As the biggest stars in professional golf prepare for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines this weekend, there were no changes to the top of the rankings in the chase for spots on the United States Ryder Cup squad.
Dustin Johnson, who flirted with the lead for a good chunk of the weekend at the Palmetto Championship at Congaree, retained his top spot despite putting up scores of 73 and 70 over the weekend.
Johnson now leads Bryson DeChambeau, who did not play in the event, by more than 1,400 points.
Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele all retained their spots in the top six positions. Patrick Reed remains less than 1,300 points behind Schauffele for the sixth and final guaranteed spot.
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The top six players in the Ryder Cup standings will automatically secure spots in the competition, set to take place later this year at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. The remaining six spots will be doled out by captain Steve Stricker.
Jon Rahm retained his spot atop the European standings, with Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy and Bernd Wiesberger rounding out the top five.
This week’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines will present players with a big opportunity to move up the Ryder Cup leaderboard. Players will earn two Ryder Cup points for every $1,000 they win at the tournament.
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The competition will kick off Thursday, with DeChambeau defending the crown that he won at Winged Foot in 2020. Torrey Pines, the host of the annual Farmers Insurance Open, is hosting the U.S. Open for the second time. Tiger Woods defeated Rocco Mediate in a playoff in the 2008 edition of the event, as the two players tied at 1-under par for the week.
Television coverage of the 2021 U.S. Open can be found on the networks of NBC. First and second round coverage can be found on Peacock, Golf Channel and NBC, with the third and fourth rounds set to be aired on NBC.
