The 122nd edition of the US Open, at The Country Club (Boston), could be analyzed from the perspective of these five ‘pills’:
1. Mickelson, the ‘Super League’ and six-time runner-up
Six-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson never goes unnoticed at this tournament, but the spotlight will be on him this week as he arrives off his LIV Golf Invitational Series debut. The winner of 6 ‘majors’ (3 Masters, two PGA and a British) imposed a self-imposed forced rest in February -he even skipped the defense of his title in the PGA Championship- amid the reactions caused by his comments on the tour with the Saudi capital in which he marked his return last week. Mickelson, who needs a US Open title to complete his career Grand Slam, was only cleared to compete in Boston after the USGA decided last week not to deny entry to eligible players who joined the LIV Golf Invitational. Series.
2. McIlroy, a drought in ‘majors’ that already lasts
Rory McIlroy, who has finished in the top 10 in his last three appearances at the US Open, has not won a ‘big’ in almost eight years, but he has been one of the most consistent players on the circuit this year and has just won the Open from Canada. The Northern Irishman has posted six top-10 finishes in 10 appearances this season, including the first two majors of the year: 2nd at the Masters and 8th at the PGA Championship. McIlroy comes in here as a tournament favorite and full of confidence having successfully defended his title at the Canadian Open, where he triumphed by two strokes to secure his 21st PGA Tour win.
3. Rahm is looking to repeat and has never done so successfully in the US.
Jon Rahm birdied the last two holes, including a 20-foot putt on the last after holeing a left-to-right putt from 8 on the 17th, for a one-shot victory at Torrey Pines in 2021 and will now try to become the eighth player to win back-to-back US Open titles. The world number two, however, is not in the same form as in 2021 and did not fare particularly well in the first two majors of the year, having tied for 27th at the Masters and finishing 48th at the PGA Championship. Rahm, whose only PGA Tour win this year came at the Mexico Vidanta Open, finished tied for 10th at the Memorial in his only US Open prep event.
4. Scheffler has cooled off after his win at Augusta
Scottie Scheffler has cooled off since winning the Masters in April for his fourth PGA Tour win in six appearances, but if his short game is up to par, the world number one could be a threat in Boston. In Scheffler’s first appearance since his Masters triumph, the 25-year-old American missed the cut at the PGA Championship, but quickly returned a week later at Colonial, where he was outscored in a playoff. Scheffler hasn’t had much success at the US Open, missing the cut twice in four appearances, but last year he posted a career-best 7th and is in the midst of his best season to date. the date.
5. Tiger Woods, the great absentee
Tiger Woods will not be this week, as the three-time champion decided to withdraw from the US Open in the hope of being ready for the British Open on July 14-17, after playing in the first two majors of the year took its toll on his 46 year old body. Woods returned to racing this year after sustaining career-threatening leg injuries in a car accident in February 2021 and, although he made the cut in the two ‘bigs’, he experienced obvious discomfort in his repaired right leg. surgically. The 15-time Grand Slam champion made one under par in the first round of the Masters but finished 47th and then retired after the third round of last month’s PGA Championship after heroically making the cut.
