2023 U.S. Open Results: What’s Next In Professional Golf?

By Sam Batz

The 123rd U.S. Open concluded on Sunday, June 18th after a rousing final day of competition. Heading into Round 4 on Sunday, Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark were neck-and-neck atop the leaderboard at -10, while Rory McIlroy was 3rd at -9, Scottie Scheffler was 4th at -7, and Harris English rounded off the top-five at -6. McIlroy, a former U.S. Open champion himself, had the best-odds to win (+300), but Rickie Fowler (+330) was undoubtedly the fan favorite. However, in the end it was Wyndham Clark, a relatively unknown golfer, who hoisted the trophy on Sunday. It was Clark’s second win on the PGA Tour, and his first win in a major. 

2023 U.S. Open Results: The Top-10 Earners

For the full list of U.S. Open results, click here. 

It was a massive win for Wyndham Clark, who had only made the cut in two majors before this weekend. Clark entered the tournament priced at +7000, but shot under 70 (R1: 64, R2: 67, R3: 69) in the first three rounds, setting himself up nicely for a triumphant finish. Clark shot an even 70 in Round Four, tying McIlroy and Scheffler on the day, but won the major by a single stroke. Clark entered the tournament at No. 32 on the official World Golf Ranking, but after his breakthrough victory over the weekend, he now sits at No. 13 in the world. The British Open, the next major on the tour, will begin July 17th at the Royal Liverpool course in England, and if Wyndham Clark continues to trend in the right direction, he will certainly be a favorite to do well at The Open.

Record Breaking Moments From The U.S. Open

• Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele recorded the lowest scoring round in U.S. Open history with a 62 (-8) in Round 1 on Thursday, matching the lowest round at a men’s major. Fowler made 10 birdies, 6 pars, and 2 bogeys, while Schauffele made 8 birdies on his way to an historic bogey-free opening round. 
• Tommy Fleetwood became the first golfer in history to shoot two rounds with a score of 63 (-7) at a men’s U.S. Open. 
• Tom Kim recorded the lowest-ever front-nine score in U.S. Open history. Kim shot a 29 (-6), the best score ever on the first 9-holes of a major. Then on Sunday, Austin Eckroat matched Kim, becoming the 5th player in history to hit a 29 (-6) in 9-holes, and the 2nd player to achieve the feat on the front-nine at LACC. 
• The 2023 U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club featured the shortest par three in history (81 yards), but also featured the 2nd-longest par three in history (299 yards). 
• Matt Fitzpatrick became the first defending U.S. Open champion to hit a hole-in-one. 
• The 2023 U.S. Open saw the lowest first round scoring average in history at 71.38. With six rounds of 65 or better, along with the two 62’s, the 156-man scoring average comfortably beat the previous record of 72.29, which was set back in 1993. 

What’s Next For The PGA Tour?

The announcement of a surprise merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf left both players and fans with more questions than answers. The U.S. Open provided a much needed distraction, but with the tournament now over, the PGA must confront the controversial decision head-on. Players on both sides of the issue are largely choosing to focus on the next major, The Open Championship in July, leaving the LIV Golf versus PGA Tour issue behind them. But golf’s governing body and its administrators don’t have the luxury of avoiding the questions that have arisen after the partnership was announced. 

U.S. lawmakers have launched investigations into the PGA-LIV Golf merger, citing concerns over the proposed deal. One legal concern is that the deal violates federal antitrust laws, because if the PGA and LIV merge, it would “create a super league of the world’s best golfers, thus monopolizing the sport.” Another major concern surrounds Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human rights record, which has been front-and-center ever since the creation of the Saudi-backed golf league. Saudi Arabia has been accused of “sportswashing” their human rights abuses, which include torture and the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which the PGA is now being accused of supporting. 

Additionally, when the announcement was made, the partnership between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf was touted as a merger, but PGA Tour Commissioner, Jay Monahan, has since rebuked that sentiment, stating in a letter to lawmakers, “this is not a merger”. But whatever they want to call it, the deal clearly represents a combining of two competitors with massive amounts of capital, replacing the rivalry in favor of one dominant league. In their initial statement, the PGA announced “the deal was an agreement to merge commercial operations under common ownership”, something the PGA has since rebuffed, but certain lawmakers aren’t buying it. Clearly there are many issues to workout, and the future of professional golf remains a mystery, which is why many players have chosen to focus solely on their game, and avoid any further controversy.