Fans meet the pros at the US Open
PGA Tour, USGA
Hello friends and Happy Thursday from Pinehurst No. 2!
Last night the GOLF team at the US Open went to “Drum & Quill”, a bar in Pinehurst Village dedicated to all golf writers and their contribution to the growth of the game. I think every city should have one. But it was the perfect place for us to chat on the last day of practice at Pinehurst before the tournament begins.
I've had a lot of fun exploring Pinehurst these past few days and I'm a big fan of the golf cart culture here. I've seen people of all ages buzzing around town in their lettered carriages as the sun sets and I think that might be the key to happiness.
Unfortunately, I haven't found the ice cream place yet, but I'll keep you updated on that.
Wednesday Tiger-mania
Tiger Woods may not have played a practice round Wednesday at Pinehurst, but that didn't stop US Open fans from seeing him. Hundreds of people lined up to watch him hit the balls for an hour before he went to play chip and putt for a while.
Here is the video I took; CBS analyst, Trevor Immelman, commented that this “might be the most effective right leg swing I've seen in a long time,” which is great to hear.
Well, enough about Tiger's swing. Let's talk about the kids who love Tiger when he passed by on Wednesday afternoon.
The kids shouted Tiger's name as he walked from the range to the green, which made me laugh a little as I realized that most of these guys were born after 2014. I have to think they all inherited it from their parents or grandparents, which makes me happy. Some families pass down recipes or heirlooms, others pass down something more important: love for the 15-time champion.
While Tiger didn't stop signing during practice, his right-hand man and friend Rob McNamara got into the frenzy and made a lot of kids' days when he threw about a dozen Tiger golf balls into the crowd. When he ran out, the kids who weren't lucky (or fast) enough to catch one were blown away, except for one clever girl who got McNamara to give her a box she'd been using to carry golf balls. I am sure that the child who thought that will change the world one day. He missed another opportunity and made another one for himself. An acronym for “when one door closes, another opens.” I just hope no one accidentally throws an empty cardboard box lying around their house one day.
Folks, we're chasing a feel-good theme to the end of this Rogers Report: your favorite players are certified Good Guys. Buckle up.
Scottie Scheffler's thoughtful response
One of my favorite traditions at the US Open is the young reporters who come in and get to cover the biggest tournament of the day. This week we had Tytus with us at Scottie Scheffler's press conference, and he asked if the World No. 1 how he stayed calm after making a triple-bogey last Saturday at the Memorial.
“That's a good question. I was frustrated so I'm glad you couldn't tell. I think I've learned during my career to stay as patient as possible. When I three-putted on that hole, I didn't hit that bad shot, it just hit a tree and went out of bounds. I reminded myself that I was playing good golf and as long as I kept a good head on my shoulders I could go about my day and be able to swing well. I think that's something you learn from playing golf a lot, that bad breaks are going to come up but it's more about your response to those things than getting a bad break because over the course of a 72-hole tournament you're going to go for it. get more bad breaks and hit more bad shots. It's more about how I'm going to recover from those shots.”
It's more about how you react to bad breaks that matters. It's always the simple questions that get the best answers, and this one from Tytus is no exception. Shout Out to the World No. 1 for giving such a sensible answer. Also, can we talk about how happy Tytus was to see Scheffler at the beginning of that video? I remember feeling the same way the first few times I put together a tournament.
Tytus, I look forward to following your long, successful career in golf media.
Rickie Fowler meets an amazing fan
Let's take a moment to appreciate how Rickie Fowler made Make-A-Wish recipient Parker Milkos' perfect day even better at Pinehurst on Wednesday. Milkos wanted to attend the US Open, and you can tell he wasn't expecting to meet Rickie Fowler. Thanks to the USGA, they made it happen.
Milkos didn't mince words when it came to telling Fowler how much of an inspiration he has been to him. Also, I know the feeling of your heart rate going up before talking to a player for the first time (I used to get therefore nervously asking questions at press conferences), so you're not alone, Milkos. Shout out to Fowler for making an unforgettable fan's day even more special.
Biology teacher and Jordan Spieth put it together
Jordan Spieth played his Wednesday practice round alongside high school biology teacher Colin Prater, who qualified for the US Open on the Longest Day of Golf.
Imagine going from spending days trying to get new people to pay attention to your course to playing golf on the big stage? Sounds like the plot of a really good Disney Channel movie. Stories like these are what make the US Open so special, and no matter what Prater does in the tournament, it looks like he's already having the week of a lifetime. Also, I hope his students realize how cool and talented their science teacher is at this.
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