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US Open 2017: 5 things we learned

By Akash Anavarathan

Jun 18, 2017; Erin, WI, USA; Brooks Koepka celebrate after sinking his put on the 18th green during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Erin Hills. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 18, 2017; Erin, WI, USA; Brooks Koepka celebrate after sinking his put on the 18th green during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Erin Hills. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 2017 US Open has come to a conclusion, with Brooks Koepka hoisting the trophy in his first-ever major win. Let’s take a look at five things we’ve learned from this tournament.

What an unexpected finish to the US Open at Erin Hills. Coming into Saturday, the top three golfers in the world, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day, were all headed home after missing the cut. By the end of the second day, eight of the world’s top-12 players all missed the cut and it was up to the young guys to carry the torch into the weekend.

Not only that, prior champions like Bubba Watson and Jason Dufner also missed the cut, leaving a lot of familiar faces on the sidelines. 27-year-old Brooks Koepka tied a scoring record and raised his first-ever major trophy on Sunday at Erin Hills.

During the first three rounds, Koepka shot 67-70-68 and one shot behind the leader, Brian Harman. It all changed when the US Open Champion went back-to-back-to-back birdies on the second nine and was able to pull away from the rest of the pack.

Outside of Rickie Fowler, the leaders at the US Open after Sunday featured a lot of new names. With the major completed and a new champion crowned, let’s take a look at five things we learned from the US Open.

5. The US Open finally picked an awesome course — Erin Hills

The USGA always does a great job of picking courses that make even the best golf players in the world sweat a little. It’s the hardest test of the year for golfers, but not this year. Last year in Oakmont, Dustin Johnson won the major with a -4 overall after 72 holes. The average winning score there was a -2.5 prior to that.

The Olympic golf course in San Francisco is even more difficult, when Webb Simpson won in 2012 with a +1 score. Remember the Winged Foot golf course in New York, when Geoff Ogilvy won in 2006 with a +5? Pebble Beach in California isn’t any easier — unless of course you’re Tiger Woods in 2000.

But Erin Hills in Wisconsin was a completely different story. A majority of the golfers thoroughly enjoyed the course and the way it played out. Rory McIlroy might have summed it up best, “not your typical US Open setup, but I’m a big fan.”

Jason Day also added that the “golf course is actually beautiful. Unfortunately, I just didn’t execute.” The USGA consistently has conducted it’s annual event at a difficult course that tests the mental and physical abilities of all the golfers. This year at Erin Hills, it was a little different and it fostered a brand new winner.

The US Open will likely head back to a tried-and-tested golf course next year, but for one year, golfers got to enjoy a beautiful course in Erin Hills.

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