US Open Recap + Travelers Championship Preview
On Sunday 11.4 million people watched Bryson Dechambeau win his second US Open and major title at Pinehurst No. 2 in an epic duel with four time major champion Rory McIlroy. Dechambeau was able to win the tournament by one stroke after McIlroy bogeyed three of his last four holes.
Dechambeau is now a two time US Open champion with his other coming in 2020 at Winged Foot Country Club. Dechambeau held a four stroke lead through 54 holes but saw his lead disappear by the ninth hole when the number three player in the world Rory McIlroy caught fire.
McIlroy was first in tee-to-green and strokes gained putting throughout the week, and halfway through the final round he had closed the gap to Dechambeau who was playing in the final group just behind him. Going into the 15th hole, McIlroy had a two shot lead and had birdied three of the previous five holes to capture the lead in this major championship. McIlroy was in complete control and was four holes away from capturing that elusive fifth major championship.
https://x.com/Daniel_Rapaport/status/1802450418091327503
Then tragedy struck for McIlroy. He would go on to bogey 15; then miss a two and a half footer for par on 16, his two shot lead evaporated just like that. McIlroy walked onto the 72nd hole of the tournament just needing par or better to either go to a playoff or force Dechambeau behind him to make a birdie to force a playoff. McIlroy’s previous three shots left him with a three foot nine inch putt for par, his putt would break across the hole and lip out on the right edge. McIlroy would go on to make bogey heading into the clubhouse one shot shy of a major title.
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Dechambeau walked right through the door that McIlroy left open for him. On his third shot he left himself a 55 yard bunker shot, widely regarded as one of the hardest shots in golf, and with the magnitude of the US Open hanging in the balance Dechambeau stuck it to just over three feet from the pin. He would complete the improbable up and down earning his second US Open title in five years.
This was the most watched US Open since 2015 and some would argue that this was the best major championship since Tiger’s return to glory at the 2019 Masters. The drama in the last hour of coverage, the stakes for both of the names at the top of the leaderboard, the beauty and history of Pinehurst all tied into why this was a perfect storm for an all time major championship.
McIlroy would go on to post a statement to social media on Monday stating that Sunday’s outcome was “the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer”. McIlroy has been searching for his fifth major title for eleven years now and this was his best chance to achieve that feat. Winning the fifth major would make McIlroy the most decorated player of his generation with his only competition being Brooks Kopeka who earned his fifth major at Oak Hill in 2023 winning the PGA Championship, but McIlroy has far more PGA Tour wins and has been an integral part of multiple winning European Ryder Cup teams. McIlroy legacy is far more cemented thanks to Kopeka’s also with his move to the opposing LIV tour. McIlroy continues to be unable to find that closing touch he had in his earlier years but it is obvious he is closer than ever.
https://x.com/McIlroyRory/status/1802808477271630075
Dechambeau has experienced a complete public image makeover since making the move to LIV, which is unique as most players that have moved to LIV have had their public image negatively affected. Dechambeau has had incredible support from galleries throughout each major this season, mostly due to his great play as he has the lowest aggregate major score at 28 under par. Outside of golf, Dechambeau has been very active in interacting with the new generation of golfers on social media and YouTube which has been an undeniable part of his improved image. Now capturing his second major championship at thirty and playing the best golf of his life, Dechambeau is set up for success for years to come.
World number one Scottie Scheffler had a rare off week at Pinehurst. Scheffler has put together the most impressive season since Tiger Woods in 2006 winning The Players, The Masters, RBC Heritage, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the Memorial Tournament. Five wins in fourteen starts for Scheffler and he became the first player to win The Players, Masters, and the Memorial all in the same year. Scheffler ranks first in the following categories among all PGA Tour players: Total strokes gained, strokes gained in approach to green, greens in regulation, putting average, scoring average, Birdie or better conversion percentage, and bogey avoidance. Scheffler is also on pace to break his own record of most money made in one season for a PGA tour player having already made just over 24 million dollars this season.
With the third major of the year decided we now move into the end of the PGA season and the final major of the year The Open Championship. The final signature event of the season is this week, the Travelers Championship held at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. While Scheffler has been dominant, he has not won the last two major tournaments and various other players are playing some great golf. Xander Schauffele coming off his first major championship is playing great golf with two top 10 finishes since his win at Valhalla. Collin Morikawa has challenged Scheffler at both the Masters and the Memorial finishing third and second in each of those events respectively. Swedish rookie Ludvig Aberg is enjoying a great rookie season finishing second at Augusta in his debut, a tie for fifth at the Memorial, and an eighth place at The Players. Other names such as Max Homa, Tony Finau, Viktor Hovland, and Tommy Fleetwood are all capable of winning this week at Travelers or any week on the PGA tour.
Through round one of the tournament Tom Kim shoots 62 (-8) and has a two shot lead over Akshay Bhatia, Rickie Fowler, Kurt Kitayama, and Will Zalatoris (-6).
