All the talk entering the 117th U.S. Open was about the super-long course (7,800 yards) and super-tall rough (we could lose Brian Harman in there and never find him again). But when the flying fescue had settled and the world's best golfers had finished surgically dissecting Erin Hills, all that remained was one first-time winner, two historic scoring records and a whole bunch of golfers under par. Here, in vivid technicolor, are the moments that made the 2017 U.S. Open.
Dustin Johnson walks from the tee box of his first hole in the first round of the U.S. Open, on his way to a 75-73 that would leave him three shots outside the cut line. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images The opening day began with blue skies and high hopes for Jason Day. A first-round 79 doomed his prospects; a second-round 75 sealed them. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images William McGirt reacts to a missed birdie putt during his U.S. Open first round. On a day in which 44 players broke par, missed birdies were a minor tragedy. Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Graeme McDowell, who would go on to miss the cut by four strokes, reacts to his approach shot flying over the 15th green during the first round. AP Photo/David J. Phillip Brooks Koepka plays his shot from a fairway bunker on the fourth hole during the second round. He would shoot 70 on the day -- on his way to four straight under-par rounds. Andrew Redington/Getty Images Matt Kuchar lets the crowd know his tee shot on 14 is heading right during the second round. He's polite like that. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Paul Casey watches his shot from the 18th fairway during the second round. Casey would finish the day tied for the lead, despite building a snowman on the par-5 14th. Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Jon Rahm lost control of his emotions several times during the second round, on his way to missing the cut by four strokes. Here, on the fourth hole, he also lost control of his club. AP Photo/David J. Phillip Patrick Reed reacts after missing a birdie putt on the 18th hole during the third round. He would go on to finish the U.S. Open in a tie for 13th. AP Photo/David J. Phillip Justin Thomas waits to putt for eagle on his final hole Saturday. Thomas would sink the putt to card a 9-under 63, setting a new U.S. Open record for low round in relation to par. Andrew Redington/Getty Images Tommy Fleetwood, of England, hits from the 13th tee during the third round. Fleetwood would card a 68 on the day on his way to a fourth-place finish. AP Photo/A Charlie Riedel Sergio Garcia was looking to win the first two legs of the 2017 Grand Slam. Instead, on Sunday, he found himself looking at golf balls in places he did not want them to be. He finished tied for 21st. AP Photo/David J. Phillip Justin Thomas plays from the fescue on the fifth hole during Sunday's final round. After a record-setting 63 Saturday, he regressed to the mean Sunday, carding a 65. EPA/TANNEN MAURY Rickie Fowler walks to the 10th tee during the final round. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride (what bride would wear orange on Sunday, after all), Fowler contended yet again at a major, but settled for a tie for fifth. AP Photo/David J. Phillip At 5-foot-7, Brian Harman is not a tall man. But it's the size of fight in the dog -- and this dog had enough fight to finish tied for second, at 12-under par. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images As Brooks Koepka waited to play his tee shot on the 15th hole during Sunday's final round, the strain of the history was seemingly lost on him. Jamie Squire/Getty Images Koepka reacts after sinking his final putt to win the US Open. Koepka equaled the all-time U.S. Open scoring record by finishing 16-under, tying the mark set by Rory McIlroy at Congressional Country Club in 2011. EPA/TANNEN MAURY Brooks Koepka plants a smacker on the U.S. Open trophy. Fun fact: Koepka is now the seventh straight first-time winner of a golf major. Experience, apparently, is overrated. Jamie Squire/Getty Images
