U.S. Open Preview: Can Anyone Stop Scottie Scheffler?
The third of four majors of the PGA Tour season is set to begin tomorrow at Pinehurst No. 2 for the 124th U.S. Open. Obviously, the main question heading into this U.S. Open is if anyone will be able to slow down Scottie Scheffler, who is on a historic run to this point in the 2024 season. The only tournament in which Scheffler has failed to finish in the top two is the PGA Championship where he spent Friday morning in a jail cell. He still managed to finish in the top 10 of that tournament, by the way. So, who, if anyone, is capable of competing with Scheffler this weekend?
It goes without saying that every major will be filled with the best competition the golf world has to offer, and this weekend at Pinehurst No. 2 will be no different. Obviously, anyone can go out and play an extremely high level of golf and make a move, specifically darkhorse players like Max Homa, Viktor Hovland, and Will Zalatoris, but the top challengers to Scheffler this weekend are as follows:
Xander Schauffele: Schauffele is the most recent major winner as he is coming fresh off his PGA Championship back in May. He is playing some of the best golf in the world right now, and his track record at the U.S. Open has been very good despite never winning it before. Of the seven U.S. Opens that he has played in, Schauffele has finished in the top 10 six times. With the first major win now under his belt, who says Schauffele can’t finally get over the hump at a U.S. Open as well?
Rory McIlroy: While Rory’s last few major appearances have not been much to marvel at, McIlroy still remains one of the most dangerous players every time he steps on the course. Rory has seemed to fold under the spotlight in recent major tournaments, but the attention does not seem to be on him as much heading into this weekend which could benefit him. Also, like Schauffele, Rory has performed well at U.S. Opens in the past. He has finished in the top 10 in five straight U.S. Opens, including falling just one shot short of Wyndham Clark last year in Los Angeles. Finally, Rory is one of the few players in the field that can overpower Pinehurst No. 2 with his driver which could help him use the course to his advantage.
Collin Morikawa: Morikawa has been on Scheffler’s heels the past few weeks, including finishing right behind him last weekend at the Memorial. The other factor that Morikawa has going for him is his masterful iron play. Greens in regulation will be critical this weekend, and the majority of that comes down to good iron-striking. While Scheffler is the best iron player in the world, Morikawa is most definitely a close second.
Brooks Koepka: Whenever there is a major championship on the line, Brooks Koepka always seems to be in the conversation. He has won five majors, so he knows exactly what it takes to measure up with the best players in the world. While the course is a tough one, Koepka has conquered tough U.S. Open courses in the past, like when he won at Shinnecock Hills. Naturally, his form and durability will be questioned by some given he plays on the LIV Tour, but no one can deny that Koepka rises to the occasion in events like this.
Bryson DeChambeau: Similar to Koepka, every time a big golf event is happening, Bryson DeChambeau always seems to find his way into the conversation, and he is also a U.S. Open Champion himself. Also, the first two majors of the season have gone quite well, to say the least for Bryson. He led after day one at the Masters before finishing tied for sixth, and then he was one Xander Schauffele lip-in away from a playoff in the PGA Championship. While those two finishes can be seen as disappointing from DeChambeau’s perspective, there is plenty of momentum that he can take from those performances into this weekend to get over the hump.
One more factor that could slow down Scheffler is not a player, it is the course. Pinehurst No. 2 has held three previous U.S. Opens and only four players have managed to finish under par for all 72 holes. Players and fans can expect opposite conditions compared to the PGA Championship at Valhalla where the track was wet and soggy. Pinehurst No. 2 will be extremely fast and firm with plenty of challenging obstacles and lengthy holes. In recent years, the U.S. Open has not lived up to the rigorous and grueling test that it has been in the distant past, but with the tournament returning to Pinehurst, that trend could easily be broken.
Lastly, here are some notable Thursday groups and tee times:
Tiger Woods, Will Zalatoris, and Matthew Fitzpatrick will tee off at 7:29 a.m.
Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, and Collin Morikawa will tee off at 7:40 a.m.
Rory McIIroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Xander Schauffele will tee off at 1:14 p.m.
Bryson DeChambeau, Max Homa, and Viktor Hovland will tee off at 1:25 p.m.
