Tuesday At The 2024 U.S. Open
Jon Rahm WD's. Plus, Tee Times, player press conferences, By The Numbers, a video look at the 13th, WGHOF Inductions, Weather, and Today in Entourages.
A comfortable, sunny and mellow day at Pinehurst wound down with the news of former U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm withdrawing due continuing foot pain.
The 2021 champion at Torrey Pines withdrew from last week’s LIV Houston event, but gave no indication he was close to pulling the plug when meeting with media midday Tuesday.
“It's a concern,” he said before adding, “it's doing better. But definitely still in pain.”
Asked to elaborate, the Legion XIII captain who jumped from the PGA Tour to LIV this year, described the issue.
“We've been trying to figure it out because I think that the closest term would be a lesion on the skin. If I were to show you, it's a little low in between my pinky toe and the next toe.
“I don't know how or what happened, but it got infected. The pain was high. On the Saturday round, Saturday morning, I did get a shot to numb the area. It was supposed to last the whole round, and by my second hole I was in pain already.
“The infection was the worrisome part. The infection is now controlled, but there's still swelling and there's still pain. There's a reason I walked out here in a shoe and a flip-flop, trying to keep the area dry and trying to get that to heal as soon as possible. But I can only do what I can do. The human body can only work so fast.”
Four hours later and not long after a Ten Golf report where he said he would not even be here if not for the U.S. Open’s major status—Rahm announced his WD on Twitter.
Rahm will be replaced in the field by Jackson Suber, 24, of Tampa, Fla. He was the first alternate from the Rockville, Md., final qualifier and earned his alternate status in a 3-for-2 playoff. Suber has two top-10 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour this season and is a former All-American from the University of Mississippi.
Tee Times
The USGA announced first and second-round groupings for the 124th U.S. Open and awarded Michael McGowan of Southern Pines the privilege of hitting the opening tee shot. McGowan is the son of former PGA Tour pro Pat McGowan, and grandson of World Golf Hall of Famer and Sandhills legend Peggy Kirk Bell. He qualified on May 20th in Dallas with rounds of 68-71 and still resides here.
Some groupings that stood out:
Thursday (June 13), Hole #1 / Friday (June 14), Hole #10
6:45 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. - Michael McGowan, Southern Pines, N.C.; Carter Jenkins, Raleigh, N.C.; Logan McAllister, Oklahoma City, Okla.
7:40 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. - Justin Thomas, Louisville, Ky.; Collin Morikawa, La Canada, Calif.; Brooks Koepka, West Palm Beach, Fla.
8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. - Min Woo Lee, Australia; Sahith Theegala, Spring, Texas; Nicolai Højgaard, Denmark
Thursday (June 13), Hole #1/ Friday (June 14), Hole #10
1:14 p.m. / 7:29 a.m. - Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland; Xander Schauffele, San Diego, Calif.; Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, Texas
1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. - Brian Harman, Sea Island, Ga.; Nick Dunlap, Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Wyndham Clark, Denver, Colo.
1:36 p.m. / 7:51 a.m. - Hideki Matsuyama, Japan;
Jon Rahm, Spain; Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas
Thursday (June 13), Hole #10/ Friday (June 14), Hole #1
7:29 a.m. / 1:14 p.m. - Will Zalatoris, Dallas, Texas; Matt Fitzpatrick, England; Tiger Woods, Jupiter, Fla.
8:02 a.m. / 1:47 p.m. - Justin Rose, England; Gary Woodland, Topeka, Kan.; Webb Simpson, Charlotte, N.C.
Thursday (June 13), Hole #10/ Friday (June 14), Hole #1
1:03 p.m. / 7:18 a.m. - Robert MacIntyre, Scotland; Nick Taylor, Canada; Mackenzie Hughes, Canada
1:25 p.m. / 7:40 a.m. - Bryson DeChambeau, Grapevine, Texas; Viktor Hovland, Norway; Max Homa, Scottsdale, Ariz.
1:47 p.m. / 8:02 a.m. - (a) Gordon Sargent, Birmingham, Ala.; Jake Knapp, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Cameron Young, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
With regard to watching the all-star late/early grouping of Scheffler, Schauffele and McIlroy, prepare for a primo Peacock shuffle.
Quotable
Rory McIlroy on the difference between high-rough Muirfield Village golf and Pinehurst No. 2. “People hit it offline or people (miss) a green, you're basically only seeing players hit one shot. There's only one option. And that turns into it being somewhat one dimensional, and honestly not very exciting. And a course like this demands a different skillset. And also some creativity.”
McIlroy on why he’s been playing well in U.S. Open’s since a “come to Jesus moment” after 2018. “I would say embracing the difficult conditions, embracing the style of golf needed to contend at a U.S. Open, embracing patience. Honestly, embracing what I would have called "boring" back in the day. Explosiveness isn't going to win a U.S. Open. It's more methodically building your score over the course of four days and being okay with that. Honestly, it's just more of a reframing of a mindset than anything else.”
Bryson DeChambeau on moving to boring mode this week. “I'm looking forward to a great challenge this week, and it's a lot of boring golf, I can tell you. It's definitely different than Valhalla, but I'll try to do my best to show the crowd some fun drives and some hopefully long-made putts. It stinks hitting a 6-iron off the tee compared to a driver, but sometimes you've got to do it and you've got to make the right decision for shooting the lowest score out here.”
Bryson on the advantage he enjoys with his irons over most players. “For example, my 8-iron is going like 205 right now, 7-iron is close to 220. Even if I do lay back and I've got a 200-yard shot and I'm still hitting an 8-iron in, it's still 200 yards and you've still got to hit a good shot from 200 yards. Definitely it is nice getting up there being like, Okay, it's just an 8-iron.”
Viktor Hovland on the dilemma players face with club selection when missing a green. “Over the green on 8, the drop-off is so severe, and I hit a couple chips that were really nice and spinning. You do that a couple times and you can get a little bit cocky doing it. But because it's so hard into the grain, if you're just off by a little bit, you're going to look like a fool. I think if you take an average of 20 shots, the putter is going to be way better than the chip is. I think in a lot of spots, I'm going to putt it, but there are some spots where, okay, I think the chip is better. It's kind of hard to give you an answer. Maybe it'll be somewhere close to 60/40 with putter maybe.”
Hovland on Pinehurst No. 2. “The best players play aggressively off the tee and conservatively into the greens. I think this course is basically that strategy, just on steroids.”
Tiger Woods on Pinehurst No. 2. “Everyone is going to be tested. It's going to make for long rounds with the falloffs and run-offs on the greens. The rounds time-wise are going to be a little bit longer. Then when you're out in the heat for that length and period of time, that's going to take a little bit of wear and tear on you.
Woods on the greens. “When Donald [Ross] did this golf course and made the greens this severe, I don't think he intended it to be running at 13 on the Stimpmeter. They were the speed of fairways. That's one of the differences when we go to most golf courses, is they're very severe, and we're playing under faster conditions. It's more of a test. It's going to be a great test and a great war of attrition this week. It's going to be a lot of fun for all of us.”
Woods on son Charlie’s “responsibilities” this week. “I trust him with my swing and my game. He's seen it more than anybody else in the world. He's seen me hit more golf balls than anyone. I tell him what to look for, especially with putting. He gave me a couple little side bits today, which was great, because I get so entrenched in hitting certain putts to certain pins, I tend to forget some of the things I'm working on. I just want to see the balls rolling. He reminds me every now and again, which is great. We have a great relationship and rapport like that, and it's a wonderful experience for both of us.”
Scottie Scheffler on the options Pinehurst provides. “I appreciate more having the playability of the run-off areas more than heavy rough surrounding every green. It definitely provides a little bit more variety, a little bit more excitement and a little bit more creativity around the greens. I believe it's a better test than just having heavy rough over the back of every green. Courses like this I think are a lot of fun to play.”
Scheffler, after five wins this year including last week, on whether he as a target on his back. “I still don't feel like there's much of a target on my back. Like I said, when we start the tournament week, we're all at even par and it's not like anybody is out there playing defense. When I play with Xander and Rory here Thursday and Friday, they're not going to be saying weird stuff to me out on the golf course or trying to block my putt from going in the hole. We all kind of got to go out there and play our game.”
Xander Schauffele on what he’s using around the greens. “I hit a lot of putts today. I was joking with my caddie, we should probably get our putter checked. I've never swing so hard on my putter for nine holes than I did today, just trying to get up and down mounds. There's certain spots where you feel like you have to hit it really hard, and you hit it too hard you putt it off the other side of the green.”
Schauffele on why he does not get too excited after great shots. “Tiger was the best at it because it was so genuine, it was so raw. I think that's why we all felt it when he was doing it because he would use that energy, and it would just run through his entire round of golf. If I was to do that, I would get super fired up and then airmail a wedge on one green and three-putt the next hole, and I'd do all this crazy stuff that I wouldn't normally do because that is just not how I play golf…for me, I kind of know what lane I'm supposed to be in.”
U.S. Open By The Numbers
124th: U.S. Open Championship (not contested in 1917-18 during World War I 1942-45 during World War II.
1000th: USGA championship with the playing of this year’s U.S. Open.
156: Field size
14: U.S. Open champions in the field, Wyndham Clark (2023), Bryson DeChambeau (2020), Matt Fitzpatrick (2022), Lucas Glover (2009), Dustin Johnson (2016), Martin Kaymer (2014), Brooks Koepka (2017, ‘18), Rory McIlroy (2011), Jon Rahm (2021), Justin Rose (2013), Webb Simpson (2012), Jordan Spieth (2015), Gary Woodland (2019) and Tiger Woods (2000, ’02, ’08)
10: U.S. Amateur champions in the field, Byeong Hun An (2009), Sam Bennett (2022), Bryson DeChambeau (2015), Nick Dunlap (2023), Matt Fitzpatrick (2013), Viktor Hovland (2018), Matt Kuchar (1997), Phil Mickelson (1990), Edoardo Molinari (2005) and Tiger Woods (1994, ’95, ’96)
8: U.S. Junior Amateur champions in the field, Nick Dunlap (2021), Brian Harman (2003), a-Bryan Kim (2023), Min Woo Lee (2016), Scottie Scheffler (2013), Jordan Spieth (2009, ’11), Tiger Woods (1991, ’92, ’93) and Will Zalatoris (2014)
1: U.S. Mid-Amateur champion in the field, Stewart Hagestad (2016, ‘21, ‘23)
16: Amateurs in the field.
32: Former American Walker Cup participants.
6: Former Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup participants.
6: NCAA individual champions, Bryson DeChambeau (2015), Max Homa (2013), Phil Mickelson (1989, ’90, ’92), Gordon Sargent (2022), Hiroshi Tai (2024) and Tiger Woods (1995)
3: Players who competed in the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, Matt Kuchar (MC), Phil Mickelson (2), Tiger Woods (T3)
5: Players who competed in 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, Sergio Garcia (T3), Matt Kuchar (MC), Phil Mickelson (T33), Adam Scott (T28), Tiger Woods (2)
29: Players who competed in the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst: Daniel Berger (T28), Zac Blair (T40), Keegan Bradley (T4), Brian Campbell (MC), Jason Day (T4), Harris English (T48), Matt Fitzpatrick (a) (T48), Rickie Fowler (T2), Sergio Garcia (T35), Lucas Glover (MC), Russell Henley (T60), Billy Horschel (T23), Dustin Johnson (T4), Martin Kaymer (Won), Chris Kirk (T28), Brooks Koepka (T4), Matt Kuchar (T12), Shane Lowry (MC), Hideki Matsuyama (T35), Rory McIlroy (T23), Phil Mickelson (T28), Francesco Molinari (T23), Justin Rose (T12), Adam Scott (T9), Webb Simpson (T45), Jordan Spieth (T17), Justin Thomas (MC), Brendon Todd (T17), Gary Woodland (T52)
A Look At The 13th
At 381 yards uphill and often into the breeze, No. 2’s No. 13 is not a typical candidate to become a drivable short par 4. But the tees were moved up in 2014 and a similar possibility is expected this week.
The green is faster and softer this week which will change the dynamics under all conditions. I heard from some spectators that players putting to a far-right hole location today were regularly putting off the green, so there’s that. But add in better fairway turf to play from than 2014, the ability to impart more spin with the athleticism-fueled grooves, and a softer target (so far). Such a recipe could lead to some wild moments.
As pointed out in this video, perhaps driving over the fairway bunker and getting closer to the green will allow for half-shots imparted with less backspin to take the false front out of the equation. Possibly.