a victory, is it not about time that Rahmbo did the same? His participation this week may be questionable but I think it would be fair to say that is Rahm can tee it up he will. It would be one thing withdrawing from LIV Houston or the Memorial even. It is a completely different thing to withdraw from a US Open and if he can tee it up, he definitely will. His tour mate Brooks Koepka has of course shown the Spaniard what can be achieved by those operating under the LIV banner and it would be a foolish man that would rule Koepka out this week and some will remember that it was Pinehurst in 2014 that he started to come to prominence with a T4 finish. He of course has the game to go better, much better than that this week. 

 

Defending Champion:-

Wyndham Clark

 

Notables in the Field:-

Scottie Scheffler

Xander Schauffele

Rory McIlroy

Viktor Hovland

Ludvig Aberg

Collin Morikawa

Jon Rahm

Patrick Cantlay

Max Homa

Brian Harman

Tommy Fleetwood

Hideki Matsuyama

Keegan Bradley

Matt Fitzpatrick

Tyrell Hatton

Jason Day

Tom Kim

Justin Thomas

Jordan Spieth

Shane Lowry

Bryson DeChambeau

Brooks Koepka

 

 

 

Edited June 17 by GwrxMod

[caniac6]

Driving down this morning for the Monday practice round. Probably not too many big names there today considering the elevated event ending yesterday, but I’m more interested in seeing the course. Supposed to be good weather.

[iBanesto]

I'm going Schauffele again.

 

A US Open specialist - 6 top 10 finishes from 7 events.

 

[iBanesto]

Since it is Pinehurst, one for the great Payne Stewart.

 

Edited June 10 by iBanesto

[mshills]

Pinehurst #2, Oakmont, Pebble are the most perfect US Open sites. Should be a great week. 

[Maine Golfer]

Can't wait 

[Duct Tape]

Superb write up @MattyO1984!  Thanks again, as always. 
 

Looking forward to seeing some pros share the pain I felt playing those greens. 

[Duct Tape]

Notables list getting longer MattyO?   Pressure getting too much to make the call? 🤓😀🏌🏼‍♀️

 

 

Very tough to leave any of those off!

[bscinstnct]

Way to go MattyO!

 

Sahiiiiiiiiith

 

ftw!

 

 

[leezer99]

Great write up and much appreciated.

 

Can someone please explain to me though why Tiger has treated every event for the past year as 'Bring your kid to work day'?  Seems like Charlie is on the range, inside the ropes during practice rounds, etc. at everything TW has played in recently.  Would it be tolerated if Kuchar wanted to bring his teenager along as well? Just seems weird to me.

[MattyO1984]

2 hours ago, caniac6 said:

Driving down this morning for the Monday practice round. Probably not too many big names there today considering the elevated event ending yesterday, but I’m more interested in seeing the course. Supposed to be good weather.

 

Enjoy!!

[bscinstnct]

12 minutes ago, leezer99 said:

Great write up and much appreciated.

 

Can someone please explain to me though why Tiger has treated every event for the past year as 'Bring your kid to work day'?  Seems like Charlie is on the range, inside the ropes during practice rounds, etc. at everything TW has played in recently.  Would it be tolerated if Kuchar wanted to bring his teenager along as well? Just seems weird to me.

 

Whatchu mean “tolerated”?

 

Would you even care if Kuch had his kid following him? 🤣

 

And tbh, I can’t imagine why you even care that TW has his kid with him 

 

 

[MattyO1984]

26 minutes ago, Duct Tape said:

Notables list getting longer MattyO?   Pressure getting too much to make the call? 🤓😀🏌🏼‍♀️

 

 

Very tough to leave any of those off!

 

Left Sahitith off there - that was the highest rank to miss out on notable status and then @bscinstnctgoes and posts a picture of him 😂

 

Should have put a notables absent list on there:-

Talor Gooch 🥇

[stinger_gc]

Scottie wins by 3 causing @Ferguson to go completely crazy. /thread

[becoh]

Driving down tomorrow, this will be my first golf tournament so I'm super excited.

 

It's gonna be a scorcher walking the course this week.

[tonyt3524]

I think Tiger is going to have a pretty good week. 

[MtlJeff]

I'm going with Rory or Bryson , i think both are overdue for another one and either would be an exciting Sunday

[leezer99]

41 minutes ago, bscinstnct said:

 

Whatchu mean “tolerated”?

 

Would you even care if Kuch had his kid following him? 🤣

 

And tbh, I can’t imagine why you even care that TW has his kid with him 

 

 

 

 

I've heard this same argument from people that bring their dogs into the supermarket. 

[Justsomeguy]

Needs to be a Vegas bet option: Scottie vs the field. Minus whatever.

[jonsnow]

3 hours ago, iBanesto said:

I'm going Schauffele again.

 

A US Open specialist - 6 top 10 finishes from 7 events.

 

I still say Cigar Xander looks like everybody's favorite uncle...

[bcjim]

Ignoring the obvious, (SS), Morikawa, Fleetwood are my favorites, and I'll go with Spieth as my longshot.

[Duct Tape]

1 hour ago, MattyO1984 said:

 

Left Sahitith off there - that was the highest rank to miss out on notable status and then @bscinstnctgoes and posts a picture of him 😂

 

Should have put a notables absent list on there:-

Talor Gooch 🥇

We’re a very tough crowd here Matty, as you well know!  😀

[Duct Tape]

1 hour ago, bscinstnct said:

Way to go MattyO!

 

Sahiiiiiiiiith

 

ftw!

 

 

Sooooooo predictable…..

[Duct Tape]

58 minutes ago, stinger_gc said:

Scottie wins by 3 causing @Ferguson to go completely crazy. /thread

Ferg has seen the inevitable and converted. 🤓🏌🏼‍♀️

[Danielson]

1 hour ago, leezer99 said:

Great write up and much appreciated.

 

Can someone please explain to me though why Tiger has treated every event for the past year as 'Bring your kid to work day'?  Seems like Charlie is on the range, inside the ropes during practice rounds, etc. at everything TW has played in recently.  Would it be tolerated if Kuchar wanted to bring his teenager along as well? Just seems weird to me.

 

I think it would probably be tolerated. But we can probably just dispense with comparing Tiger to anyone else in golf. He made the modern PGA Tour, he can pretty much do whatever he wants.

[st1800e]

25 minutes ago, leezer99 said:

 

 

I've heard this same argument from people that bring their dogs into the supermarket. 

If Charlie is running around and barking like a “dog”, then that’s a problem.   Just about every player has a team of 3-4-5 people with them , often with the player on the range.  What does it matter that Charlie is 16 or whatever his age is?  

[Duct Tape]

45 minutes ago, tonyt3524 said:

I think Tiger is going to have a pretty good week. 

I hope you’re right but doubt it. Pinehurst 2 is all about the short game - esp chips and pitches back onto the green after shots are repelled (sometimes again, and again, and again - been there, done that). 
 

Seems to me Tiger’s short game is the most lacking part of his current game, which is hugely surprising considering his incredible short game history. 
 

if I see this post quoted at the end of the tourney then I’m sure to be pointed out wrong. 😀

[Duct Tape]

Seems like I’m blowing up the GWRX interwebs right now. 
 

At least until @TiScape wakes up…..

[bscinstnct]

13 minutes ago, Duct Tape said:

Sooooooo predictable…..

Doc get all giddy on major weeks! 🍻

[mshills]

57 minutes ago, tonyt3524 said:

I think Tiger is going to have a pretty good week. 

I hope you are right but I can’t envision any way he is competitive right now. He is driving it well and his body looks ok all things considered, but the precision required with iron play and short game is where such a limited schedule is a problem.