by Gary Williams | Jun 14, 2024 | Blog
The grandiosity of the U.S. Open was on display on Thursday. Big crowds ringing many of the holes at Pinehurst, in particular the 1st when the top three players in the world teed off, made it look and feel significant. I’ve not heard of any shuttle nightmares or logistical issues yet, but the presentation of the championship and the physical footprint is very impressive.
Tiger Woods was off early, and his day began quite well with an opening birdie on the par 5, 10th hole. He also added a few nice par saves before a rash of bogeys on five of seven holes in the middle of his round. His 74 will put him likely on the cut line as he begins his round tomorrow afternoon.
Brooks Koepka got off to a very nice start and was at -3 through 10 holes and tied for the lead. He gave those three shots back on the inward 9 but his opening round of 70 puts him in the mix with an afternoon time tomorrow. I want a good round on Friday just to see if he’ll talk to the media.
Patrick Cantlay’s opening round of 65 is not surprising at all. What is surprising is his major record being so modest in contending. He simply hasn’t and he’s too good. He and Rory McIlroy are on the opposite sides of the draw but a Saturday pairing with those two is delicious. Friction is sports is a great ingredient and those two have friction.
Rory’s 65 was very impressive. He didn’t make a truckload of putts which speaks to the quality of the ball striking. He displayed a wonderful array of shots from different heights and shapes. He executed his plan exceptionally well and Friday morning gives him an opportunity to lay down a weekend marker for a very late Saturday tee time.
Bryson DeChambeau was not a favorite because of the chipping requirements and the penal nature of the native areas. He put on a very stout ball striking round and the likelihood of him contending in back-to-back majors just got ramped up. He’s off early Friday as well and can set himself up with a another good one in round two.
Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele labored all day, but they managed 71 and 70 respectively. Great players salvage things and don’t waste things. We live on the spectacular but winning relies on the mundane and the minimizing of mistakes. They did it day 1 but they need better on day 2.
Sergio Garcia and Tyrell Hatton getting in the mix would be spicy and so appetizing with the possibility of petulance. Keep it up boys.
Justin Thomas was just out of sorts and his inability to save pars from reasonable distances likely ended his week before lunchtime on Thursday.
The U.S. Open radio team can be heard on the course with the earpieces. They should be available at the big events. You stay connected and the broadcast is tremendous.
Pins I liked on Thursday. Holes 4-7-11-13-18. Pins I didn’t love for a Thursday 2-6-15-16. It’s not about them being poor pins, although 6 was dicey, it’s that I would like to see a few of them later in the week.
For a golf course that has so many beefy par fours the truth is that the closing hole is actually very gettable. Keep that in mind as we head to the weekend.
1-2-3 in the world are going to set the tone for a cut down Friday. Onward.
by Gary Williams | Jun 13, 2024 | Blog
When you conduct the U.S. Open in Pinehurst you are in an environment where the players, dignitaries, administrators and sponsors are self-contained in a small village. Dinners, breakfasts and simply walking around you are likely to bump into tons of people who play or used to play. Wednesday morning, I met some friends for breakfast at the Carolina Inn the historic hotel that sits ½ mile from the resort and the first tee at Pinehurst No. 2. I said good morning to Matt Kuchar in the coffee shop and he expressed utter delight at the hotel and the village. He couldn’t believe how charming everything was from the shops to the history of the hotel.
I had a nice chat with three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin who was an invited guest for the hall of fame ceremony as an enshrined member and who was doing what you do when you win the championship three times, you monetize it, even 34 years after the last win. I also had a brief chat with the 2014 champion Martin Kaymer who returns as a guy people struggle to remember won the last time the event was here.
The USGA press conference was thorough and reflective of an organization that has made a massive commitment to Pinehurst, not only for the U.S. Open, but so many of their championships. Mike Whan knows how to talk and say something which is not a guarantee. The organization is in good hands with a pragmatic CEO and a golf lifer in John Bodenhamer who focuses on setting up the championship venues.
I talked to Randy Smith, Scottie Scheffler’s long time swing coach, and Randy embodies the Scheffler team. Straight forward and focused on the golf and only the golf. Scottie was playfully messing with Tom Kim’s golf bag and this is the fourth time in the last month I watched Scottie and Tom mess with each other. Kim has surrounded himself with the right people at the top of the game with Scheffler and Jordan Spieth in his adopted hometown of Dallas.
Standing on the top side of the Thistle Dhu putting course this afternoon it showcased why Pinehurst is so well positioned to host the biggest championship of the USGA. The massive putting green, the short game area and the Cradle, which is being used as the range is the greatest practice footprint in golf. The scope and scale amplifies what is needed now to host the biggest events in golf and with fans surrounding the entire perimeter of the area it is a majestic site.
At 2 pm I was standing on the first tee when Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy began their nine-hole two-ball practice round. Both players played irons off the first tee, and I saddled up to walk close by as they put the finishing touches on their U.S. Open prep. Rory hit driver on 2, 4, 5 and 8. He hit iron off the tee on 7 but hit a second ball with driver to take on the dogleg. He pulled it slightly into the left native area. Iron off the tee left him a short iron for his second. The crowds for a Wednesday afternoon were massive and when Rory and Kaymer played the second hole the gallery extended a few people deep from tee to green.
Having played No. 2 almost 75 times in my life I still marvel at a few features. The 2nd green is so unorthodox it’s hard to explain. Effectively the green 2000 square feet of useful area and the runoffs are menacing. I walked completely around the 5th green, and the runoff front left is sinister. You have to hit the ball nine steps into the green to avoid it running back off and into the native area 15 yards short and below the green. The native areas and crude bunkering that guard the right-hand side of the 7th fairway is art. That hole summarizes what Coore/Crenshaw executed when they restored the golf course in 2011.
Leaving the property at 5 pm the golf course is so prepared to star. The dry conditions since Sunday night have the golf course completely in the hands of the USGA. I never push back on another’s likes or dislikes regarding golf courses, so I know there are folks who are not totally smitten with No. 2, but I am for many reasons. Its nuanced, it’s not all aerial, there are options and the whole place is golfy. I think this is going to be special and I think the door is open for a few players down the marquee who will shine.
Some names I like to have good weeks. Thomas Detry, Tom Hoge, Russell Henley, Aaron Rai and Akshay Bhatia.
You can make reasonable cases for 8 to 10 players and I expect Collin Morikawa, Cam Smith, Xander Schauffele and Rory to contend but this comes down to the best player not having to be his best but be better than everyone else and I expect Scottie Scheffler to thrive under the conditions and pressure.
Scheffler wins. Enjoy Day 1.
