Five pills to study the 122nd US Open in Boston

The 122nd edition of the US Open, at The Country Club (Boston), can be reviewed from the perspective of these five ‘pills’:

1. Mickelson, the ‘Super League’ and six-time runner-up

Six-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson has gone unnoticed in this tournament, but the attention is on him this week as he makes his debut in the LIV Golf Invitational Series. The winner of 6 ‘majors’ (3 Masters, two PGA and one British) imposed a self-imposed forced rest in February-he even skipped defending his PGA Championship title-amid reactions caused by his comments on the tour along with the Saudi capital where he marked his return last week. Mickelson, who needs a US Open title to complete his Grand Slam career, was only cleared to compete in Boston after the USGA decided last week not to deny admission to eligible players to join LIV Golf Invitational. Series.

2. McIlroy, a drought in the ‘majors’ that lasts longer

Rory McIlroy, who has finished in the top 10 in his last three appearances at the US Open, hasn’t won a ‘big’ in nearly eight years, but he has become one of the most consistent players on the circuit this year and won the Open from Canada. The Northern Irishman has posted six top-10 finishes in 10 appearances this season, including the first two majors of the year: 2nd in the Masters and 8th in the PGA Championship. McIlroy came here as a favorite in the tournament and was full of confidence that he had successfully defended his title at the Canadian Open, where he won by two strokes to capture his 21st PGA Tour victory.

3. Rahm is looking to repeat and it has not been successfully done in the US.

Jon Rahm birdied the final two holes, including a 20-foot putt late after hitting a left-to-right putt from 8 on the 17th, for a one-shot win over Torrey Pines in 2021 and will now try to be the eighth player to win a back-to-back title at the US Open. The world number two, however, was not in the same form in 2021 and did not do well in the first two majors of the year, tying 27th in the Masters and finishing 48th in the PGA Championship. Rahm, whose only win on this year’s PGA Tour came at the Mexico Vidanta Open, tied for 10th at Memorial in his only US Open prep event.

4. Scheffler cooled off after his Augusta win

Scottie Scheffler has been cool since winning the Masters in April for his fourth PGA Tour victory in six appearances, but if his short game is even, world number one could be a threat to Boston. On Scheffler’s first appearance since he won the Masters, the 25-year-old American missed the cut at the PGA Championship, but quickly returned a week later at Colonial, where he was outscored in a playoff. Scheffler had little success at the US Open, twice missing the cut in four appearances, but last year he posted a career-best 7th and is in the middle of his best season to date. .

5. Tiger Woods, the great absentee

Tiger Woods is not here this week, as the three-time champion decided to withdraw from the US Open in hopes of being ready for the British Open on July 14-17, after playing in the first two majors of the year. toll on his 46 -year -old body. Woods returned to racing this year after sustaining leg injuries that threatened racing in a car accident in February 2021 and, although he cut two ‘bigs’, he experienced obvious discomfort in his repaired right leg in operation. The 15-time Grand Slam champion made one under par in the first round of the Masters but finished 47th and then retired after the third round of the PGA Championship last month after the hero made the cut.