America's leading golfers have the chance to complete a clean sweep of all four majors at the Open at Royal Portrush next month. The last time that happened was way back in 1982, when Seve Ballesteros was ploughing a lone furrow for Europe.
As it is, they've have won nine of the last 10 majors — their best run for over 20 years — following Gary Woodland's victory over Brooks Koepka in the American muscle pageant, otherwise known as the US Open, at Pebble Beach on Sunday.
Suddenly, after Europe's finest had sand kicked in their faces once more, all those glorious scenes in Paris at the Ryder Cup last year seem a long time ago.
Gary Woodland's win at Pebble Beach sets up an American clean sweep of majors
It wasn't as if this continent put up unproven talents, either, on the final day beside the Monterey Peninsula. Justin Rose, who began one shot behind Woodland, was trying to become the first Englishman to win the US Open twice. Rory McIlroy was five back and primed for a final-round charge. Well, look down the list of the top 15 players and only three of them were over par in the final round — Rose, McIlroy and South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen.
It's rather adding insult to injury that the Americans winning all the majors are turning largely to English coaches to complete their golfing education.
Yorkshireman Pete Cowen has given Brooks Koepka and Woodland short games to match their wondrous power from the tee. Woodland's putting was sub-standard until he hooked up with the best in the business in that department — Southport-based Phil Kenyon.
On the 17th hole on Sunday, Woodland clinched his victory with a sublime pitch clipped off the front of the green, over a nasty ridge, to 15 inches. He finished number one in scrambling for the week.
Justin Rose tried to become the first Englishman to win the US Open twice but fell short
'Before, Gary was getting away with it purely on his talent,' said Cowen, who's so enthused by Koepka and Woodland he's decided to put off his retirement. 'Now he's got the short game to go with it, and you could see the work he's been doing with Phil. He putted brilliantly.'
Rose and McIlroy look like men with scar tissue in the majors.
