2017 U.S. Open Finish Promises to be One to Remember, and Not for the Fescue

Date: June 17, 2017

By: James Justice (@JamesJusticeIII)

Much of the conversation leading into the U.S. Open at Erin Hills was defined by its fescue. Many of the game's most notable players, including Lee Westwood and Andrew "Beef" Johnson, made a spectacle of the tall, thick grass that defined the Erin Hills rough, causing the course administrators to cut some of it back before play began on Thursday. Rory McIlroy and Jason Day, two of the world's top three golfers, were particularly outspoken, with McIlroy going as far as to say that golfers who are complaining about the fescue have bigger things to worry about. "You've got 156 of the best players in the world here. If we can't hit it in that avenue, you may as well pack your bags and go home," McIlroy said.

As fate would somewhat ironically put it, McIlroy would find himself struggling to get out of the fescue. And not just McIlroy, but Day, and Dustin Johnson, the top three ranked golfers in the world would all struggle, all missing the cut for the year's second major. It is the first time since rankings began in 1986 that the world's number one, two, and three all failed to make it to the weekend of a major tournament.

McIlroy's weekend at Erin Hills may be looked at somewhat infamously now after calling out those for complaining about the rough, and then struggling in it himself, but his sentiment still holds true. The players who complained about the fescue coming in are also nowhere to be seen in the leader-board as the tournament enters its final day.

And with the absence of the world's top three, the immediate assumption that a lot of the less recognizable, untouted competitors would make up the leader-board has proven to be true, maybe even beyond expectation. At the time of this writing, three quarters of the way through the afternoon on Saturday, the top-10 is made up of five players who came into the tournament with 100-to-1 odds or greater to win.

Charlie Hoffman, a relatively familiar face after a good run at The Masters this April came into the tournament at 150-to-1 odds, and currently sits at 7-under, four shots back of the lead. Hoffman is only the tip of the iceberg. Players such as Brian Harman, who came into the tournament with the slimmest of faith from the Vegas odds-makers at 225-to-1, currently sits at 10-under. Other long-shots including Tommy Fleetwood at 125-to-1 and Brendan Steele at 150-to-1, who would have scores good enough for the lead had it not been for history by one Justin Thomas. Thomas entered Saturday at 2-under, close enough to seem competitive, but still far enough that the cameras weren't paying too much attention. He made sure that changed quickly, shooting a U.S. Open record-setting 63, capped off by an eagle on 18.

Amid all that unanticipated excitement are some more well-known players searching for their first taste of major glory. Rickie Fowler is perhaps the most fashionable of those, both literally and figuratively. The 28 year old's highest finish in a major competition came in the U.S. Open back in 2014 when he finished tied for second. Paul Casey was ranked as high as third in the world back in 2009, but put together two of his best major tournament performances last year when he finished in the top-10 in both The Masters and the PGA Championship. And Brooks Kopeka, only one year younger than Fowler but certainly much less known among casual golf followers, has a ferocious swing that has helped get him into contention.

And so even without some of golf's marquee names this final stretch at the 2017 U.S. Open promises to be a good one. One thing is almost certain and that is there won't be a runaway winner. Some of the players mentioned above might fall away, and others emerge, but almost certainly there will be a handful of guys tightly competing for what will be there first major title.

 

James Justice can be found on Twitter @JamesJusticeIII and can be reached by e-mail at james.justice@student.shu.edu.