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Five Things We Learned: Friday at the US Open

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1 year ago

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Like death and taxes, the halfway cut at a major championship is a certainty. There is no avoiding its blade, and stories abound about who coulda and shoulda, who didn’t, and who did. Layered on top of the close calls are the runaways, the golfers who made or missed by a mile. Los Angeles Country Club’s North course welcomed 65 golfers to the weekend, and sent the remaining 91 home.

The cut fell at two-over par 142, one shot lower than the 143 of 2022, at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. 17 competitors made the cut on the number, including three of the four surviving amateurs. Among that group were three former major winners. Missing by one shot were 14 more golfers, including Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson. France’s Paul Barjon gave back nine shots overnight (67 to 76) to miss by one, while Sam Stevens (75 to 67) and Sahith Theegala (74 to 66) improved the most, to sneak inside the cut and reserve a seat at Saturday’s table.

A quintet of elements stood out most on day two at LA North, and it’s time to share that quantum with you.

1. A US Open test reveals itself by the numbers

As a savvy tournament committee knows, you don’t display all your attributes on day one. Los Angeles North may have seemed like an unworthy admission to the US Open canon of courses after Thursday’s low numbers. Upon completion of play on Friday, those complaints and heckles went away with the cut line. The committee moved the tee blocks as far back as possible, pushing the real yardage to the scorecard figures. Combined with a morning Marine layer and some all-day breezes, the enhanced yardage added club numbers to approach shots, and changed strategy from the tee deck. The results were statistically telling: a 71.38 average score on Thursday climbed to 72.22 on Friday.

37 players signed a scorecard under the par of 70 on day one. Only 10 of those golfers followed up with another round in the 60s. We’ll look at those 10 golfers as we continue our trek, and determine which has the greatest chance of hoisting Victoria, aka the trophy without a name, on Sunday. The winged goddess of victory stands atop the silver chalice, so that’s as good a name as any.

With no more yardage left to add, anticipate a movement toward psychological warfare on the putting surfaces. Hole locations will move toward fingers and corners of greens, and slide toward transitional shelves on the frog hair.

2. Members of an exclusive club

Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark will shake hands on Saturday afternoon. Gone are the split tees of 1 and 10, as well as the threesomes. Their 3:40 tee time west coast tee time is the final one of the day, and will finish up well past 11 on the other coast. Their tribute comes later; there are eight other golfers who joined them in the Double 60s club, and we shall look at that octet herein.

Rory Mcilroy (65-67), Harris English (67-66), Min Woo Lee (69-65), Sam Bennett (67-68), Scottie Scheffler (67-68), Cameron Smith (69-67), Tony Finau (68-69) and Justin Suh (69-69) are the other eight players in possession of under-par scorecards from both days of competition. They are joined by others in the top eighteen, but their achievements merit some attention. History suggests that McIlroy should be watched closely, but history also suggests that a nine-year gap in major-championship victories is hard to overcome. Scheffler and Smith each won a major in 2022, and each would like to establish a yearly tradition of at least one major title on the resume.

The other five golfers are complete unknowns in the major arena, yet each adds a tantalizing spice that screams, in the words of Donkey, pick me, pick me! Our thinking is that the 2023 champion is likely to come from this group of 10 golfers, as a weekend comeback is a difficult thing at a US Open.

3. The amateurs

We saw the aforementioned Sam Bennett make quite a statement (16th-place tie) as an amateur at The Masters in April. He is now a professional, but a quartet of his former compatriots in the non-professional company stood tall through 36 holes at the North course. Leading the way is Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent, the newly-minted world number one among the amateurs, and the owner of what may be the world’s quickest hip rotation through the ball. Anchor Down followed an opening 69 with 71, to sit in a tie for 30th at even par. Joining Sargent on the weekend are Ben Carr and Maxwell Moldovan of the USA, and Aldrich Potgieter of South Africa. That triumvirate sneaked across the cut line on the number, at the two-over par figure of 142. The presence of Bobby Jones returns each year at the majors, and the four-time champion of this event, as an amateur, suggests that we pay attention to his golf descendants.

Of the foursome, Sargent should perform the best over the final 36 holes. He is among the collegiate elite who lack only seasoning on their way to join the list of professional winners. As for the others, the USGA medals that will come their way on Sunday are prize enough.

4. Wyndham Clark caught our attention

The Colorado native has the sort of name that suggests he has been around the tours for decades. Maybe that’s just us. Clark played four years at Oklahoma State, then transferred to Oregon for his final collegiate season. He moved from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour in 2018, and has remained a fixture. In April, Clark won his first tour title at Quail Hollow in Charlotte. On Thursday, Clark joined the birdie fest with a round of 64. He overcame three bogeys that day, with eight mighty birdies. On Friday, a more patient Clark counted half that many birdies on his card, but he sliced two bogeys off his round’s tally. Alongside Clark as a great unknown, is how difficult Los Angeles North will play over the next 48 hours.

Clark’s driving distance average dropped nearly 40 yards from round one to round two. Did he play conservatively off the tee on Friday? If so, that’s a good thing. Clark hit nearly 70% of fairways and greens both days, which placed him right around 50th spot in the field. What he did best, was make putts. His putting average of 1.25 putts per green is best in the field. When it comes to rolling the ball, he has no equal this week. That statistic needs to continue, for Clark to find success on Saturday, and glory on Sunday.

5. Rickie Fowler has his chance

The mid 2010s were the period when we thought that we would see the California native surpass his renown as Dick Fowler, Private Eye in commercials, and seize a major title. He came close (top-five finishes in all four 2014 majors) but never crossed the finish line. Would he be the most popular major champion in quite some time? Absolutely. Fowler extracted 18 birdies from George Thomas’ masterpiece over the first two days. If he does the same over the weekend, he will win. Fowler’s driving has always been his Achilles’ Heel; if he keeps the ball in the fairway, off the tee, he will do just fine. Remember that firm greens also mean firm fairways, so drive won’t be necessary off the majority of tees. Fowler has been the world’s most confident putter since his amateur days. If the flat stick cooperates, his chance at finally claiming a major trophy increases.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Barracuda Championship

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4 hours ago

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Jul 17, 2024

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GolfWRX is on site this week for the PGA Tour’s only Modified Stableford event, the Barracuda Championship.

We have plenty of galleries from Truckee, California, assembled for your viewing pleasure, so let’s get to it.

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Tour Rundown: Furious finish from Furue | Mighty Mac wins for country

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2 days ago

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Jul 15, 2024

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The second week of July brought two major championships to the professional tours. The LPGA held its Evian Championship at Evian-Les-Bains, while the PGA Tour Champions celebrated the Kaulig at Firestone. The DP World Tour and the PGA Tour collaborated on the Scottish Open, while another PGA Tour event took place in Kentucky. Finally, the Korn Ferry Tour held The Ascendant at TPC Colorado.

To say that the drama was real is an understatement. Eagles and birdies won two tournaments on the final hole, and one event finished with a five-golfer playoff that lasted three holes and 36 shots. The one competition that concluded with a four-shot win was tame by comparison. It’s mid-season and it’s total tour golf. Time for another Tour Rundown.

LPGA @ Evian Championship: Furious Finish from Furue

Ayaka Furue made a run at the past two US Open championships, finishing T6 at both tournaments. She made an even bigger run at the fourth LPGA major championship of 2024, the Evian. Furue held the lead after two rounds, only to find herself one behind Stephanie Kyriacou through the end of day three. The top pair did mighty battle on day four, with Kyriacou closing with 67 to reach 18 under par. Her finish included three birdies over the final four holes, marred only by a bogey at the penultimate green.

Unfortunately for Kyriacou, Furue made a trio of birdies of her own down the stretch, made a par at 17, then closed with a thunderous eagle at the last, to win the title by one slim stroke. The win was Furue’s second on the LPGA circuit, coming nearly two years after her inaugural win, at the 2022 Scottish Open. For Kyriacou, the Evian was a painful step closer to her first LPGA win. The solo second represents her first top-five finish on the tour.

DP World Tour/PGA Tour @ Scottish Open: Mighty Mac wins Scottish for country

Adam Scott appeared to have his hands around a comeback victory at the Rennaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland. The Australian held the lead in the closing moments, but Robert MacIntyre came from nearly nowhere, to bring victory to his countrymen.

Scott teed off in the penultimate pairing, with American Collin Morikawa, and posted 67 to reach 17 under par. The final duo contained MacIntyre, who electrified the assemblage with a 16th-hole eagle, surging into a tie with Scott. On the 18th hole, the same one that Rory McIlroy birdied last year for victory, MacIntyre ripped driver into the right rough, then ripped his approach to 22 feet. With nothing but homeland glory on the line, the lefty dropped his putt for three and a one-shot win over Scott. In the space of two months, MacIntyre has climbed from the ranks of decent tour players to proven winners. He certainly emerges as one of the favorites for this week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Korn Ferry Tour @ The Ascendant: Del Solar is no longer “just” Mr. 57

Cristobal Del Solar is a mighty talent from the world’s thinnest country. The Chilean was known best for his four PGA Tour Americas titles, and the 57 that he shot in February of 2024, at the Colombian stop on the Korn Ferry Tour. After a 22-under-par performance at TPC Colorado this week, Del Solar now adds another line to his Wikipedia entry: tour champion. Del Solar outpaced runners-up Brian Campbell and Matthew Riedel by four shots, to win for the first time on the KFT.

Del Solar had just four bogeys on the week in the elite air of the Rocky Mountains. He nearly matched that number with eagles, including two on the closing day. The champion reached the 646-yard fifth in two mighty strokes, then holed a 33-foot putt for the rare bird. He followed that master sequence with another, at the 585-yard 15th. Despite the watery beckons on the right, Del Solar again reached the putting surface in two, then sent a 40-foot effort to the bottom of the tin. He added birdies at 16 and 18, turning a compelling finish into a runaway victory.

PGA Tour Champions @ Kaulig: With no Bert in sight, Ernie takes care of business

Since he turned 50 in 2020, Theodore Ernie Els had finished inside the top ten in 12 senior major events. Until Sunday the 14th of July, he had not hoisted a single, senior major trophy. That all ended when he outlasted a field at the Kaulig (nee Senior Players) Championship at Firestone. Els was pitted in a duel with perennial finisher Steve Stricker, until the Wisconsin stalwart went bogey-triple at the 14th and 15th holes on day four. The path to the top was cleared a bit for Els, but then Y.E. Yang arrived on the scene. The 2009 PGA Champion reached 10-under on the week at the 69th hole, but bogeyed number 72 to finish at nine deep.

Els appeared to not want the title that much when he made bogey at the par-five 16th hole, falling to minus ten. He dug deep himself, however, and managed a pair of pars to hold off Yang by one shot. Jerry Kelly finished third on minus-seven, while Stricker and K.J. Choi finished T4 at six under par.

PGA Tour @ ISCO: Hall (no Oates) emerges from crowd with win

No true fan of golf considers the Open Championship to be THE event of July. It’s tournaments like the ISCO, where the grinders and journeymen find salvation, security, glory, and truth, that define the essence of professional sport. Once again on Sunday, the fairway fighters of men’s professional golf took to the corridors of Keene Trace to find the magic that extends careers, defines them, and encourages their inauguration.

Harry Hall is a 26-year-old competitor from England. Before he could consider the football match between his home country and Spain, the UNLV alumnus had other business to sort. Hall found himself in second place after 54 holes, one shot out of the lead. Trouble was, a number of other, hungry golfers also posed a challenge. Among them were leader Pierceson Coody, golfer-turned-architect-turned-golfer Zac Blair, Rico Hoey, and Matt NeSmith. Four golfers would reach 20-under par, but that labor would earn them but a four-way tie for sixth.

The aforementioned quintet, with Sunday numbers like 69, 64, 64, 69, and 70, would meet at the crossroads of 22-under and tied for first. Hoey and NeSmith each made bogey at the last, to fall to that status, while Coody and Blair made closing birdies to rise up. Only Hall made par at the final, regulation green. Three holes later, he would also stand alone. Bogeys at the 18th in overtime meant a farewell cap tip for Hoey and Blair. After the surviving triumvirate again made pars during round two at the watery closer, the playoff shifted to the par-three ninth. Both Coody and NeSmith missed the green left, then pitched within ten feet for par. They never had a chance to hit their putts.

With all the improbability that a 45-feet chip brings, Hall found landing spot, line, and pace, then merged the three for the perfect stroke. He drained the recovery shot for a deuce and a first PGA Tour victory. On to Royal Troon!

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Robert MacIntyre’s winning WITB: 2024 Genesis Scottish Open

Published

3 days ago

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Jul 14, 2024

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Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7 X

3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X

Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue (19 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X

Irons: Titleist 620 CB (4-9) Buy here.
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F) Buy here, SM9 (50-08F, 56-10S) Buy here, WedgeWorks (60-08K) Buy here.
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Onyx (46, 50), Dynamic Gold S400 Onyx (56, 60)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Buy here.
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Buy here.

Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord (woods, wedges), Grip Master (irons)

Check out more in-hand photos of Robert MacIntyre’s clubs here.

The winning WITB is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.

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