Rory McIlroy during the final round of the 2024 U.S. Open. | Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
These three players have not won a major in a while, but they could break that agonizing streak at Pinehurst No. 2.
The time has finally arrived as the 156-man field gears up for the 124th U.S. Open. Players will take on the Cradle of American Golf, Pinehurst No. 2.
Pinehurst is a great test, but it also bodes well for solid ball strikers and players with nifty short games. The greens will be firm and fast. Expect this track to cause carnage and be one of the toughest tests the U.S. Open has seen.
But could this be the week when everything changes for someone who has not won a major in a long time?
Let’s look at three guys who haven’t won a major in a while but could triumph at this week’s U.S. Open.
3. Adam Scott
Adam Scott will continue his major championship streak this week as he will make his 92nd straight start. He lost in a heartbreaking playoff to Cam Davis in final qualifying in Springfield, Ohio, putting that streak in jeopardy, but Scott received a special exemption from the USGA.
The top 60 players in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) receive invites to the U.S. Open. Scott is currently 61st but earned his exemption with Grayson Murray’s tragic passing. The OWGR removed Murray to determine the top 60 players, which put Scott right inside the mark.
Scott’s lone major championship win came in 2013 at the Masters. However, he has gotten close multiple times throughout the years.
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At the U.S. Open, he tied for 7th in 2019, tied for fourth in 2015, and tied for 9th at Pinehurst in 2014. His best finish at the Open Championship came in 2012, when he held a four-shot lead after 54 holes. But he could not close the deal, which left him one stroke behind Ernie Els. At the PGA Championship, the Aussie finished third in both 2006 and 2018.
There have been chances, but the 14-time PGA Tour winner has not been able to get his second major.
This year, Scott has one top-10 and six top-25s. At the Masters, he tied for 22nd, but he missed the cut at the PGA Championship.
His strong finish at Pinehurst in 2014 could help him handle this track this time around. Look for him to play well and possibly get that elusive second major.
2. Jason Day
Jason Day is another Aussie who has not won a major in a while.
Day has played more consistently since he won the Byron Nelson last year. This year, he has four top 10s and five Top 25s. His best finish of the year came just a couple of weeks ago at the Wells Fargo Championship, where he tied for fourth.
It is wild to think that Day has not won more than one major. Like Scott, the 13-time PGA Tour winner has gotten close numerous times.
He has played well at Augusta National, tying for second in 2011 and third in 2013. He also tied for fifth in 2019.
His lone major came in 2015, when he won the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Day almost won back-to-back titles in 2016 but settled for second at Baltusrol. He also finished tied for ninth in 2017 and tied for fourth in 2020.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The 36-year-old has two runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open, in 2011 and 2013. At Pinehurst in 2014, Day tied for fourth, which could bode well for his chances this week.
His most recent run in a major came in 2023 at the Open Championship, but he tied for second as Brian Harman decimated the field.
Nevertheless, Pinehurst No. 2 is an excellent spot for Day. His style of play fits this course nicely, and it could finally be the week he puts it together and wins his first major in nine years.
1. Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is the most likely player to break his drought and the U.S. Open this week.
He played so well at the Los Angeles Country Club a year ago but lost by a stroke to Wyndham Clark. He recorded two other top 10s in majors in 2023, after missing the cut at Augusta.
McIlroy seems to be part of the discussion whenever there is a major. He has played well in recent years and is great on the biggest stages, but the Northern Irishman cannot get over the hump.
This year, McIlroy has two wins. He won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Shane Lowry and the Wells Fargo Championship. He also has four top 10s and 11 top 25s.
At the Masters, McIlroy tied for 22nd, and then at the PGA Championship, he tied for 12th.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
After winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January, McIlroy struggled to start the PGA Tour season. But he has found a rhythm as the year has progressed.
McIlroy is a 4-time major winner, so he knows what it takes, but the last time he won was in 2014, when he won The Open and PGA Championship. Those wins came after he tied for 23rd at Pinehurst for the U.S. Open that year.
Nevertheless, ten years is too long for the 26-time PGA Tour winner to go without a major, but this week could be his moment.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
