2024 US Open Preview (Georgia Bulldog Edition)

This week marks the third of four men's major golf tournaments. The United States Open will be played for the 124th time at the Pinehurst Resort (Course No. 2) in North Carolina. A University of Georgia golfer has never won this major, but many have come close including one on this course.

This year eight of the 156 competitors are former Bulldogs. Three of the eight had to qualify earlier this month to make it. Here is a deeper look at those eight attempting to win the sterling silver trophy and $4.3 million.

HARRIS ENGLISH - Official World Golf Ranking (53rd)

English has done well this season making 12 of 15 cuts, but two of the three missed cuts have been in his last two tournaments. He has a pair of top tens and eight top 25s His best finish was at The Genesis Invitational back in February where he finished in seventh place. He did finish in the top 25 in both the Masters (T-22nd) and the PGA Championship (T-18th) earlier this year.

The US Open is by far his best major. He has made the cut all eight appearances and all three of his top tens in majors have happened in this one. He had a third-place finish in Torrey Pines in 2021, a fourth-place finish at Winged Foot a year earlier and an eighth-place finish last year at Los Angeles Country Club. He was in fifth place heading into the final round last year before settling three places back.

BRIAN HARMAN - Official World Golf Ranking (12th)

Harman has made 13 of 15 cuts this season and has a runner-up at The Players Championship back in March. Three times this season he has shot all four rounds in a tournament under par and three more he shot three of the four rounds under par. He missed the cut at the Masters, but rebounded nicely at the other major by finishing 26th at the PGA Championship.

He is one of two former Bulldogs to win a major (2023 Open Championship) and almost had one six years earlier when he finished tied for second at the US Open. He was leading after three rounds that year, but shot even par in the final round while Brooks Koepka was on fire shooting a 67 in the final round and winning the major.

He also played at Pinehurst during the 2008 US Amateur. He won his first round match against Kevin O'Connell before losing to Brandon Detweller in the following match.

RUSSELL HENLEY - Official World Golf Ranking (17th)

Henley is having a very good season on tour. He has made 12 of 13 cuts this season with the only exception being The Tour Championship. He has seven top 25 finishes with four of them being in the top ten. Three of the four of the top tens are fourth place finishes. He finished tied for 38th at the Masters and tied for 23rd at the PGA Championship. He shot under par in all four rounds during the second major in Valhalla.

He has done well at the US Open, too. He has made the cut seven of ten times which includes his first when he tied as the low amateur finishing tied for 16th in 2010 at Pebble Beach. In the last three years, he has had a mixture of success. Finishing 13th in 2021 at Torrey Pines, missing the cut in 2022 at The Country Club in Brookline and then last year finishing 13th at the Los Angeles Country Club.

CHRIS KIRK - Official World Golf Ranking (29th)

Kirk has made 10 of 14 PGA Tour events this season including a victory back in January at The Sentry. He does have another top ten as he finished tenth at the RBC Heritage out in Hilton Head. He had his best ever finish at the Masters when he finished tied for 16th and then finished 43rd a few weeks later at the Wells Fargo. However since then, he has three straight missed cuts including one at the PGA Championship.

Last year was his first US Open in seven years. He missed the cut by two strokes as he shot four over par. He did play this course when the US Open was played here in 2014 and had his best tournament finish and score. He had eight birdies, 11 bogeys and two doubles in the tournament. He also finished tied for fifth in the field in greens in regulation.

GREYSON SIGG - Official World Golf Ranking (181st)

Sigg qualified for the US Open by shooting a 64-69 at the Cherry Hill Club in Ridgeway, Ontario, Canada on June 3rd.

He has had an up-and-down season making nine of 16 cuts this season on the PGA Tour. He does have two top tens by finishing eighth with teammate Chesson Hadley at the Zurich Classic and finishing ninth the week before at the Corales Puntacana in the Dominican Republic. He has missed the last two cuts he has entered.

He has played in just two US Opens prior to this one and made the cut in one of them. In 2021. He made seven birdies in the tournament including four on the par fives at Torrey Pines.

SEPP STRAKA - Official World Golf Ranking (18th)

Straka had made ten of 15 cuts so far this season and has been red hot since The Players Championship back in March improving his OWGR from 30th to 18th. He has finished in his last nine tournaments: T-16th, MC, T-16th, T-5th, T-11th,, T-8th, MC, T-5th, T-5th. That includes his best ever finish at Augusta National (T-16th). However, one of the missed cuts was at the PGA Championship, but he has had a pair of top fives since.

He had only made the US Open cut once, but he did finish under par in it. He was one of only six golfers to shoot four under or better during the final round.

DAVIS THOMPSON - Official World Golf Ranking (97th)

Thompson qualified for the US Open by shooting a 63-69 at the Cherry Hill Club in Ridgeway, Ontario, Canada on June 3rd.

He has made 12 of 17 cuts this season including a runner up finish at the Myrtle Beach Classic last month. It was his second career runner-up finish. In all he has eight top 25s this season. He has played in only three majors in his short career and is looking to make his first cut.

BRENDON TODD - Official World Golf Ranking (77th)

Todd qualified for the US Open by shooting a 68-65 at the Ohio State University Golf Club in Columbus, Ohio, on June 3rd.

He has made 12 of 15 cuts this season including a pair of top tens. He finished tied for sixth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and then finished tied for fifth at the Valero Texas Open the month after. He did not play at The Masters and finished last among those who made the cut at the PGA Championship. He started out strong at Valhalla by shooting 70-70 (-2) in the first rounds before going 74-79 (+11) in the second two.

He has only made the cut twice in five attempts at the US Open, but one of them was at Pinehurst No. 2 back in 2014. He shot a +4 to finish tied for 17th. He was tied for sixth after the first round and was in second place by himself at the halfway point. He had 12 birdies, 12 bogeys and two doubles in the four rounds. His best hole was the par five, fifth hole where he birdied it three times and had a par in the other. He was tied for second in fairways hit among the field.

This course has seen some success from former Bulldogs. Spencer Ralston, a current Korn Ferry Tour member played in the 2019 US Amateur up in Pinehurst and advanced to the quarterfinals.

Don't forget Paul Claxton, who made just 42 of 108 career PGA Tour events finished tied for 23rd at the 2005 US Open. It was his only made cut at a major.

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Here are some first round tee times and the groupings of the former Bulldogs in the current field...