When you come over to this side of the world, the US Open and PGA Championship tend to be overlooked in favour of the more prestigious Masters and Open Championship. That said, the four majors are the biggest show in town… but not this week it seems. Even with Rory McIlroy winning a thrilling Canadian Open, Linn Grant’s phenomenal Scandinavian Mixed victory and the return of Phil Mickelson to mainstream tournaments, the main talking point is about the LIV Golf storyline.
Come Sunday, we may still be talking about the series embedded with sportswashing. Should we see Dustin Johnson or Bryson DeChambeau hoisting a 2nd national title, the questions and opinions will take another turn on a winding road. Whereas a win from JT, Rory or Rahm would put a finger up to Norman and the turned players, picking a winner seems as tough as the Brookline test.
The thing about talking points is that they are often dragged out too far. I will just get my speak in about the LIV Golf Series before moving back to the action. The events of last week were somewhat era defining in my opinion. In the pre tournament press conferences, players dodged questions like politicians, and when they did answer, gave ridiculous and arrogant remarks. The broadcast was a hype machine for the tournament, selling a 54 hole shotgun start for has beens like it’s the back nine of the Masters with 5 players tied for the lead. Revolting from origin to execution, no pun intended.
The saving grace seemed to come on Sunday night however. A spectacular final round in Toronto saw Rory McIlroy edge out friends Tony Finau and Justin Thomas, shooting a round of 62 to win by two. Jay Monaghan must have been mighty relieved to see some of the biggest stars act out one of the best Sunday’s of the season. What followed was a charismatic and striking blow. Rory McIlroy’s dig towards Norman post round was sharp, and firmly bolted down his stance and absence of time for the truly brainwashed ambassador, and the league he strives to grow. Norman’s record against European golfing legends on Sunday evenings is not a fun stat, unless you’re team Rory or Faldo.
Back to the tough Massachusetts site, and the esteemed Country Club in Brookline is primed and ready for its first major outing since 1988. American Curtis Strange was champion then, claiming a first of two US Open titles. The course has long since changed since then, and the ‘99 Ryder Cup, with it now playing at over 7,200 yards after a beastly redesign led by Gil Hanse. This won’t be the longest course in recent US Open history, in fact only Pebble Beach (2019) and Merrion (2013) have been shorter in the last decade. Given how far the big hitters drive the ball nowadays, that fear factor will be far from their minds. Two such big hitting favourites include Northern Irish superstar Rory McIlroy, and reigning PGA champion Justin Thomas.
McIlroy remains one of the greatest enigmas in the sport, but he’s also a lot of fun. Last Sunday’s final round in Canada was exciting because of the quality of golf, but also the likeability of the leaders. Excluding the usual naysayers, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who would begrudge the Ulsterman from claiming a fifth major title come Sunday.
Ever since the final round of the Masters, Rory has been playing with a notable level of freedom. His opening round in Southern Hills gave us reason to hope, but a sluggish weekend saw him fade away. His form has been “trending in the right direction” since Augusta. Two further top 10s and a win saw him rise to third in the OWGR. The Rory of 2021 is long gone, and the freewheeling, “vintage Rory” is back.
Whether this form is enough for him to grind it out at a US Open remains to be seen. A sole top 10 and 3 straight missed cuts from 2016 and 2018 marked a poor run post his win at Congressional. Although he has had three straight top ten finishes in a row coming into this week’s edition. He was in contention heading into the final round the past two years, so can he finally go one better? It would be a fantastic story if he did, especially with his stance as the beacon of rationality in the LIV Golf discourse.
Fellow Irishman Shane Lowry will also fancy his chances, as he comes in under the radar too. A tie for tenth in Ontario saw the Offaly rover climb to 24th in the world rankings, a highest ranking in two years. He was highly tipped in the previous two majors this year, claiming a historic T3 at Augusta, and a less impressive T23 at the PGA. Like McIlroy, his record at golf’s toughest major is iffy. His two top 10 finishes came consecutively in 2015 and 2016, but he knows he’s a man for the tougher golf course.
The voice of Saudi golf relations Graeme McDowell became the first Irishman to win a US Open way back in 2010, and should Lowry bag his first major on US soil, he would jump ahead of GMAC by claiming a coveted second major. With Offaly in Tailteann Cup semi final action in Croker on Sunday, a famous Lowry win could eclipse a mesmeric day for the faithful county. One can only dream.
Whereas the Masters and The Open asks certain questions, and can be easier to predict, the US Open does not follow suit. We know it can be a tough slog where luck and course set up is more crucial than ever, as seen below.
Scottie Scheffler is uncatchable at world number one, and looks unbeatable if he can turn it on for four days. Cameron Smith and reigning champ Jon Rahm have the ability to blow the field away, as does Justin Thomas. All three are on form and in with a shot. Rising star Sam Burns will also feel like his major story is ready to be written, while Xander Schauffele’s record in this championship is nothing short of phenomenal, five straight top tens, although his ability to win is a giant question mark.
As the golfing world descends on Brookline, the focus is diverse. Tiger Woods was the talk of the town in the opening two majors, but now it’s Phil’s turn to hog the spotlight. Rory McIlroy wasn’t a contender back in April, but now he appears to be trending accordingly. Justin Thomas’ win in Southern Hills should reignite his confidence, the same can be said for Jon Rahm who broke his duct twelve months ago.
There are so many players who could lift the trophy on Sunday evening, and we all have our favourites. Be it Rory or Shane, Fleetwood or Thomas, Rahm or Morikawa. Let’s just hope we get an exciting four days… and not to see a LIV signing as champion.
Caolan S Rugby 
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