Sergio Garcia (+1) and David Puig (+11) finished their run at the 124th US Open with a genuine smile, while American Bryson DeChambeau (-6) secured his second victory with a dramatic finish for Rory McIlroy in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
The golfer from Castellón has once again proven this week that he's always a contender in a major. He's been playing in the US Open for twenty-five years, but his enthusiasm remains undiminished. With a round at even par and a display of resilience to recover from three bogeys in the first four holes, Sergio finished in twelfth place, among the best.
David Puig, for his part, didn't have his best day and finished with a 78 (+8) in which birdies were sorely missed, but his first objective, a ticket to the Paris Olympic Games, was already secured. A week to remember for the Barcelona native.
With both golfers in the clubhouse, the battle for the title began, resulting in a duel between Bryson DeChambeau (-6) and Rory McIlroy (-5), with the former ultimately taking the prize. The Northern Irishman closed the gap on his rival with a high level of golf, but missed two putts of just over a meter on the final holes, costing him the victory. It would have been his first major title in ten years.
Promising start for García and Olympic-winning cut for Puig
Sergio Garcia made a promising start to his US Open campaign, which began with the expected withdrawal of Jon Rahm due to a foot injury. The Spaniard was in ninth place, four strokes behind the early leaders, American Patrick Cantlay and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy.
The Castellón native's round was remarkably smooth, with only one 'accident' in eighteen holes, his birdie on the 5th hole. In this way, he joined the select group of fifteen players who played under par, almost a feat, as McIlroy explained in the press room: "In a tournament like this it's not about how many birdies you make, but how many bogeys you don't make.".
The day was not particularly fruitful for the other two Spanish players; Eugenio López-Chacarra (-5) and David Puig (-6) struggled to find birdies easily and to contain their errors.
On the second day, the big news on Friday was David Puig's comeback and subsequent cut, which secured him a spot at the upcoming Paris Olympics. Knowing he only had one chance left, the Barcelona native went all out for birdies, racking up four on the front nine. On the back nine, he secured six pars to finish with a 68 (-2), enough to qualify for the weekend.
Things also went very well for Sergio Garcia, who in his twenty-fifth participation in the US Open managed to maintain his chances of everything with a sober round punctuated by a double bogey on the 2nd, his eleventh hole.
The third Spaniard in the competition, Eugenio López-Chacarra, fared even worse, finishing with a total of +8 and saying goodbye to the tournament, as did illustrious players such as Viktor Hovland (+6), Tiger Woods (+7), Jason Day (+8) and Dustin Johnson (+9).
On the third day, both Sergio García and David Puig remained in contention for the top spots, which were already led by Bryson DeChambeau. Pinehurst showed its fierce competitiveness, and the under-par scores gradually disappeared. One of the few rounds with negative scores was David Puig's 69 (-1), a rollercoaster of birdies and bogeys that ultimately ended in a victory. Sergio, for his part, finished the day at +1, commendable for recovering after carding three bogeys in the first four holes.
María Hernández, second in Italy
The week also saw an excellent result for one of our players, María Hernández (-9), at the Ladies Italian Open, a Ladies European Tour event held in Rome. The golfer from Navarre improved throughout the tournament, as evidenced by her rounds of 71, 69, and 67, culminating in an eagle on the 18th hole in the final round. Only England's Amy Taylor (-10) finished ahead of her.
WEEK OF JUNE 10-16, 2024
Ladies European Tour
Ladies Italian Open (June 14-16)
Golf Nazionale (Sutri, Italy)
PGA Tour
US Open (June 13-16)
Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (OH, USA)
LPGA Tour
Meijer LPGA Classic (June 13-16)
Blythefield Country Club (Belmont, MI, USA)
Challenge Tour
Kaskáda Golf Challenge (June 13-16)
Golf Resort Kaskáda (Brno, Czech Republic)
LET Access Series
Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge (June 14-16)
Panorama Golf Resort (Panorama Golf Resort, Czech Republic)
Alps Tour
Open de la Mirabelle d'Or (June 14-16)
Golf of La Grange aux Ormes (Metz, France)
Epson Tour
Otter Creek Championship (June 14-16)
Otter Creek Golf Course (Columbus, IN, USA)
Legends Tour
Paul Lawrie Match Play (June 13-16)
Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club (Hertfordshire, England)
Santander Golf Tour
Santander Golf Tour Pedreña 2024 (June 14-16)
Real Golf de Pedreña (Cantabria)
