Five players who need a good showing at the 2024 U.S. Open
The year’s third major is upon us and the world's best players will gather at Pinehurst for the 2024 U.S Open.
This will be the fourth time that Pinehurst has hosted this iconic tournament with Martin Kaymer emerging victorious the last time the course hosted the event back in 2014.
Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele have won the first two majors of the year, but there will be plenty who will be teeing it up this year hopeful of taking their careers to the next year.
Ahead of what is bound to be a special week, here are five players who are in desperate need of a big week.
Rory McIlroy
It has now been over ten years since Rory McIlroy last tasted major success and for a man of his talents, that wait is simply too long.
The winner of this tournament back in 2011, McIlroy almost won this title for a second time last year, losing out to Wyndham Clark by one stroke.
Despite life being a little bumpy off the course, on the course McIlroy has been playing some fantastic golf.
A winner of two titles this year, McIlroy certainly has the form to contend this week. However, if he is to finally get back into the winners circle, he will need to limit the mistakes. Too often in events like this, McIlroy’s progress is stalled by a shattering mistake. Double bogeys are all too familiar at the majors and it seems that the Northern Irishman can’t produce four solid rounds.
On a course that is designed to punish, McIlroy will need to be accurate off the tee. If his driver is off, any chance he has of winning looks slim.
Cam Smith
After winning the open back in 2022, Cam Smith seemed to have the world of golf in the palm of his hands.
Lured by the mega bucks of the LIV Tour, Smith has won three times on the breakaway tour, but since making the switch he hasn’t been much of a factor in the majors and he heads into this week flying very much under the radar.
A sixth place finish at the 2024 Masters was paired with a 63rd place finish at the 2024 PGA Championship and he will hope for an improved effort here.
Smith is still one of the best putters in the world and if he can get the flat stick working, he has to rate as a danger every time he tees it up. The golfing world needs Cam Smith firing and for fans all over the world, they will hope Smith re-emerges as a contender this week.
Jon Rahm
Since shocking the sporting world when moving to the riches of the LIV Tour, Jon Rahm has had a tough time of things.
Yet to win on his new tour, Rahm’s defence of his Masters title barely got off the ground with the Spaniard just about scraping through to the weekend before finishing in a tie for 45th.
With many expecting Rahm to come roaring back at the PGA Championship, it would turn out to be another frustrating week with Rahm going on to miss the cut. It would be the first time he wouldn’t feature at a major weekend in five years.
Before Rahm left the PGA Tour, the golfing world was loving the rivalry between Rahm and Scottie Scheffler. Two titans of the game, the two have enjoyed contrasting fortunes in 2024.
Whilst Rahm seems to be searching and scratching for his best game, Scheffler has gone on to cement his status as the best player in the game and has gone onto win five times on the PGA Tour this season.
Heading into this week, Rahm has form and fitness to find. Injured at last week’s LIV Houston tournament, the status of Rahm is a little up in the air and it isn’t clear if he will be fit enough to play.
If he does tee it up, the eyes of the golfing world will be upon him and the fiery Spaniard will hope to remind the golfing public of his class and get back to the top of the leaderboard where he belongs.
Brian Harman
2023 was the year that Brian Harman came to the fore.
A convincing winner of his first major at the 2023 Open, Harman climbed into the top ten of the world rankings and due to his consistency, looked set to stay there.
However, after making his major breakthrough, Harman has struggled and will tee off this week looking for a positive performance.
After starting 2024 off with a bang with a fifth place finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Harman has just posted one top ten finish since, and missed the cut at the Masters before finishing 26th at the PGA Championship.
Despite the tough challenge that awaits, consistency off the tee and fairways are crucial if a player is to compete this week. By no means a big hitter, consistent ball striking is what has taken Harman to the top of the game and if he can rediscover his swing from 2023, he could end up having a big week and set himself up nicely for the defence of his Open title next month.
Bryson DeChambeau
Rewind to a few years ago and it’s fair to say that Bryson DeChambeau was a polarising figure. Dedicated to bulking up and driving the ball a mile, DeChambeau was positioned as the bad guy of golf and was the focal point in a new era of the game where power ruled all.
Fast forward to the present day and DeChambeau has become one of the most popular players in the sport.
Having won a legion of fans thanks to his YouTube videos which documents his life on tour as well as a plethora of hints and tips, DeChambeau has played some fantastic golf this season, finishing in the top ten at the Masters and finishing a narrow second at the PGA Championship.
Despite still being a huge driver of the ball, DeChambeau’s skill around the game is what has seen challenge at the year’s first two majors and he looks likely to be a major contender once again this week.
The winner of this tournament back in 2020, DeChambeau has carried the hopes of the LIV Tour through the first two majors and few would bet against him leading the way again.
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
