EAST LANSING- The 124th U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst No. 2 for the first time in a decade. There are plenty of storylines to follow this week in North Carolina for the third major of the season.
Scheffler’s Dominance Continues
The last few months have been a whirlwind for world number one Scottie Scheffler. The 27-year-old Texan was already arguably the best golfer heading into this season. In 2024, Scheffler distanced himself from the pack with a historic stretch that can only be described as “Tiger-esque.”
Scheffler is coming into the U.S. Open hot looking for back-to-back wins after hitting the winning putt to seal Jack Nicklaus’ Tournament, The Memorial.
Both majors have been eventful for Scheffler, in April, he secured his second green jacket winning The Masters by a four-shot margin. Last month, Scheffler was the main topic of conversation with the sports world waking up to news that the Louisville PD had arrested Scheffler before the second round of the PGA Championship.
Scheffler is the clear betting favorite this week at +300 (DraftKings Sportsbook).
The Course
Pinehurst is one of the premier golf resorts in the United States with ten 18-hole golf courses and a nine-hole short course.
Pinehurst No.2 isn’t a conventional U.S. Open test, there is no thick rough, or tight greens to test the best golfers in the game. It is quite the opposite, Pinehurst No. 2 has sandy waste areas and some of the largest greens in pro golf. The slope and speed make the greens at Pinehurst some of the most difficult greens in golf.
The man behind No. 2 is an infamous golf course architect Donald Ross. Ross has designed some of the most famous golf courses. From 1900 to 1948, Ross was accredited with over 400 course designs including four courses on the Pinehurst resort.
This will be the fourth time the U.S. Open has been held at Pinehurst and the first time in a decade. In 2014, only three players were under par for the week. However, German golfer Martin Kaymer won the major by 8 strokes after firing back-to-back rounds of 65 in the first two rounds.
After a low-scoring 2023 U.S. Open, the USGA is expected to set up a firm and fast golf course that could see a winner over par for the first time since Brooks Koepka won the 2017 US Open at Shinnecock.
This won’t be the last time Pinehurst will host the U.S. Open. In 2020, the USGA announced that Pinehurst would be an “anchor site” for the championship, which means the U.S. Open will return to the course in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041, and 2047.
MSU Ties At Pinehurst
Michigan State golfer, Ashton McCulloch, is in the field this week at the US Open. McCulloch recently competed in his own country’s national championship, missing the cut at the RBC Canadian Open. The Junior qualified for the tournament after shooting 8-under in a two-day qualifier in Ontario, Canada. McCulloch beat out many PGA Tour members, including Kieth Mitchell, Sam Ryder, and Stewart Cink.
McCulloch is the second Spartan in three years to compete in the US Open. Former Spartan golfer James Piot qualified for the 2022 US Open after winning the 2021 US Ametuer at Oak Hill. Piot went on to miss the cut by two strokes at The Country Club in 2022 before defecting to LIV Golf months later.
McCulloch is paired with Willie Mack III and Richard Mansell for the first two rounds. The group tees off Thursday at 8:57 a.m. on the tenth hole.
Scouting Former Champs
Bryson DeChambeau has finished in the top ten in both majors this year and has continued his success with his new 3D-printed irons. This week’s firm fairways helped a bomber like DeChambeau. He will be able to take less club which will make it easier to hold these firm greens like he did at Winged Foot in 2020.
2021 U.S. Open Winner, John Rahm, has withdrawn from the tournament after dealing with a foot injury. Rahm tested his foot this week during practice rounds but ultimately withdrew.
Reigning US Open Champ, Wyndham Clark has not been in great form as of late. The 30-year-old has missed two straight cuts ahead of the U.S. Open.
15-time major winner, Tiger Woods, is in the field this week for the first time in a U.S. Open since 2020. Woods received a special expedition from the USGA to compete in the championship he has won three times. Woods is playing Pinehurst in a competitive tournament for the first time since 2005.
