When is it?
16th - 19th June 2022
Where is it?
The Country Club, 191 Clyde St, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA
It's been 34 years since the US Open visited the picturesque settings and rocky terrain of The Country Club in Brookline, one of the five founding members of the USPGA. The major last visited in 1988, when Curtis Strange won his first back-to-back title in an 18-hole playoff against Nick Faldo.
A lot has changed in those 34 years, with a golf course that has been lengthened by over 250 yards, to a 7,264 yard par 70, that utilises a mixture of the club's available 27 holes. Whilst big hitting is all the rage for the modern golfing era, The Country Club is bringing back the art of accuracy with its tiny and treacherous greens. Most notably the 131 yard par 3 11th hole, defended by four bunkers and a fronting brook, will test player's skills with a wedge to the fullest.
A Controversial Distraction
Whilst the 156 player field will be missing the iconic Tiger Woods from its stellar line-up, it will be including players from the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series that debuted in London this week. This will be the first event to feature players from both LIV and PGA tours, since the PGA suspended all those who took part in the former (the US Open is run by the USGA, separate to the PGA Tour). A statement from the USGA recently said: “Should a player who had earned his way into the 2022 U.S. Open, via our published field criteria, be pulled out of the field as a result of his decision to play in another event? And we ultimately decided that they should not.”
Rory McIlroy: “It’s a weird time in professional golf, and I said it a couple weeks ago, we’re just going to see how this season plays out.”
More than a dozen PGA Tour players, including a trio of U.S. Open champions, are defecting to the Saudi-funded rival league and the PGA Tour is telling them they are no longer welcome. The battle lines are unlike anything this genteel game has experienced in its 162-year history. A golfing world currently divided could make for some frosty first tee receptions and a must-watch event.
Winning Mentality
2021 saw Spaniard Jon Rahm claim his maiden major title, lifting the trophy at Torrey Pines, finishing in spectacular fashion with back-to-back birdies to complete a final round 67 (-4), winning by one shot over runner-up Louis Oousthuizen.
Whilst Rahm will be looking to defend his title, he'll come under fierce competition from others such as Justin Thomas, fresh off the back of his victory at the US PGA Championship, and world number 1 Scottie Scheffler who will undoubtedly be in the hunt for another trophy to add to his ever-expanding collection. Other star names include Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka. Outsider Matt Fitzpatrick will be looking for his first taste of major victory as he returns to the site of his US Amateur victory back in 2013.
Where To Watch?
UK viewers will be able to tune into Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Golf from 13:00 BST on Thursday 16th June for complete round-the-clock coverage of the event, live from The Country Club.
Selected Pairings:
Collin Morikawa, James Piot, Jon Rahm (12:18pm BST)
Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Max Homa (12:29pm BST)
Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele (12:40pm BST)
Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau (6:14pm BST)
Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Scottie Scheffler (6:25pm BST)
Matt Fitzpatrick, Webb Simpson, Dustin Johnson (6:36pm BST)
Phil Mickelson, Shane Lowry, Louis Oosthuizen (6:47pm BST)
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