Records tumble at Erin Hills
There's no arguing that Ryder Cup player Brooks Koepka was the deserved winner of the 117th US Open at Erin Hills. The American carded a wonderful final round of 67 to win by four, having gone into Sunday one shot off the lead alongside playing partner Tommy Fleetwood.
Justin Thomas also found himself one shot back with 18 holes to play, something which looked rather unlikely before a historic 63 vaulted him up the leader board on 'moving day' whilst breaking the record for the lowest-ever US Open round in the process.
But this wasn't the only record to fall last week, as Koepka's four-round total (16 under) equalled the US Open's lowest winning score which was previously set by Rory McIlroy back in 2011.
With much of the pre-tournament hype focusing on the penal rough lining the fairways, it probably doesn't come as a surprise to learn that Koepka hit 49 out of 56 fairways across the four days whilst also managing to find 62 out 72 greens in regulation - including 17 during his final round! Truly impressive golf.
So what did you make of it all?
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Hydration is key
With the current UK heatwave, staying hydrated has never been more important.
According to experts, dehydration symptoms occur when the body is 1 percent dehydrated. Once these symptoms occur, mental and physical performance has already been compromised. "Mental fog, anxiety, irritability, muscle fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps, chills, and dry mouth are few symptoms of dehydration," DeBoer says. When you feel thirsty, it could potentially be too late.
During a round of golf, the average golfer can lose 2-5 pounds. Every pound lost equates to a 0.45 of a litre loss of water. At a minimum, you should be consuming approximately 1.7 litres of water per round, if not more. Due to climate and different body types, the amount of water loss can vary. In order to figure out how much you should drink, the best thing is to weigh yourself before a round, play 9-18 holes without drinking any water, followed by another weigh in. The scale will tell you the number of pounds you have lost, thus giving you a benchmark for how much water to drink.
A good rule of thumb is to drink plenty of water before your round followed by around ½ litres of water every 3-5 holes. This will provide you with enough water to keep you hydrated during a normal round. Late in rounds, you may substitute in a sports drink, which contains some essential electrolytes, but due to the ingredients (mostly sugar) sports drinks should be consumed sparingly. Any beverage consumed containing alcohol or caffeine does not count toward the ounces goal, as these beverages are diuretics and cause the body to lose more water that it gains.
These recommendations are a minimum and you should adjust based on the climate. Most people will need more than this on any given day.
