Notes and Quotes from the U.S. Open
Mickelson says poor Open
gets him more ‘geared up’ – U.S. Open
BETHESDA, Md. – Phil Mickelson, one of the pre-tournament favorites, opened then closed his U.S. Open with double bogeys (he had three, all told), and just had a lousy time of it, finishing way up the road with a 7-over 291. He doubled his first hole, the par-3 10th, on Thursday, and said no, the gust of wind that knocked his ball down into the fronting pond was not an omen of what kind of Open he would have. “I mean, that stuff happens,” he said.Awkwardly enough, he bogeyed the18th twice, hitting the water both times but from very different places. In the second round, he watered his approach and shot 77. In the final, he had bunkered his approach, then skied his sand shot well over the peninsula green and into the water beyond, and shot 71, and said no, he hadn’t changed his mind -- that even at age 41, he still has a lot of chances to win majors. “It just gets me more geared up,” Mickelson said.
RORY'S RECORDS: - Rory McIlroy’s total of 268 strokes breaks the 72-hole U.S. Open scoring record of 272 previously held by four players – Jack Nicklaus, 1980; Lee Janzen, 1993; Tiger Woods, 2000; Jim Furyk, 2003.
- McIlroy’s total of 16 under par breaks the 72-hole U.S. Open record for most strokes under par previously at 12-under held by Tiger Woods in 2000.
- At 22 years, 1 month, 15 days, McIlroy is the youngest U.S. Open champion since Bob Jones, 1923, at 21 years, 3 months, 28 days. He is also the second-youngest player to win a major championship in past 80 years behind Tiger Woods, who was 21 years, 3 months, 15 days when he won the 1997 Masters.
- With the victories by McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, both from Northern Ireland, this is the first time there have been back-to-back international winners from the same country since Alec Ross (1907) and Fred McLeod (1908), both from Scotland.
- McIlroy is the third player from Northern Ireland to win a major championship, joining Graeme McDowell at the 2010 U.S. Open and Fred Daly at the 1947 British Open.
- McIlroy and Robert Garrigus became the seventh and eighth players in U.S. Open history to shoot four sub-par rounds in one championship joining Sam Snead, 1947 (including one round in playoff); Billy Casper, 1966 (including one round in playoff); Lee Trevino, 1968; Tony Jacklin, 1970; Lee Janzen, 1993; Curtis Strange, 1994 (did not win).
- McIlroy became the fourth player in U.S. Open history to shoot four rounds in the 60s joining Lee Janzen, 1993; Lee Trevino, 1968; Billy Casper, 1966 (including one round in playoff).
- McIlroy is the seventh start-to-finish winner (no ties) in U.S. Open history joining Walter Hagen, 1914; Jim Barnes, 1921; Ben Hogan, 1953; Tony Jacklin, 1970; Tiger Woods, 2000 and 2002.
- McIlroy hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, the most in a U.S. Open since the statistic has been tracked.
- McIlroy was 11-under on par 4s this week, breaking the previous record of 4-under by five players since the statistic has been tracked. (Ernie Els, 1997; Tiger Woods, 2000; Jim Furyk, 2003; Phil Mickelson, 2004; Davis Love III, 2010).
- The 20 sub-par totals for 72 holes are the second-most all-time in U.S. Open history behind the 28 at Medinah in 1990.
- The 108 sub-par rounds for the championship are the second-most all-time in U.S. Open history behind the 124 at Medinah in 1990.
- The 32 sub-par scores in the fourth round are the most all-time in U.S. Open history, breaking the previous record of 18 at Baltusrol in 1993.
- Rory McIlroy is the first player in U.S. Open history to reach 13-under-par, 14-under-par, 15-under-par, 16-under-par and 17-under-par.
- Lowest 72 hole scores at all four majors:
o 265, PGA Championship, David Toms, 2001
o 267, British Open , Greg Norman, 1993
o 268, U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy, 2011
o 270, Masters, Tiger Woods, 1997
- Most strokes under-par after 72 holes at all four majors:
o 19-under, British Open, Tiger Woods, 2000
o 18-under, PGA Championship, Tiger Woods and Bob May, 2000
o 18-under, Masters, Tiger Woods, 1997
o 16-under, U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy, 2011
- Largest Winning Margin at U.S. Open:
o 15 strokes, Tiger Woods, 2000
o 11 strokes, Willie Smith, 1899
o 9 strokes, Jim Barnes, 1921
o 8 strokes, Rory McIlroy, 2011
- Patrick Cantlay’s 284 total is the lowest 72-hole score by an amateur in the U.S. Open since Jim Simons’ 283 total in 1971.
- The last four major champions are all first-time major winners and all are in their 20s – Louis Oosthuizen (British Open), Martin Kaymer (PGA Championship), Charl Schwartzel (Masters), and Rory McIlroy (U.S. Open).
- Six of the past eight U.S. Open champions have been foreign-born.
THE NEXT SUPERSTAR -- ALREADY: Like the breakers crashing at Huntington Beach, golf’s next superstar is already cresting when the newest one – Rory McIlroy – has replaced (for the moment) Tiger Woods – all this according to the pundits of the game. And His Nextness is Patrick Cantlay, who has just completed his freshman year at UCLA. Not that this is rushing things a bit.
The future aside, Cantlay called attention to himself by his play here. He shot 75 in the first round, but he had to bogey five of his last eight holes to do it. The he shot 67 in the second, birdieing six of the last 11. And an up-and-down 70 in the third left him the low of the three surviving amateurs going into the final round. His 67 was the fifth-best 18-hole score in the 111 years of the U.S. Open. He won low-amateur honors, finishing with a 72-284, even par. Russell Henley shot 75-288, and Brad Benjamin finished with 80-305.
Cantlay had a strong freshman season. He won four times with UCLA, was runner-up in the NCAA tournament, and was named to the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation’s top college player. If this sounds like a ticket to the PGA Tour, don’t punch it yet.
“My timeline is after I graduate from UCLA,” said Cantlay. So this week should serve him well the rest of the way in college, or else serve him well if he changes his mind and turns pro sooner. “I had some confidence before I came here this week,” Cantlay said. “Yeah, it definitely makes you feel good about the future, and hopefully one day I can be playing as a pro.”
MATTER OF DEFINITION: Luke Donald, world No. 1 after a lukewarm Open, was asked whether a 15-shot win would make Rory McIlroy the dominant player. “Yes and no,” Donald said, noting that this was McIlroy’s third win. “He’s not quite dominating the game, but certainly dominated this week. Yeah, he’ll be a tough force to reckon with. He’s going to be high on confidence, and he’s already got the game to beat anyone.” Donald finished with a 69-289, 5 over, and declined to blame his showing on over-golfing and extensive play. “No excuses,” he said. “I just didn’t play well enough.”
THE BATTLEFIELD: Congressional was set up to play at 7,452 yards in the final round – 3,606 going out, 3,846 coming home. The shortest hole was the par-3 13th, with the markers moved up 22 yards, making it 171. The longest was the par-5 No. 9, 646 yards. The tough finishing hole, No. 18, played at 529.
ROCK ON: England’s Robert Rock, who teed it up with no practice and little sleep after a tight flight over, finally can take a breather. “It’s going to slow down right now,” said Rock, who finished with a 68 and a 1-over 285. “My caddie and I are going to have a beer now and chill out before our flight tonight.”
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