HOYLAKE, England (AP) — Wyndham Clark was on the 18th green, 60 feet away from the hole. Rory McIlroy was in the scoring room, watching on television. Clark rolled the long putt to within a foot of the hole and pumped his fist. All that remained was tapping in for par to win the U.S. Open.
That was the extent of Sunday drama in the majors this year.
The champions are not about to complain, least of all Clark at Los Angeles Country Club or Brian Harman at Royal Liverpool, both of them first-time major winners who played as though they had been there before.
Not every Masters can have the remarkable back-and-forth between Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose, much less a comeback by Tiger Woods. Augusta National always seems to deliver, but the slogan of the Masters not starting until the back nine on Sunday would be a tough sell the last four years.
All that can salvage 2023 for edge-of-the-seat theater is the Ryder Cup.