As the second round of the 2024 U.S. Open at The Country Club drew toâ a close, âso emerged the first clear-cut winners and⣠losers.⤠Here is⢠a look at âhow some of the top players for this year’s title â¤fared on â˘Saturday.
Winners of the 2024 U.S. Open: McIlroy,â Finau, Scheffler, â¤others shine
Rory âMcIlroy leads the charge, claims⢠third U.S. Open title by two strokes
Northern Irish â˘golferâ Rory⣠McIlroy returnedâ to the U.S. Openâ winner’s circle⤠for the first time in eight years, following his victory at the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club. McIlroy,â who cameâ into the âweek in excellent formâ after claiming the âWells âFargo Championshipâ and the RBC âCanadianâ Open, âŁheldâ off a spiritedâ challenge from âTony Finau andâ Scottie Scheffler toâ win byâ two strokes.
Tony Finau finishes second, rising to the⣠occasion underâ pressure
Tony Finau once again proved his âaffinity for â¤major championships, claimingâ his â˘firstâ runner-up finish at the U.S. âOpen.⤠After entering the final round three strokes⤠adrift of Scheffler, Finau firedâ a six-under-par â65 to âpost a -6 â˘aggregate of 278,⢠falling just âshort of McIlroy’s 276 after a remarkable charge on⢠Sunday. Finau’s performance confirmed his status âas one of the sport’s most âŁdangerous contenders in âtheâ world’s most challenging⤠events.
Scottie Scheffler settles for third, closes âthe season with five PGA TOUR âwins
Despite âentering the⤠final âround as the leader after three impressive rounds of golf,â Scottieâ Scheffler could not contain the âremarkable⣠performances from McIlroyâ and Finau. Scheffler, âwho claimedâ five PGA TOUR wins during the 2023-24 season,⢠will rue⤠a poor start to his final⢠round,⤠carding⤠a double-bogey onâ the second hole â¤that put him on the back â˘foot early on. Scheffler eventually signed for a âŁthree-under-par 68 to complete⤠the U.S. Open tied-third alongside⢠Sepp Straka.
Max Homa, Collin Morikawa finish in top-10, signal their return to form
Aâ resurgent 2023-24 âseason continued for â˘Max Homa, claiming⤠a tied-fifth âfinish at⤠theâ U.S. Open. Homa carded rounds⢠of 68, â70, 68, and 69 to share fifth â˘place⣠with Dustin Johnson, âsignifying his⣠return⤠to⢠the top after an uncharacteristically quiet⣠2023 season. Collin Morikawa, a two-time â˘major winner, âalsoâ announced âhisâ return to his best, taking the other tied-fifth position âalongside Homa âand Johnson.
Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas experience⣠disappointing weekend
World number four Jon Rahm⤠entered the final round within striking distance of McIlroy, with⤠the Spaniard only two strokes from the lead. However, a disappointing final round, âcompounded by a triple-bogey seven on the 11th hole, sent Rahm tumbling down the leaderboard into a tie for 31st âplace. World number⣠five Justin Thomas similarly⣠experienced a disappointing weekend, falling out of contention followingâ a 74 in the â˘third round.⢠Thomas⢠rallied on Sundayâ to finish in a tie âfor 24thâ place.
Losers of⢠the⤠2024 U.S. Open: A⢠look at âŁthe disappointments
Losers of the 2024⢠PGA Championship: A Look at the Disappointments
The 2024 PGA Championship was a tale of âtwo cities, â¤with six players emerging as âtriumphantâ victors â¤and âan equal number enduring â¤the bitter sting of defeat. Among⣠the latter âgroup, several ânotable names failed â˘to live up to expectations,â leaving golf âŁfans wondering what mightâ have âŁbeen.
Bryson âDeChambeau’s Power Playâ Falters
Once hailed as the âfuture of âgolf, Bryson â¤DeChambeau’s power-hitting approach proved ineffective against Bethpage Black’s âdemanding â˘layout. â˘The American struggled to find the fairways and âŁgreens, and his âŁonce-feared long game failed âto produce the⤠desired results. DeChambeau’sâ disappointing performance raised questions about the sustainability of his strategy inâ the face of challenging course conditions.
Former World â˘Number âOnes Falter
Patrick Cantlay and âDustin Johnson, both former world number ones, also faltered at âŁBethpage Black. Cantlay, known for hisâ precision and consistency, made several uncharacteristic errors that cost him dearly. Johnson,â on⤠the other âhand, struggled with his putting,â missing âseveral â˘key shots that â¤could have kept him in contention. â˘The failures of theseâ two highly ranked players highlighted the âŁunpredictable nature of golf⢠and theâ importance of⢠performing at one’s best on the âbiggest stage.
Brooks Koepka’s Struggles Continue
Brooks Koepka, â˘a âŁfour-time â¤majorâ champion, has been struggling to regain his peak formâ since undergoing⣠knee surgery in⣠2021. At Bethpageâ Black, Koepka once again failed⢠to find his rhythm, shooting rounds⢠inâ the 70s and finishing well out⣠of contention. â˘The American’s struggles raised concerns about his⤠ability⣠to âreturn to the level that made him one of the most dominant players in⢠golf.
Phil Mickelson’s Sixth Major âŁElusive
Phil Mickelson’s bid for a record-breaking⤠sixthâ major victory ended âin heartbreak âatâ Bethpage Black. âThe American, who had been showing signs of resurgence in recent months, failed to â˘produce his best golf when⤠it mattered most. Mickelson shot a disappointing âfinal round⣠to finish outside⢠the top⣠20, leaving his quest for history unfulfilled. The defeatâ marked a â˘bitter end â˘to what had⤠been a promising season for the 53-year-old.
Jordan Spieth’s Career Grand Slam Evaporates
The most poignantâ tale âof woe at⤠the â˘2024⣠PGA Championship belonged to âJordan â˘Spieth. The American had the âopportunity to⣠complete the career âGrand Slam âwith a victory âat Bethpage Black,⣠but his hopes evaporated â˘with a â˘heartbreaking final-round collapse. Spiethâ started the day⣠with âŁa four-shot â¤lead, but he âŁquickly stumbled, making âseveral⤠costly mistakes that allowed his rivals to closeâ the gap. Spieth’s âŁcollapse was a â¤cruelâ reminder of the fine âmargins â˘that separate success and failure in golf,⤠and it left him disappointed andâ empty-handed.
Analysis of the 2024 U.S. Open: âŁWhat went rightâ and wrong
The â¤2024â U.S. Open was a tournament of âups and downs, with â¤several players âŁmaking big moves up the leaderboard and others falling out of contention. Here’s âa look at some of the things that went right and wrong for theâ players in the field:
What⣠went right
- Ludvig âŁAberg: Theâ 25-year-old â˘Swede had a breakout performance⣠at the U.S. Open, finishing in a tie for fourth place.â Aberg shot rounds⢠of â˘68-69-71-70 toâ finish at â8-under par, just four shots behind winner âRory McIlroy.
- Rory McIlroy: McIlroy finally won his first U.S.⢠Open title after years of close âcalls. The Northern Irishman shot rounds of â˘67-69-68-71 to finish atâ 12-under par, two shots ahead of runner-up Jon Rahm.
- Tony Finau: Finau⢠had another strong performance at the U.S. Open, finishing in âŁa tie â¤for third place. The Americanâ shot⢠rounds of 69-70-69-71 to âŁfinish⣠at 9-under⤠par.
- Scottie âScheffler: âScheffler continued his strong âŁform in 2024 with a âŁtie for âthird place at the U.S. Open.â Theâ American â¤shot rounds of âŁ70-69-72-70 to finish at 9-under par.
What went⣠wrong
- Jon Rahm: Rahm was the⢠runner-upâ at the U.S. Open, but⢠he could have easily won the tournament. âŁThe Spaniard shot ârounds⣠of 69-70-69-73 to finish⢠at 10-under⤠par, just two shots âbehind âMcIlroy.
- Patrick â¤Cantlay: Cantlay⢠was one of âthe⢠favorites âŁheadingâ into the âU.S. Open, butâ he âmissed the cut after shooting rounds of 73-75.
- Xander Schauffele: Schauffele is another player who⣠missedâ the cut â˘at the U.S.â Open. The American âshot rounds of âŁ74-75.
- Justin Thomas: â˘Thomas had a disappointing U.S. Open, â˘finishing in a tie for 37th place. The American shot rounds âof 70-75-72-74 to⣠finish⣠at 1-over âpar.
Recommendations âŁfor âthe⢠2025â U.S. â˘Open: Lessons learned fromâ this⢠year’s event
With the 2024 U.S.â Open concluding, it’sâ time to reflect on the lessonsâ learned âand consider⣠how they can âŁinform our approach to the⢠2025 tournament. Here are âa few key recommendations:
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Emphasis onâ Accuracy andâ Course Management: Theâ challenging greensâ and narrow fairways â¤at Los Angeles Country Club highlighted the importance of accuracy and âŁcourseâ management⤠over distance. Players who⤠focusedâ on placing⢠their⤠shots⤠in theâ right spots âŁand avoiding hazardsâ were moreâ likelyâ to succeed.
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Balance Power and Finesse: While âdistance alwaysâ plays⤠a⤠factor in majors, the 2024 U.S.⤠Open⣠demonstrated the need âŁfor a balanced approach. Players who couldâ bomb â˘it off the tee but also control their irons and putts had the best chance â˘of contending.
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Adaptability to Challenging Conditions: Theâ unpredictable weather, firm greens, and thick rough testedâ players’ abilities to adapt on the fly. Players âŁwho could adjustâ theirâ game â¤plan and âmake quick decisions under pressure wereâ at a distinct advantage.
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Importance of Putting: The undulating and fast-paced⤠greens made putting a âcrucial factor â¤in this year’s âŁU.S. Open. Playersâ who could roll it consistently and read the âŁbreaks effectively separated⣠themselves from the pack.
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Don’t Overlook the Dark Horses:â The 2024 U.S. Open featured several surprise performers, such as Joel Dahmen and⣠Hayden Buckley. These players proved thatâ even those ânot considered favorites can contend in the right conditions and with the right mindset.
the 2024 â¤U.S. Open was âa captivating tournament⤠that featured both triumph and setbacks for the participating â¤golfers. âRory McIlroy’s triumph⢠was a testament to his perseverance and unwavering belief in his â¤abilities, while Finau’s runner-up finish markedâ a significant milestone âŁin his â˘career. Scheffler’s⤠disappointment was âŁa reminder âof the demanding nature of the âsport,⣠while the emergence ofâ Abergâ andâ Korda highlighted⢠the⢠depth âof talent within the golfing world. Asâ the golf season â¤continues, these players âand many others will⢠undoubtedly⤠seek to build upon their performances at the âU.S. âOpen⤠and challenge for further success on âŁthe greens.
