As Rory McIlroy struggled on the second green at Pinehurst at the U.S. Open on Sunday, his final-round partner, Patrick Cantlay, looked to stay in contention for the first major championship of his career.
Cantlay, who took the lead after the first round on Thursday with a 4-under par score, was unable to extend his lead in the second and third rounds and found himself chasing eventual winner Bryson DeChambeau on Sunday. Not only were the greens unfavorable for McIlroy, but the entire field struggled at Pinehurst throughout the week.
“This course is definitely unique in that the most challenging part of this golf course is the green complex,” Cantlay told Fox News Digital ahead of the PGA Tour’s next stop, the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. “The hole locations were challenging. When the sun goes down, you get a lot of people walking on the greens and the course is fast. The hole locations are on a steep slope, so it makes it difficult when you’re making short putts.”
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Patrick Cantlay of the United States greets the crowd on the ninth green during the first round of the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort on June 13, 2024 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Cantlay finished third at Pinehurst and was unable to hoist the trophy, but it was still an impressive performance.
However, Cantlay has yet to claim a tournament victory since winning the BMW Championship on Aug. 21, 2022. Last week’s results put him at No. 8 in the World Golf Rankings and No. 10 in the FedEx Cup Rankings, and he has three top-10 finishes this season.
Simply put, Cantlay is one of the best players on tour and has been for quite some time. Still, he wants to win and feels his game is in good shape to do so on the course he has dominated since his amateur days.
Bryson DeChambeau wins the 124th U.S. Open, beating Rory McIlroy by one stroke in an emotional finish
The Travelers Championship is an event Cantlay looks forward to every year, as he knows how to get the job done at TPC River Highlands.
“Travelers is one of my favorite events every year,” he said. “They do a really great job. It’s probably the event I’ve played the most on tour. I’ve played it seven, eight, maybe nine times. The course is in the best condition I’ve seen it in. From what I’ve seen, they’ve made some tweaks to the golf course that I think will improve it. The course is in really great condition. With the weather, I’m just praying that we don’t get any thunderstorms.”
At the time of writing, a heatwave is gripping the Northeast, with thunderstorms predicted for Friday and Saturday, but rain has worked to Cantlay’s advantage before at Cromwell, when he shot 60 in 2011, which remains the lowest score by an amateur in PGA Tour history. It was also the course record at the time, but Jim Furyk broke it with a 58 in 2016.
Patrick Cantlay of the United States makes a putt on the 10th hole during the final round of the 2024 U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 Course on June 16, 2024 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. (David Cannon/Getty Images)
“My game is looking good,” Cantlay said. “I don’t know if the weather will be on my side like it was the year I shot 60. It rained all day the day before, and in fact it was rained out on Thursday, so the golf course was soft and playable. Looking at the weather forecast, I think it’s going to be a lot more difficult to play than it was that year or this year. But I’m happy with how I played, especially last week, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Cantlay has finished inside the top 15 in each of his last six starts at TPC River Highlands, including finishing tied for fourth at last year’s Travelers Championship.
A difficult putting surface last week may have left him and caddie Joe LaCava struggling to read the greens, but Cantlay said he plans to “use his experience and good game” to hit some low shots.
While making putts, especially putting circles on the scorecard, is always the goal on Tour, Cantlay explained that hitting the fairway, especially when it’s raining and the rough is long, is crucial to competing for the championship.
“I think the rough is pretty long this week and the greens are firm, or at least they’re going to be firm based on the weather forecast, so I think it’s going to be important to play from the fairways,” he said. “This golf course this week, if you do that, you have a chance. If you can hit the ball well, I think you have a chance.”
Patrick Cantlay of the United States hits his tee shot on the 16th hole during the final round of the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort on June 16, 2024 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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Regardless of the outcome, if last week’s performance is any indication of how Cantlay will play heading into this year’s Travelers Championship, he should be one of the favorites to win.
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