It was at last a matter of when instead of if for Jon Rahm last weekend at the U.S. Open. Rahm outlasted the field to win his first major championship and give this column a winner at 11-1. Rahm birdied the 71st and 72nd holes, becoming the first to do so at the Open since Tom Watson in 1982 at Pebble Beach. Rahm also became the first Spaniard to win a USGA championship, something Sergio Garcia, Jose Maria Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros never accomplished. He also became the new No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Rahm will not make the trip to Connecticut for this week’s Travelers Championship, but several of last week’s contenders will descend on Hartford, including co-favorites Bryson DeChambeau, who has three straight top-10s here, and defending champion Dustin Johnson (12-1). DeChambeau led through the 10th hole Sunday at Torrey Pines but then imploded, going 8 over par over his last eight holes to finish T-26. Brooks Koepka (16-1) had his chances but settled for a T-4. Paul Casey (16-1) has a pair of runners-up and a fifth-place finish here over the last six years. Patrick Cantlay (16-1) once set the course record here as an amateur in 2011 with a round of 60, which remains the lowest round by an amateur in PGA Tour history. He made his professional debut at the Travelers in 2012.