To Erin Hills in Wisconsin we go. The U.S. Open is over, and it was a rather unlikely week of golf. There was supposed to be tons of rain. There was supposed to be a lot of gusting wind (there was wind, but it didn’t really come into play). There was supposed to be a winner hovering right around even par, maybe a couple strokes lower. There was supposed to be one of the top ranked players in the world in contention. None of it happened. In the end, the top three ranked players missed the cut. There were up to 15 players to start the final round within three strokes of the lead. And the final score was a record-tying number.
Brooks Koepka kept his ball out of the massive fescue, into the wide fairways that Erin Hills had to offer, and tied a par-72 record with his 16-under final score to hold off the rest of the contenders. Koepka earned just his second career win on tour with bogey being the worst score on any hole during the tournament. He hit 49 of 56 fairways, nailed 62 of 72 greens in regulation (best of any player in the U.S. Open), and drove the ball on average of over 322 yards. These numbers were all recipes for success.
Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlory, and Jason Day all packed their bags after Friday, having missed the cut. Rickie Fowler led the field after the first round and seemed poised to win his elusive first major. He continued to play well throughout, but just didn’t have enough in the end. Wisconsin native Steve Stricker shot back-to-back 69s on the weekend, but he started too far back to be a factor. Youngster Justin Thomas had the galleries roaring with some amazing shots on Saturday, and carded a 63, putting him right in the mix. Even more of a youngster was Xander Shauffele. The amateur looked like a seasoned veteran out there, finishing in 5th.
But it was Koepka who held the trophy high in the end. The sixth-year pro from West Palm Beach fired rounds of 67, 70, 68, and 67. His path to the U.S. Open wasn’t as easy as it looked. While some players were all over the map over the four days of golf, Koepka has played literally all over the map. He played and won events in Spain, Scotland, Turkey, Japan, and Italy, honing his skills for a return to play in America. That kind of grind and determination should give all players hope that they, too, can succeed on golf’s biggest stage. Congratulations to Brooks Koepka!
With all of the entries received for the U.S. Open, everyone went for the favorites who all missed the cut! However, this tournament showed me that we all have what it takes – it doesn’t matter where we start from, what the odds are, or what obstacles we still need to overcome, we have what it takes to WIN!. That is why you need to email me by Thursday, June 22nd at 10am EST, and tell me in 100 words or less why you are a WINNER!
Based on the responses, TeamRPC will select a winner and award the Golf Fitness Consultation and 4 Personal Fitness Coaching sessions (a $700 value). Enter today and golf better forever!
