U.S. Open 2021: All That You Need to Know

The United States Open Championship, also known as the U.S. Open, is the annual Golf championship held in the United States (U.S.). Out of the four major golf championships, it is in third place. The tournament has also booked a spot in the official calendar of the PGA Tour and European Tour. 

Managed and staged by the United States Golf Association (USGA), the tournament is scheduled such that the final round takes place on the third Sunday of June. The organizers also take into consideration the weather so that the game does not get affected. The U.S. Open is staged at various golf courses. The courses are set up in a way that it becomes difficult for the player to score. The game of golf has a considerable fan base in the U.S., and the U.S. Open usually sees many fans pouring in. However, unlike all the other years this time, the U.S. Open 2021 will see only a limited number of fans at the courses due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

History of the U.S. Open

The first-ever U.S. Open tournament was played in 1985 on a 9-holes course at Newport Country Club. It was a 36-hole competition and was played in a single day. Horace Rawlins, a 21-year old Englishman, won the first U.S. Open tournament. He was awarded a cash prize of $150 and a gold medal worth $50. His club also received a trophy from the USGA. 

However, until 1911, the British players dominated the tournament. It was only in the year 191 that a native-born American, John J. McDermott won the match for the first time. Since then, the Americans have taken over the tournament, and soon after, it has become one of the four majors tournaments. Currently, the U.S. Open is the most loved sports tournament in the United States. However, with time the dominance of the American players has not remained the same, yet the U.S. audience loves to watch the competition.

U.S. Open 2021 Golf Championship Schedule

The U.S. Open 2021 is set to take place between June 17, 2021, - June 20, 2021. Golf fans in the U.S. can either visit the stadium or catch the live action of all four rounds. The tournament will be broadcasted on NBC and The Golf Channel. Below is the detailed schedule for the U.S. Open 2021. To learn more about the event, take a look at the official Wikipedia webpage of the tournament.

U.S. Open 2021 Golf Prize

Apart from a strategic and focused game of golf, the U.S. Open has always been the talk of the town for its fantastic prize offerings. Along with a cash prize of more than $1 million, the winner also enjoys a secure place in their profession by getting direct entries to many major golf tournaments. 

Here is a list of benefits one gets to enjoy after a mind bobbling performance at the U.S. Open 2021.

- The winner automatically gets an invitation to play the other three majors for the next five years. These majors are The Masters, The Open Championship (British Open), and the PGA Championship.

- An invitation will be sent to the winner to play at The Players Championship for the next five years.

- Along with this, the winner also gets an exemption from qualifying for the U.S. Open Championship for the next ten years. 

- A five-year exemption on the PGA tour is also awarded to the winner.

- Not only this, but the winner also gets an automatic invitation to three of the five senior majors once they turn 50.  A five-year invite to the U.S. Senior Open and a lifetime invitation to the Senior PGA Championship and Senior British Open is also provided.

- The golfers who manage to get the top ten spots will get eligible for an exemption from qualifying for the following year’s U.S Open.

- The top four players will get an automatic invitation to the next year’s Masters.

Playoff Rules for U.S. Open 2021

The playoff rules for the U.S. Open are very different from the playoff rules of the other majors. Till 2018, the U.S. Open followed an 18-hole playoff followed by ‘Sudden Death.’ During that time, if the leaderboard ended on a tie after the final round on Sunday followed by the sudden death, then the 18-hole playoff would occur on a subsequent day. 

This last happened in the year 2008- when Tiger Woods defeated Rocco Mediate. However, ever since 2018, there has been a massive change in the playoff rules for the U.S. Open. 

For the joy of all spectators, the U.S. Open 2021 playoff format would see the use of a 2-hole aggregate followed by sudden death. The two-hole aggregate means that - the players tied on the top spot would play two holes (10th and 18th hole) each. The leading player would then be crowned as the winner.

U.S. Open 2021 Golf Course

Torrey Pines Golf Course, San Diego, California, has been chosen as the spot to play one of the most awaited golf majors. Torrey Pines is ranked no. 5 on the list of America’s top 30 municipal golf courses. Months before the opening of the U.S. Open 2021, Torrey Pines started setting up the platform to witness the most popular golfing events. Apart from preparing the course, the people at Torrey Pines are also working on U.S. Open 2021 stands, merchandise, and concessions tents.

Players to Watch for in the U.S. Open 2021

The U.S. Open 2021 certainly has some big names on the list. The world’s top golfers are all set to face a familiar course at the U.S. Open 2021. This is the second time that the U.S. Open would be played at the Torrey Pines. The last time the U.S. Open was played at Torrey Pines was in the year 2008 when Tiger Woods captured an epic win. 

In the 121st edition of the U.S Open, we can expect some sensational performances. Along with the defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, there are some more players the fans could keep their eyes on. Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Jordan Spieth are some big names who would be the favorites for the U.S. Open 2021.

6 Surprising Golfers Who Couldn’t Make It to the U.S. Open 2021

With around 89 players getting exemption from the qualifiers for the U.S. Open 2021, it is never easy to book a spot for golf’s national championship. The players need to fulfill certain criteria like winning events or improving their official World Golf Ranking position. We here have compiled a list of 4 players who, to your surprise, will not be teeing it up at Torrey.

1. Rickie Fowler: Despite earning an exemption to the PGA Tour Rickie, Fowler will not be able to make his way to the U.S. Open 2021. The news of Fowler now playing at the tournament came as a surprise for the Fowler fans. This would be the first time in eleven years that he will not be playing at Torrey Pines for the U.S. Open 2021.

2. Keegan Bradley: The 2011 PGA champion- Keegan Bradley has also failed to participate in the U.S. Open 2021. After struggling with his performance last year and dropping to 131st rank in the World Ranking, Bradley had tried to make a strong comeback in the year 2021. However, his efforts to make a comeback did not seem enough to help him grab a spot in the U.S. Open golf tournament 2021.

3. Jason Day: The 69th in the World Rankings Day- Mr. Jason Day has suffered back injuries.  As a result, he failed to perform well and could not make it to the top 60 in the World Ranking. This is the first major that Day would be missing in the last nine years.

4. Brandt Snedeker: Snedeker didn’t perform to the best of his ability in recent times. As a result, he was ranked outside the top 100 for the first time ever since 2006. Even though he had missed many cuts earlier this year, he tried to make a comeback by grabbing a spot in the top 20 in four of his six events. But, unfortunately, it was too late. The last time Snedeker missed the U.S. Open was in 2012.

Interesting Facts about U.S. Open Golf

- Since 1950, only six countries other than the U.S. have won the tournament.

- Since 1965, South African players have won the championship five times.

- Since 1910, the period between 2004-2007 saw non-American players emerge as winners of the tournament.

- Between 2004-2007, all the four winners were from the Southern part of the globe.

- In 2010, Graeme McDowell from Northern Ireland became the first European player to win the tournament after 1970.

- Between the period of 2004 to 2014, only three Americans have won.

- The U.S. Open 2021 Golf Championship will be the 121st edition of the tournament.

What’s in Store for the U.S. Open 2021 Fans?

USGA has joined hands with Deloitte’s significant technology to bring the U.S. Open fans a never-before experience. Deloitte has designed a novel experience with augmented reality (AR), enabling fans to dive into the game like never before. The fans can not only construct their own 3D watching experience but also follow each shoot on their phones and play it again.