Road to the U.S. Open: South Florida

The Course: 

Emerald Dunes in Palm Beach, Fla., has been described as a “Super Dune,” which peaks at 54 feet-high – a mountain in South Florida. From this high point, a golfer gets a panoramic view of the course. The exclusive 7,300 yard Fazio course has a slope of 150, with lakes and marshes on nearly every hole.

Highest-ranked players in the field:

Nicolai Højgaard: The 24-year-old Danish pro made history in 2021 when he won the DS Automobiles Italian Open the week after twin brother Rasmus won the Omega European Masters. The duo became the first siblings to win in consecutive weeks on a major worldwide tour. Nicolai was a member of the 2023 European Ryder Cup team and has been ranked as high as 30 in the OWGR. He is currently 98th. 

Other Notable Players:

Neil Shipley: Ranked 138th in the OWGR, Shipley won the Suncoast Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour in April. The former Ohio State star finished runner-up at the 2023 U.S. Amateur and was the low amateur last year at both the U.S. Open and Masters. 

Blades Brown: The 18-year-old burst onto the professional scene this year with a second round 64 at the American Express Invitational in his professional debut, and finished tied for 2nd in the Veritex Championship on KFT. In 2023, Brown became the youngest player to shoot the low score in the stroke play portion of the U.S. Amateur, breaking Bobby Jones’ record that stood for 103 years. 

Brice Garnett: The 41-year-old resurrected his career last year when he won the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open. The two-time PGA Tour winner has made 10 of 13 cuts this season with a season-best T11 at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. Watch out for Garnett in South Florida. 

Graeme McDowell: McDowell was one of the world’s best golfers when he won the 2010 U.S. Open and finished runner-up in 2012 to Webb Simpson. McDowell now plays on LIV Golf where his best finish this season is a T12 in Hong Kong.

Frederik Kjettrup: a young Danish player who signed with LIV at the end of last season after he finished 2nd on the Americas Tour OOM. 

Sam Ryder: 35-year-old PGA Tour player who has made 12 of 14 cuts this season. His best finish this year is a T13 in Myrtle Beach. 

Brandan Valdes: The 22-year-old just finished his senior year at Auburn and finished 2nd in the PGA Tour U standings. Valdes has qualified for the past two U.S. Opens, missing the cut in both championships. 

Brandon Hagy: Once considered one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, Hagy has played 129 events on tour and made over $3.2 million, but his career has been haunted by injuries. He hasn’t played on the big tour since 2022. 

Stories you might not have heard about:

Santiago de la Fuente: Winner of the 2024 Latin America Amateur Championship, which qualified him for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst last year. The 23-year-old qualified for Sectionals through the first-ever local qualifier in Mexico. 

Austen Truslow: Known for being the one-handed maestro around the greens–chipping deftly with only his right hand–Truslow qualified for the 2023 U.S. Open at L.A. Country Club. Truslow has spent the past two seasons playing on the Asian Tour, where his best finish is a 6th in Indonesia. 

Luke Poulter: Son of former Ryder Cup star, PGA Tour winner, and LIV Golf member, Ian. The University of Florida sophomore won the Schenkel Invitational this season, tied for fourth at his NCAA Regional, and has had five top-10 finishes in college events.

Link to scoring: U.S. Open Championship - Results - FSGA

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