Weekly Read Fore! Things: Clark, McIlroy and Fowler Make Different Kinds of History

In his weekly 'Fore! Things,' Bob Harig shares surprising stats from the U.S. Open.

Fore! Things to Know Following the U.S. Open:

1. Wyndham Clark is the fifth consecutive winner of the U.S. Open to make it his first major championship following Gary Woodland (2019), Bryson DeChambeau (2020), Jon Rahm (2021) and Matt Fitzpatrick (2022).

2. For Rory McIlroy, it was his 19th top-10 finish in a major since he won his fourth at the 2014 PGA Championship.

3. Rickie Fowler became the 12th player to lead each of the first three rounds of the U.S. Open and not win, the last being Russell Henley in 2021. Fowler shot a final-round 75 and dropped to a tie for fifth. A tie for fourth or better would have assured him a spot in the 2024 Masters—Fowler is now 35th in the world and hasn’t played the Masters since 2020.

4. Scottie Scheffler’s third-place finish was his 16th consecutive top 12 finish on the PGA Tour and he is the only player who has been among the top 10 in each of the three majors this year.

More U.S. Open Weekly Read: McIlroy’s Sunday Felt Familiar | Justin Thomas’s Summer Swoon | Is the Senior Open Really ‘Open?’

Fore! More Things

1. This week’s Travelers Championship field brings together nearly all of the top players on the PGA Tour. It is the ninth and final designated event of 2023, not including the FedEx Cup playoffs.

2. There are just seven weeks left in the PGA Tour regular season, and among those who are outside of the top 70—those who qualify for the first FedEx Cup playoff event—are Justin Thomas (78), Shane Lowry (81), Adam Scott (82), Gary Woodland (94) and Billy Horschel (107).

3. This week’s Travelers Championship offers an opportunity to qualify for the British Open. The top five players in FedEx Cup points who are among the top 20 in points but not otherwise exempt will earn a spot in the field at Royal Liverpool.

4. The first round of the British Open at Royal Liverpool is in 31 days.