Trios with Fascinating Backstories at the 2017 U. S. Open
The world will get to see Rory McIlroy tee off alongside the likes of Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose and former world number one golfer Jason Day in the first two rounds of the U. S. Open. The 28-year-old pro’s entry confirmation at Erin Hills in early June is great news for a lot of his fans following a stress fracture to his rib, an injury that forced him to withdraw from the BMW Championship at Wentworth last May.
As many might recall, the Northern Irishman bagged his first Major tournament in impressive fashion – a nail biting win in which his nearest challenger Jason Day was eight shots behind at the 2011 U. S. Open. Upon sealing victory, McIlroy dedicated the win to his father. This year, the trio of McIlroy, Day, and Rose will be one of the most watched and anticipated groups in the competition.
Groupings and team ups in the sport aren’t a new concept, as US-based golf site Play Your Course reported how even rather small yet official tournaments outside the United States have adapted the system into their championships. The website’s in-house sports pundit Ren Gates highlighted The Zurich Classic, for instance, as the first sanctioned PGA Tour event to carry a team format.
This type of variation in play sparks a new kind of interest for fans and players alike. They see dream pairings such as Jordan Spieth and Ryan Palmer, Justin Thomas and Bud Cauley, and even brothers Brooks and Chase Koepka.
For Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, and Justin Rose, their group is not exactly friendly in nature, as they are pitted against each other. Other trios include Rose’s tormentor at the recent Masters, Sergio Garcia teeing off with Bubba Watson and Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson is joined by Martin Kaymer and Jordan Speith.
Some interesting backstories of said groups have Johnson, the current world number one golfer, playing alongside Spieth, the man who dashed his hopes during the 2015 U. S. Open after missing a gimme putt. Sports website Jumpy News revealed that Spieth even proudly claimed in early March how he could “take down” any rival, including Dustin Johnson in the recently concluded Masters tournament.
In terms of new faces and names, the 2017 U. S. Open will witness the rise of qualifier Paul Dunne, who will play together with Haotong Li of China and Sweden’s David Lingmerth. Fellow Irishman Shane Lowry is flanked by Americans Scott Piercy and Jim Furyk.
All in all, these first- and second-round groupings not only underlined how intense the action will be during the early part of the 2017 U. S. Open, it also shows some fascinating backstories of the players who have competed fiercely in the past. From Rory McIlroy and Jason Day, to Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth, these trios represent a new age in golf, one that purposely tells a story far, far beyond the game’s 18 holes.