– The 124th edition of the US Open is being celebrated. It is the fourth time it is played at Pinehurst, specifically on its most famous course, No.2, the masterpiece of Donald Ross. It was officially inaugurated in 1907, but such was the dedication of the Scottish designer that he spent his entire life making tweaks, small modifications, improving here and there the layout. Of holes 4 and 5 it is said that he spent thirty years working on them until he considered them finished. He was able to devote himself body and soul to his most fabulous creature, among other things, because he lived on the course, specifically next to the green of hole 3.
– Pinehurst No.2 will host the US Open for the fourth time: 1999 with victory of Payne Stewart, 2005 with triumph of Michael Campbell and 2014 with Martin Kaymer as winner. It can be said that the US Open arrived late to Pinehurst, but once it discovered it, it gave itself body and soul. There is only one course that has hosted the US Open more times in a shorter span of time. It was the Myopia Hunt Club, venue of the tournament in 1898, 1901, 1905 and 1908. Four times in ten years.
– The fierceness of Pinehurst in a handful of data: in the first three editions of the US Open here a total of 468 players have participated and only four finished under par: Payne Stewart (1999), Martin Kaymer, Eric Crompton and Rickie Fowler (2014). Campbell won in 2005 with a par result. Kaymer is the only one who has been able to finish a US Open at Pinehurst with a result better than -1. Well, Kaymer and Michelle Wie, who won the women’s US Open in 2014 with -2.
– There have been 1,368 official rounds at Pinehurst. Only five of them were without bogey. The exclusive list of heroes: David Duval, Aaron Oberholser, Brendon Todd, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler.
– The average number of strokes at No.2 in the three previous editions ranges between 72.40 and 75.97. It’s a par 70. Oops!
– There are only two players in this US Open who were present in the three previous editions played on the North Carolina course: Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar.
– It’s been 25 years since Payne Stewart‘s victory at the US Open on this very course. He won at 42 years and five months. Since then no golfer over 40 has won the US Open again.
– Tiger Woods is once again the reference for Scottie Scheffler. The Cypress native is the only golfer in history who has won the US Open coming in as the world’s Number One. He did it on three occasions: 2000, 2002 and 2008.
– Only one of the last 49 Majors was won by a player ranked beyond the top 50 in the world. It was Phil Mickelson at Kiawah in the 2021 PGA. He was the 115th.
– It seems that the USGA wants to avenge this strange streak: in the last five US Opens the winning result has been -6 or lower. This has never happened in history. It doesn’t seem easy, a priori, to reach that -6 winner this week.
– Xander Schauffele is the only one who can chain two consecutive victories in Majors this week. No one has done it since Jordan Spieth in 2015, when he won the Masters and the US Open. 35 majors have passed. It’s the longest streak since the one between Tom Watson and Nick Price (1982-1994).
– We continue with Schauffele. Watch out, this is crazy: since the PGA Championship of 2022 he has finished among the top 20 in each and every one of the last nine Majors he has played. Only Tiger Woods improves these numbers in the last 30 years. Tiger chained two streaks of ten and fourteen consecutive Majors. A certain Jack Nicklaus was 33 majors in a row finishing among the top 20. From 70 to 78. It’s laughable…
– More about Schauffele… He has finished among the top 15 in the US Open in his last seven participations. The only ones who improve this sequence in history are Jack Nicklaus (12), Ben Hogan (12), Sam Snead (9) and Bobby Jones (11). Beware of the luxury of the club…
– Jon Rahm could position himself this week as the player with the most rounds in less than 70 strokes in the Majors in the 2020s. If he does, it will be very strange if he doesn’t win. Pinehurst is par 70 and rounds under par are rare birds. Rahm has 26 and is three behind Rory McIlroy (29).
– Scheffler has won over twelve million dollars in the last ten Majors. No one has added so much in a similar sequence. Koepka didn’t reach twelve between 2017 and 2019 and Tiger Woods‘ best is 7.7 million between 2006 and 2009. The bags that keep growing.
– In 2014 the hole 5 at Pinehurst, par 5, produced 17 eagles. It is the second highest figure in the US Open on a single hole in 30 years. You already know which is one of the few recovery holes on this course. It’s 588 yards. The only hole played under par on average in 2014 without being a par 5 was the 3, par 4.
– Watch out for the hole 8, a 492-yard par 4. In 2014 it caused 27 double bogeys. A tomb.
