Sunday, June 16, 2024

10 Things to Know About Round 4 of the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst

Bryson DeChambeau held off a charging Rory McIlroy Sunday at Pinehurst to win his second US Open Championship.

Here are 10 things to know about round 4 of the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst.

Number 1Neal Shipley, who was the low amateur at the Masters this year, becomes the tenth player to earn low amateur honors at both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. That list includes Viktor Hovland (2019), Matt Kuchar (1998), Phil Mickelson (1991), Sam Randolph (1986), Rick Fehr (1984), Jack Nicklaus (1960), Ken Venturi (1956), Harvie Ward (1955) and Billy Joe Patton (1954).

Number 2: An American has won each of the last six major championships, dating back to the 2023 PGA Championship (Koepka, Clark, Harman, Scheffler, Schauffele and DeChambeau). It is the longest streak of major championships won by U.S. players since the early 1980s, when the following players won in succession: Bill Rogers (1981 Open Championship), Larry Nelson (1981 PGA Championship), Craig Stadler (1982 Masters), Tom Watson (1982 U.S. Open and 1982 Open Championship) and Raymond Floyd (1982 PGA Championship). That streak was snapped by Seve Ballesteros at the 1983 Masters.

Number 3: Bryson DeChambeau (71 today) is the first player to win the U.S. Open despite shooting over par in the final round. The last over-par final round by the winner was in 2010, when Graeme McDowell shot 74 (+3) on Sunday at Pebble Beach. Bryson also becomes the fourth player to win multiple major championships since the start of this decade (2020). He joins Collin Morikawa (2020 PGA, 2021 Open), Jon Rahm (2021 US Open, 2023 Masters) and Scottie Scheffler (2022 and 2024 Masters).

Number 4: The last time that the top two finishers at a U.S. Open were former winners of this championship was in 1998 at The Olympic Club, when Lee Janzen finished one stroke better than Payne Stewart. That also happened seven previous times:

  • 1979 at Inverness Club, Hale Irwin by 2 over Jerry Pate and Gary Player
  • 1971 at Merion, Lee Trevino in a playoff over Jack Nicklaus
  • 1967 at Baltusrol, Jack Nicklaus by 4 over Arnold Palmer
  • 1966 at The Olympic Club, Billy Casper in a playoff over Arnold Palmer
  • 1963 at The Country Club, Julius Boros in a playoff over Arnold Palmer
  • 1956 at Oak Hill, Cary Middlecoff by 1 over Ben Hogan and Julius Boros
  • 1950 at Merion, Ben Hogan in a playoff over Lloyd Mangrum
Number 5: Bryson DeChambeau finished one stroke behind Xander Schauffele at the PGA Championship at Valhalla GC last month. He is the seventh player to lose a major championship by one shot (or in a playoff) and then win the very next major. 


He joins:
  • Brooks Koepka, finished 1 shot behind Tiger Woods at 2019 Masters, Won 2019 U.S. Open
  • Tom Lehman, finished 1 shot behind Steve Jones at 1996 USO, Won 1996 Open
  • Tom Watson, finished 1 shot behind Larry Nelson at 1983 USO, Won 1983 Open
  • Jack Nicklaus, finished 1 shot behind Lee Trevino at 1974 PGA, Won 1975 Masters
  • Arnold Palmer, lost in a playoff to Jack Nicklaus at 1962 USO, Won 1962 Open
  • Bob Rosburg, finished 1 shot behind Billy Casper at 1959 USO, Won 1959 PGA
Number 6: Bryson DeChambeau, with two birdies today, tied Martin Kaymer’s record for the most birdies or eagles in a U.S. Open at Pinehurst (15), set during his 2014 victory.

Number 7: This is the third U.S. Open in the last 30 years in which at least one player bogeyed (or worse) the 72nd hole and lost by one stroke. That also happened to Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie in 2006 at Winged Foot (champion Geoff Ogilvy)
and to Tom Lehman and Davis Love III in 1996 at Oakland Hills (champion Steve Jones).

Number 8: Tony Finau (T-3) matched his best finish in a major, having finished third at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Patrick Cantlay (T-3) also matched his best major championship result, having finished T-3 at the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage. Finau’s previous best U.S. Open finish was 5th at Shinnecock Hills in 2019; and Cantlay’s U.S. Open top finish was T-14 in both 2022 (The Country Club) and 2023 (Los Angeles CC).


Number 9: Xander Schauffele (T-7) kept his astonishing streak at the U.S. Open alive, having now finished among the top 15 eight years in a row. The only players with as long a streak as Schauffele since 1920 are Jack Nicklaus (12, 1971-82), Ben Hogan (12, 1940-1956), Bobby Jones (11, 1920-1930) and Sam Snead (9, 1947-1955).

Number 10: Rory McIlroy becomes the fifth player to finish second at the U.S. Open in back-to-back years, joining Bobby Jones (1924, 1925), Ben Hogan (1955, 1956), Arnold Palmer (1962, 1963, 1966, 1967) and Jim Furyk (2006, 2007).

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