Apparently those eight can’t win, because they’ve just won.
Doom seems to lurk for the following (with world rankings attached): No. 1 Dustin Johnson (2020 Masters), No. 2 Jon Rahm (2021 U.S. Open), No. 4 Collin Morikawa (2020 PGA), No. 6 Bryson DeChambeau (2020 U.S. Open), No. 8 Brooks Koepka (2019 PGA), No. 32 Phil Mickelson (2021 PGA), No. 44 Shane Lowry (2019 British Open) and No. 70 Gary Woodland (2019 U.S. Open).
That’s eight, and then the other two could not make it to Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, Kent, England, just a big shout across the water from France. Woods remains in recovery after his car crash of February, and reigning Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama withdrew Sunday, citing a lack of practice time after a positive test for the coronavirus July 2.
“Now,” Rahm told reporters Tuesday in Sandwich, “you do have a sense of — at least I did have a sense of relief after winning the first major.”
Such relief stems from various factors, not least knowledge of the wide, wide array of talent, with so many players good enough to butt into daydreams.
The 10 recent winners make a pretty good account of the game’s present-day internationalism, with an Irish player (Lowry) who won in goose-bumpy noise in Northern Ireland, a Japanese player (Matsuyama) who overcame colossal pressure for a great sports country, a Spanish player (Rahm) who relishes history, and seven Americans. They do not, however, match the 18 different winners in 18 majors between the 1983 U.S. Open and the 1987 PGA, a streak stopped only by the underappreciated Larry Nelson, whose three major titles included both of those bookends. They also do not match the 14 between the 1966 PGA and the 1970 Masters, smack amid the age of Nicklaus.
They also do not include Rory McIlroy, somehow.
For the previous Open at Royal St. George’s, in 2011, McIlroy arrived as the latest big thing, a fresh 22-year-old U.S. Open champion who had just turned the mighty tract at Congressional into a cuddly little puppy dog. He finished that British Open tied for 25th at 7 over par as 42-year-old Northern Ireland countryman Darren Clarke won the thing.
For this Open, McIlroy arrives having missed the cut at the Scottish Open, punctuated by an eccentric scene at No. 10 in which a spectator walked out to McIlroy’s bag and helped himself to one of his clubs. Excepting the club-snatcher, it might not be that bad of a run-up.
Replying to a reporter who had noticed McIlroy’s penchant for following missed cuts with wins, McIlroy said, “I certainly don’t think that’s a chance statistic.” It just happened this past spring with the Masters (cut) and the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow (win).
“I’ve always learned more from disappointments and from not doing well,” McIlroy said.
He saw Royal St. George’s as lush and green and preferable to past times, such as 2003 and “a pinball machine,” as he put it.
He would seem an odd addition to a populous group, considering McIlroy once hogged four of the 15 majors between June 2011 and the end of 2014. But it would indicate again the depth of the sport, as indicated two long years ago when Lowry up and bested everyone by at least six shots.
“Yeah, I have no idea, to be honest,” Lowry told reporters of trying to repeat as champion. “Everything that happens for me is kind of new.” He did expect to gain from what he deems a boon: up to 32,000 spectators per day. “I think playing in front of fans does it for me,” he said. “Not playing in front of fans doesn’t do it for me.” The 32,000 left the 34-year-old “very excited when I heard there were going to be that many people here.” That’s as those 32,000 might cup their ears and still hear residual roars from 2019 at Royal Portrush, where the crowds adored Lowry and vice versa.
The others? DeChambeau wondered why he hasn’t thrived in British Opens given the way he once did in the Walker Cup and reckoned it could be the weather, which so often gains the adjective “appalling.” Koepka, that habitual contender, had a non-raving early review of Royal St. George’s (for its occasional “blind” shots, aiming at “nothing”) but went ahead and said his views would be no excuse for substandard play.
Rahm said, “Yeah, I’m usually pretty good in golf history,” including knowing those who won the U.S. and the British in the same year. “I know Tiger has done it [in 2000]. Might have been maybe Ben Hogan has done it, too” — yes, in 1953 — “and not many more. I’m assuming Jack [Nicklaus]. Jack is always in all of those lists.”
Nicklaus didn’t make this particular one, which also has Tom Watson (1982), Lee Trevino (1971), Gene Sarazen (1932) and Bobby Jones (1926, 1930), but another list is more of a concern right about now. It’s the list of players capable of winning majors, and that list long has been long.
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