A dropped ball on the fastest, slopiest spot on the back of the green might not be the best indication of what’s actually going to happen this week, but it does make for great content.
The final round would have been a victory lap but for Stricker, who played the final 11 holes in six-under par and made Harrington prove his mettle in his quest for a long overdue victory.
Matt Fitzpatrick is a Major champion, winning the US Open with a legendary ball-striking performance – and doing it at The Country Club, where it all started. There is so, so much to discuss. Here are 18 parting thoughts from Brookline.
Nine years after he won the US Amateur title at The Country Club, Matt Fitzpatrick’s six-under 274, was good enough for a one-stroke victory at the US Open there.
Should the PGA Tour emerge from this existential crisis and remain the dominant force in professional golf, it’ll be in no small part due to pro-bono work from the law firm of Rahm, McIlroy & Thomas.
The US Open has fused its DNA to presenting a challenge more exhaustive than its counterparts, where pars matter and “good bogey” isn’t said in jest. When that challenge appears watered down, it calls for a larger discussion.
Had Phil Mickelson played one of his previous 30 US Opens like he played this press conference – measured, reserved, conservative, straight – he might have this national championship to his name.