The Most Fearless Player Emerged
It was all part of a record-setting week at Erin Hills, the first course to host a U.S. Open in Wisconsin. Even though the wind blew the hardest it had all championship - 15 to 25 mph - 18 under-par scores were posted on Sunday, bringing the total to 140, which surpassed the 124 registered in 1990 at Medinah Country Club.
Koepka’s four-stroke victory is the largest in the last nine majors, dating to 2015 U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth’s four-stroke win in the 2015 Masters.
Even more astonishing was the seven golfers who finished double digits under par, with Tommy Fleetwood (11-under 277) finishing fourth, and Bill Haas, 18-hole leader Rickie Fowler and U.S. Open rookie Xander Schauffele tying for fifth at 10-under 278. Those relation-to-par numbers would have won all but two U.S. Opens: Woods’ 15-stroke romp in 2000 at Pebble Beach Golf Links and McIlroy’s eight-stroke victory in 2011.
A week that began with no Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, marking the first time since 1994 at least one of the game’s leading men wasn’t in the field at a major. It's also a weekend without world No. 1, 2 and 3 - Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlory and Jason Day, respectively - for the first time in a major.
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