Tuesday was a dry, warm day and the rain that fell at Pinehurst No. 2 on Sunday night was a temporary respite for the field of 156 players who would love to see the golf course softened some before the gun goes off on Thursday morning. Temperatures are expected to continue rising as the week progresses and the golf course has a dry firmness that will allow No. 2 to play at its most interesting.
Tuesday is always a big press conference day and the mid-morning saw a flurry of top players make their way into the interview room. In a 45-minute window Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Tiger Woods met the assembled media and as is customary, Tiger spoke to a packed house. With each passing major championship press conference Tiger is asked less and less about his approach to winning and more about the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and this week with his son Charlie in tow Tiger shared his feelings about Charlie’s understanding of his golf swing. He also reflected on his career in USGA championships on the day he will receive the Bob Jones award in a ceremony on Tuesday night.
Hovland is quickly becoming a very good listen in the press room. He’s curious, reflective and his sudden pivot back into contention at the PGA with his reunion with instructor Joe Mayo have made him a necessary pre-championship presser.
Jon Rahm walked in with a sandal on his ailing left foot and got temporarily defensive as he did at the Masters and PGA when questioned about his performance in 2024. Jon continued to show his dedication to having historical context about what has transpired at Pinehurst in past U.S. Opens but after a media session, and consulting with multiple doctors Rahm withdrew before 5 pm. His major championship season is one event away, The Open Championship, from being an abject failure.
Bryson DeChambeau explained how he is a completely different person than he was five years ago as he pursues another U.S. Open title. He shared how he wants to complete the career grand slam and took it deep explaining his “run out’ numbers on the increasingly fast Pinehurst fairways.
Sitting in the interview for the session with 2014 winner Martin Kaymer was a little odd. There were four media members present, me included, and it felt like an intimate conversation as opposed to a press conference. Martin has always been a delightful guy and gave great perspective on seeking a level of play anywhere close to where he was 10 years ago.
Rory McIlroy was a late arrival on the property. He entered the press building in sweats from head to toe having just arrived at the nearby Moore county airport. Having not played the golf course yet his session focused more on state of game and 2014 reflections as opposed to his gameplan. He shared how the only real goal he has, big picture, is to be considered the greatest European player of all time but that he is very proud of his body of work.
PGA champion Xander Schauffele has moved on from his victory at Valhalla and was emphatic that he’s focused on now and spent little time basking in the biggest win of his career. I conducted a one-on-one interview with him after his press conference for SiriusXM and he gave a great explanation on the challenges of missing greens at No. 2 and that the greater challenge is not only where to miss but the value of having the right angle into the greens.
World #1 Scottie Scheffler walked into the interview room at 4 pm after playing the back nine. He will play the front on Wednesday to complete his prep. I also interviewed him one on one and asked him if he had seen “Bull Durham” and of course he had not. I shared with him the line from Crash Davis, “A player on a streak needs to respect the streak but they don’t happen very often.” He attributed the streak in part to a stat I shared with him about him leading the tour in “bounce back” birdies. He simply won’t look back and does not project ahead. He is determined to be where his feet are. He laughed and said, “ask me about a movie that was made after I was born”. Fair point.
It was interesting to observe Brad Faxon, who will be a co-lead analyst on the TV broadcast, working with Vanderbilt all-American Gordon Sargent on the practice putting green. Sargent is a freakish ball hitter with extraordinary speed, but his putter is his weak link and with Mark Blackburn in place as his full swing coach and now Faxon being a part of the team Sargent is locked in with elite instruction.
I spent 20 minutes talking with legendary club professional Bob Ford. Ford is the first tee announcer for the U.S. Open and is also a past Bob Jones award recipient. Ford shared with me that his former club, Oakmont, the host of the 2025 U.S. Open is looking spectacular after restorative and renovated work under the direction of Gil Hanse.
I walked across the entire footprint of the property on Tuesday, and I think the USGA has nailed it. Maniac Hill, the driving range at the resort, has been converted into a hospitality village. Huge big screens, countless food vendors, a mini merchandise building provide a massive area to eat and drink and watch golf in the heart of the property just to the left of the 18th hole.
I caught up with executive producer of the television broadcast, Tommy Roy of NBC, and got his thoughts on the presentation of the golf course. Tommy is a golf nut, and he will ensure that every single player in the field will be seen hitting a shot over the course of the first two days. He believes if you make into the U.S. Open you deserve to be seen on the broadcast.
The scale of the build out on 18 will give the closing hole a grand look. The multi-level structure running up the left side of the hole that wraps into the clubhouse in the rear is the kind of stage that is appropriate after last year’s 18th hole at Los Angeles Country Club that didn’t allow for a massive structure on the 18th hole because of the proximity to the 1st hole at LACC.
Tee times released Tuesday revealed that world number 1, 2, and 3 Scheffler, Schauffle and McIlroy will play the first two rounds together. In the late/early wave.
The final day of prep awaits which will include the USGA press conference from Mike Whan and John Bodenhamer and expect them to be asked about exemptions, world rankings, LIV golfers and the anchor sites.
A day closer to the 124th US Open.