Golfing News & Blog Articles

GOLF's editors dicuss the biggest surprises of Round 1 of the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, including Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau.

The post Tour Confidential: Round 1 surprises from the U.S. Open at Pinehurst appeared first on Golf.

Bryson DeChambeau’s U.S. Open got off to a rough start. But by day’s end at Pinehurst No. 2 he was only two off the lead.

The post Bryson DeChambeau loses key asset at U.S. Open. But still finds his way appeared first on Golf.

Jackson Suber was the last man in the U.S. Open field, but he's on the first page of the leaderboard after a rollercoaster few days.

The post The last man in the U.S. Open field dodged 1 difficult decision appeared first on Golf.

Willie Mack from Flint, Mich. who once saved his clubs from a burning car? He took a winding road to the U.S. Open. But his golf ball doesn't know that.

The post 156 players found a path to the U.S. Open. His was the least likely appeared first on Golf.

From Brooks Koepka's sweet moment with his son to a funny video of him replying to the haters, get caught up.

The post Brooks Koepka’s sweet father-son moment, Patrick Reed’s drive-by | Rogers Report appeared first on Golf.

Tiger Woods' opening-round 74 at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 looked familiar. What came next did not.

The post Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open Thursday ended with 2 unusual scenes appeared first on Golf.

Tiger Woods, Ludvig Aberg and Patrick Cantlay highlight top moments from the 2024 U.S. Open's first round

Years ago, when I played a bunch of the Pinehurst courses with friends, we invented a new stat: TTGBF.

“Touched The Green But F***ed.”

This was to account for all the seemingly good shots where the ball landed on the green but bounced, rolled, trickled or wiggled off the domed, sloping putting surface into horrific spots from where saving par was a dream. We have plenty of advanced stats in the Strokes Gained era but for the 124th United States Open, on devilish Pinehurst No. 2, TTGBF might be the most telling metric.

The tone for a carnage-filled first round was set early. By the time the first four groups had completed one hole, they had collectively recorded a triple-bogey and three doubles. Matteo Manassero and Rico Hoey were in the first group off the par-5 10th hole. Each had a greenside bunker shot dance on the putting surface before seeping off the back edge into a deep gulley. TTGBF. It took them a combined 15 strokes to complete the hole.

No wonder the USGA immediately began syringing the greens. Days earlier, defending champion Wyndham Clark had deemed them “borderline.” But the hits kept coming even with the greens being softened a tiny bit. Consider the plight of Collin Morikawa on the par-3 ninth hole. He arrived in third place at 1-under but then knocked his tee shot into a bunker left of the green. He played what appeared to be an excellent shot that landed a dozen paces short of the flag with plenty of spin.

Tiger Woods hit 12 of 14 fairways in the first round of the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday, but his irons weren't dialed in and he missed 9 of 18 greens en route to a 4-over 74.

Driving the ball effectively is a critical skill in golf, as it sets up the play for subsequent shots. Golfers with great drives are known for their power, accuracy, and consistency. Here are some of the most notable golfers recognized for their outstanding driving abilities:

1. Tiger Woods

Drive Characteristics:

• Power and Precision: Tiger Woods is famous for his powerful and precise drives, consistently hitting long and straight shots.
• Swing Speed: His swing speed and mechanics allow him to generate immense power.

Achievements:

• Multiple PGA Tour driving distance leader, 15 major championships, and countless other tournament wins.

2. Jack Nicklaus

Drive Characteristics:

• Strategic Power: Known for his long drives, Jack Nicklaus combined power with strategic placement, often setting himself up for easier approach shots.
• Consistency: Maintained impressive driving accuracy over his career.

Achievements:

With the event returning to Pinehurst No. 2, here's a look back at some of the most epic finishes from the last times the course hosted the U.S. Open.

Tiger Woods won the event by a remarkable 15 strokes, a record that stands to this day.

Heading into the U.S. Open, the unusual golfer -- who once seemed to grate competitors and fans alike -- has evolved into a sensation on the internet and on the grounds of golf tournaments.

Jon Rahm withdrew from the U.S. Open on Tuesday, citing an infection in his left foot.

It’s the latest disappointment in a year bereft of accomplishments—and that has the former top-ranked player in the world struggling to keep pace with Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and others of the game’s best.

Rahm arrived to Pinehurst sporting one flip-flop to keep his foot dry. A lesion had developed between his pinky and ring toe, causing an infection. The injury led him to withdraw from LIV Houston last week despite receiving a pain-killing injection during the tournament.

The issue didn’t improve much at Pinehurst so Rahm called it quits well in advance of Round One. He announced the decision via Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.

“The pain was high,” he said. “The infection was the worrisome part. The infection is now controlled, but there’s still swelling and there’s still pain.”

The USGA has plans to discuss a potential pathway for LIV Golf League members to compete in the U.S. Open via a new exemption category, CEO Mike Whan said.

With the U.S. Open this week, the team at Shot Scope has pulled some performance statistics from their database to see how real golfers tackle the Pinehurst No. 2 par-3s and what it might mean for the pros playing in this week’s U.S. Open.

Over the years, there have been some pivotal moments on the par-3s at Pinehurst, with Payne Stewart and Michael Campbell both making birdie on the 17th to seal their victories down the stretch in 1999 and 2005, respectively.

About Pinehurst No. 2

Before we get into the par-3s, here are some general stats on the course.

Pinehurst No. 2 has 111 bunkers over its 196 acres. Of those 196 acres, there are 61 acres of turf, 41 acres of fairway and zero acres of conventional rough. 

Instead of rough, players can find themselves playing from hardpan sand/native sandscape, wiregrass, pine needles and pinecones. This is what is referred to as ‘rough’ in the Shot Scope stats.

The Toulon Golf Small Batch Pinehurst putter honors Payne Stewart’s win in the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. The Toulon Pinehurst is center-shafted with Payne-inspired tartan graphics.Available June 13 at ToulonGolf.com with a MSRP of $1,800.

Did you ever know something without really knowing why you know it?

You are familiar with it, but ignorant of it at the same time.

For me, this “it” was the classic Payne Stewart victory pose.

Naturally, I’d seen the statue and watched the videos of him posing but, for some reason, I never really learned the story behind it.

The pose occurred at the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. I suppose that my wife being pregnant with our first kid in 1999, watching golf was not a priority.

Layers are important.

We’re not talking about the multitude of layers on a flaky croissant or a zesty seven-layer dip.

Learning to properly layer your golf apparel is paramount if you want to be comfortable and agile on the golf course.

Layers that are too bulky can mess with your swing. Layers that don’t provide enough insulation can leave you colder than your putter.

In short, learning to layer (and choosing the right layers to fit your game) is important if you want to play your best. Unlike the layers on that buttery croissant I mentioned, more isn’t always better.

You will never be good at any shot unless you practice a consistent swing that performs well for you. This is pretty basic stuff. Most golfers spend too much time on the range swinging with their driver. Unfortunately, golf is a game played with every club in your bag and each one can hurt or benefit your game every time you play.

Tennis is a lot like golf when it comes down to hitting any shot. Technique is critical but you need to perfect various types of serves, forehand shots and backhand shots to be a great tennis player. To improve my game, I took a single lesson to learn the proper serve as it seemed to be the most critical shot similar to being able to hit a great drive.

I was fortunate to have courts in a park next to our house so I would regularly practice serves using buckets of balls at least 4 days every week. Unfortunately, as a single player practicing my serve the rest of my game suffered.

Reading an article by an editor at GOLF.COM, I realized that his golf game suffered the same fate. His drives and full swing approach shots were great but he could not make chips and flop shots around the green. His friends complimented his game and said, “Its too bad he couldn’t score well”. That set him on fire with determination to clean up his game.

Solution
He learned to trust the bounce for each of his lofted clubs. His old habit was to close the face of his wedges to keep the ball lower to control his shots. When he saw the success that he was having with his open-faced lob shots, his game turn around. Consistent practice allowed him to build confidence for each angle of his lofted clubs so that he could roll or stick his chip and flop shots.

Despite historically short odds to win the U.S. Open, Scottie Scheffler is attracting a considerable number of betting tickets to claim golf's third major of the season.