When the dust settles on the 124th US Open, the narrative will inevitably become fixed that it all came down to two short putts (both missed by Rory McIlroy) and one extraordinary bunker shot (executed by Bryson DeChambeau). As always, the Clippd data offers extra layers of nuance.
A superb and testing course in Pinehurst No.2, a Sunday leaderboard packed with quality, and a shootout between two genuine superstars of the game that came down to the 72nd hole and ended in high drama were all key ingredients that made the 124th US Open the most exciting major championship in recent years.
For Bryson DeChambeau, a place in the history books alongside Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only winner of a US Amateur title and multiple US Opens. And, of course, his newly earned status as the people's champion.
For Rory McIlroy, possibly the most painful major championship experience of his career, eclipsing the loss to Cam Smith at the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, the Sunday meltdown at the 2011 Masters Tournament and last year's runner-up finish at LA Country Club.
But what does the Clippd data tell us? Rory was considerably better than Bryson on the final day in every department other than approach play. He also hit 10 more elite level shots (scoring 120 or more for Shot Quality) than his rival.
You might think that would be enough to seal the deal but the key to success, as we see time and time again, is minimising the number of bad shots (0-40 Shot Quality). Bryson hit considerably fewer than Rory. Four of Rory's six worst shots resulted in bogeys, three of which came in the last four holes. Those mistakes, ultimately, proved to be the difference.
To read our full data breakdown of an exhilarating and heartbreaking final day at Pinehurst, head to the link in the first comment below.
#golf #usopen #bryson #golfdata #sportsdata
Steve Martin Giles Morgan The Golf Marketing Hub Tim Meggs Tim Ellerton Tom Coyne Tom Motley Andy Johnson Dave Sampson Dave Tindall Mark Chivers Mark Townsend Neil Tappin lawrence donegan Geoff Shackelford
Director, Championship Sales & Marketing at PGA of America: Ryder Cup, PGA Championship, KPMG Women's PGA, KithchenAid Senior PGA
1moWell deserved. Congrats, Kevin... Looking forward to finding more ways to work together in the future.