Torrey Pines is a beast. Anyone who has ever stood on the edge of those jagged cliffs in La Jolla knows the wind doesn't just blow; it swirls, messes with your head, and makes a par-4 feel like a marathon. When the 2021 US Open golf championship rolled into town, everyone expected a bloodbath. We got one, but it wasn't the kind of slow, painful grind we usually see at a USGA event. It was high theater.
Jon Rahm won. That's the history book version. But honestly, the way he did it—coming off a devastating COVID-19 withdrawal at the Memorial just weeks prior—felt like something out of a movie script. He didn't just win; he snatched the trophy away from Louis Oosthuizen with a pair of birdies on the final two holes that still feel impossible when you look at the lines he took.
Why the 2021 US Open golf Championship Was Different
Most US Opens are wars of attrition. You win by making the fewest mistakes. But 2021 felt more aggressive. The rough was thick, sure, but the setup allowed for some genuine "go for it" moments.
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Look at Bryson DeChambeau. For a hot minute on Sunday, it looked like he was going to steamroll the field and defend his title. He had the lead. He was flexing. Then, the wheels didn't just come off; the whole car exploded. A quadruple-bogey on the 12th hole essentially ended his hopes. It was a brutal reminder that Torrey Pines South doesn't care about your ball speed if you can't keep it between the lines.
The leaderboard was a revolving door of major champions and "what-if" stories. You had Rory McIlroy lurking, Brooks Koepka doing his usual "I only show up for majors" thing, and Collin Morikawa trying to prove his precision could beat the California coastal winds.
The Rahm Redemption Arc
Two weeks before the 2021 US Open golf tournament kicked off, Jon Rahm was leading the Memorial by six strokes after 54 holes. Then, a masked official walked onto the 18th green to tell him he’d tested positive for COVID-19. He had to withdraw. He lost out on a massive paycheck and a nearly guaranteed trophy.
He spent his quarantine in a shed. Seriously.
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When he showed up at Torrey Pines, he wasn't angry. He was focused. It’s funny how golf works. Sometimes the universe owes you one, and Rahm collected. His birdie putt on 17 was a curling, right-to-left monster that he punctuated with a fist pump that probably shook the nearby hang gliders. Then he did it again on 18. Two putts. Two birdies. Game over.
The Louis Oosthuizen Factor
Spare a thought for Louis. The man has the most beautiful swing in the history of the sport, and yet he is the king of the runner-up finish. His drive into the hazard on the 17th hole was the heartbeat of the tournament’s climax. If he hits that fairway, we might be talking about a very different outcome. Instead, he ended up one shot back. It was his sixth runner-up finish in a major. That’s a stat that’s both impressive and deeply tragic.
The Logistics and the Course Setup
Torrey Pines South played long. Really long. At over 7,600 yards, it demanded a specific kind of power. But the USGA actually showed some restraint with the greens. They were fast—around 13 on the Stimpmeter—but they weren't the "clown-golf" speeds we saw at Shinnecock years ago.
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- Total Yardage: 7,652 yards.
- Par: 71 (They turned the par-5 1st into a long par-4).
- The Rough: 4-5 inches of nasty kikuyu grass.
Kikuyu is different. It’s "sticky." Your clubhead gets tangled in it like it’s moving through molasses. If you missed the fairway at the 2021 US Open golf, you weren't just looking at a difficult shot; you were looking at a lottery.
What Most People Forget About That Week
People talk about Rahm and Bryson, but Mackenzie Hughes was actually leading or tied for the lead for a huge chunk of the weekend. A guy known for his short game was hanging tough with the bombers. And then there’s the Richard Bland story. The 48-year-old Brit who had just won his first European Tour event after 478 starts. He held a share of the 36-hole lead. For 48 hours, the entire golf world was rooting for the underdog. He faded on Saturday, but for a moment, it felt like the most improbable story in sports history was actually going to happen.
Lessons for Your Own Game
Watching the 2021 US Open golf wasn't just entertainment; it was a masterclass in emotional regulation. Rahm’s ability to stay calm after the 18th hole at the Memorial is something every amateur should study. He didn't carry the baggage.
If you're looking to improve your own scoring based on what worked at Torrey:
- Lag putting is everything. The greens at Torrey are massive and multi-tiered. Rahm didn't three-putt once on Sunday.
- Commit to the line. On the 18th, Rahm knew the break. He didn't second-guess. He poured it in the center.
- The "Big Miss" kills. Bryson’s collapse happened because his misses became two-way. You can't survive a US Open if you don't know where your ball is going to land.
Final Reflections on Torrey Pines 2021
The 2021 US Open golf championship cemented Jon Rahm as the best player in the world at that time. It also proved that Torrey Pines is one of the few public courses that can truly host a modern major without needing to be tricked out with "gimmick" pin positions.
The fans were back, too. After the quiet, eerie atmosphere of the 2020 majors, the San Diego crowd brought the noise. When Rahm's final putt dropped, the roar was a reminder of why we watch this game. It wasn't just about golf; it was about the return of spectacle.
If you ever find yourself in San Diego, pay the green fee. Play the South Course. Walk down the 18th fairway and look at that bunker on the left where so many dreams died. Try to imagine hitting a sweeping hook around the trees to a tucked pin while the weight of the world is on your shoulders. It makes you realize just how good these guys actually are.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Watch the Highlights: Go back and watch the final 45 minutes of the Sunday broadcast. Pay attention to Rahm's pre-shot routine on 17 and 18; it never changes, regardless of the pressure.
- Study the Course Map: Use Google Earth to look at the 11th hole (the long par-3) and the 12th. Understanding the topography of those two holes explains why the leaderboard flipped so violently on Sunday afternoon.
- Check the Stats: Look up the "Strokes Gained: Off the Tee" leaders for that week. It’s a blueprint for who thrives at Torrey Pines, which will help you the next time a major or the Farmers Insurance Open returns to this venue.