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5 things we learned Thursday at the U.S. Open
The U.S. Open at Winged Foot’s West Course was a long time in coming. From the impending postponement in late May, to the announcement in June that a September weekend was in the works, the golf world has waited with held breath to see the A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece that was given a tight restoration by Gil Hanse.
Now that Open week is here, the golf world has four days to frolic in the glory of golden-age golf course design and how it presents a challenge to today’s physical golfers and their technological weaponry.
It’s Thursday evening, so it’s time to share the 5 things we learned on day one at the 2020 U.S. Open.
1. The one that got away still gnaws at JT
Justin Thomas had a very real chance to win the the 2017 Open at Erin Hills. He tied for 9th after holding the 54-hole lead, and learned lessons that would compel him to win a major two months later, at the PGA Championship. Thomas craves the carving of another major title on his record, and he opened with 65 to lead a trio of golfers by one shot. Thomas had one bogey on the day, a tugged 4-iron that led to a 4 at the par-three third hole. The Kentucky native responded with five subsequent birdies, to complement the one he made at the opening hole, and stands atop the leader board with 54 holes to play. Thomas benefited from a morning tee time, and we will see how he does on Friday, when he putts greens that will have seen myriad morning footsteps.
2. An ace gets Reed in the mix again
Patrick Reed is an enigmatic figure to end all enigmatic figures. Search the his name with the word controversy and you will spend more than one evening sifting through the reports. It’s a shame, as the Texas-born golfer really does have game. He showed grit in international competition, and claimed a major title of his own at the 2018 Masters. On Thursday at Winged Foot west, Reed electrified the viewers with this sequence: 6-3-1. After making double bogey at the 5th, the Augusta State alum rebounded with birdie at the 6th, then knocked a short iron down at the 7th for a one-hop hole in one. If Reed wishes to shed the villain tag, and he may not, he will need to acknowledge that he has made some bad decisions along the way. Come to think of it, maybe the villain tag is what motivates him.
3. The world represents
Tied with Reed and Matthew Wolff at four-under par is Belgium’s Thomas Pieters. Just behind them, at minus-three, are Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, and Louis Oosthuizen. Let’s see, that’s Northern Ireland, England, and South Africa. Another stroke back is Rafael Cabrera Bello, a Spaniard, albeit not the one we expected to be low Iberian after round one. In any case, it’s the diverse games of the world’s greats that make the U.S. Open so interesting. South Africans from Gary Player to Retief Goosen have fared spectacularly well at the Open, as has the contingent from the United Kingdom, over the years.
4. The Phairy Tale will not be written
At least not the one that annoys you with the “ph” allophone. Mighty Casey, also known as Phil Mickelson, will not win the 2020 U.S. Open, 14 years after he gave the 2006 playing to Geoff Ogilvy in gift wrapping. Phabulous Phil opened with two birdies, the proceeded to bogey hole 3 through 5, then 8, then 5 more on the back nine … oh, and he tossed in a double bogey on the 14th for added pain. Mickelson will not be around for the weekend, and he will not win a U.S. Open in his storied career. He will be resigned to the list of greats who almost, but not quite, won the career grand slam. He joins Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, and Tom Watson in this pantheon, and it is sad, but not unexpected.
5. The amateurs and the unknowns
Speaking of electricity, Davis Thompson (who doesn’t play for cash) reached 4-deep at the eleventh green, thanks to intelligent play. He wobbled home with three bogeys, but finds himself in a tie for 14th with, among others, fellow amateur (and local hero) John Pak. Taiwan’s Chun An Yu made two birdies and an eagle in a four hole stretch on the front nine (his inward half) and sits a shot in arrears, at even par. Vegas suggests they will fade away, although one or two will last long enough to see the weekend. Still, the amateurs remind us of days of yore, when they used to challenge for the title.
We mentioned Matthew Wolff, but we failed to cite Jason Kokrak, Brendon Todd, Harris English, and a few others. Those unknown golfers, those Andy Norths and Michael Campbells, who find their game for a week, and win precious little else, are an equal part of U.S. Open lore with the amateurs and the greats. Will a Shaun Norris or an Erik Van Rooyen hoist the trophy on Sunday? Again, probably not, but it will be fun to watch.
TR’s pick after day one: Xander Schauffele. He’s at minus-two, and made four birdies today. He loves this pressure, and is primed to add a major title to his growing resume.
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SuperStroke acquires Lamkin Grips
SuperStroke announced today its purchase of 100-year-old grip maker Lamkin Grips, citing the company’s “heritage of innovation and quality.”
“It is with pride and great gratitude that we announce Lamkin, a golf club grip brand with a 100-year history of breakthrough design and trusted products, is now a part of the SuperStroke brand,” says SuperStroke CEO Dean Dingman. “We have always had the utmost respect for how the Lamkin family has put the needs and benefits of the golfer first in their grip designs. If there is a grip company that is most aligned with SuperStroke’s commitment to uncompromised research, design, and development to put the most useful performance tools in the hands of golfers, Lamkin has been that brand. It is an honor to bring Lamkin’s wealth of product innovation into the SuperStroke family.”
Elver B. Lamkin founded the company in 1925 and produced golf’s first leather grips. The company had been family-owned and operated since that point, producing a wide array of styles, such as the iconic Crossline.
According to a press release, “The acquisition of Lamkin grows and diversifies SuperStroke’s proven and popular array of grip offerings with technology grounded in providing golfers optimal feel and performance through cutting-edge design and use of materials, surface texture and shape.”
CEO Bob Lamkin will stay on as a board member and will continue to be involved with the company.
“SuperStroke has become one of the most proven, well-operated, and pioneering brands in golf grips and we could not be more confident that the Lamkin legacy, brand, and technology is in the best of hands to continue to innovate and lead under the guidance of Dean Dingman and his remarkably capable team,” Lamkin said.
Related: Check out our 2014 conversation with Bob Lamkin, here: Bob Lamkin on the wrap grip reborn, 90 years of history
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Tour Rundown: Pendrith, Otaegui, Longbella, and Dunlap soar
Take it from a fellow who coaches high school golf in metro Toronto: there’s plenty of great golf played in the land of the maple leaf. All the greats have designed courses over the USA border: Colt, Whitman, Ross, Coore, Mackenzie, Doak, as well as the greatest of the land, Stanley Thompson. I’m partial to him, because he wore my middle name with grandeur. Enough about the architecture, because this week’s Tour Rundown begins with a newly-minted, Canadian champion on the PGA Tour. Something else that the great white north is known for, is weather. It impacted play on three of the world’s tours, forcing final-round cancellations on two of them.
It was an odd week in the golf world. The LPGA and the Korn Ferry were on a break, and only 13/15 of the rounds slated, were played. In the end, we have four champions to recognize, so let’s not delay any longer with minutiae about the game that we love. Let’s run it all down with this week’s Tour Rundown.
PGA Tour: TP takes TS at Byron’s place
The 1980s was a decade when a Canadian emergence was anticipated on the PGA Tour. It failed to materialize, but a path was carved for the next generation. Mike Weir captured the Masters in 2003, but no other countrymen joined him in his quest for PGA Tour conquest. 2024 may herald the long-awaited arrival of a Canadian squad of tour winners. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Nick Taylor break the fifty-plus year dearth of homebred champions at the Canadian Open, and players like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Adam Svennson, and Mackenzie Hughes have etched their names into the PGA Tour’s annals of winners.
This week, Taylor Pendrith joined his mates with a one-shot win at TPC Craig Ranch, the home of the Byron Nelson Classic. Pendrith took a lead into the final round and, while the USA’s Jake Knapp faltered, held on for the slimmest of victories. Sweden’s Alex Noren posted six-under 65 on Sunday to move into third position, at 21-under par. Ben Kohles, a Texan, looked to break through for his first win in his home state. He took the lead from Pendrith at the 71st hole, on the strength of a second-consecutive birdie.
With victory in site, Kohles found a way to make bogey at the last, without submerging in the fronting water. His second shot was greenside, but he could not move his third to the putting surface. His fourth was five feet from par and a playoff, but his fifth failed to drop. Meanwhile, Pendrith was on the froghair in two, and calmly took two putts from 40 feet, for birdie. When Kohles missed for par, Pendrith had, at last, a PGA Tour title.
360° and in!
A nervy par save by @TaylorPendrith to remain one back as he seeks his first PGA TOUR victory @CJByronNelson. pic.twitter.com/LVFXUSidSg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2024
DP World Tour: China Open in Otaegui’s hands after canceled day four
It wasn’t the fourth round that was canceled in Shenzhen, but the third. Rains came on Saturday to Hidden Grace Golf Club, ensuring that momentum would cease. Sunday would instead be akin to a motorsports restart, with no sense of who might claim victory. Sebastian Soderberg, the hottest golfer on the Asian Swing, held the lead, but he would slip to a 72 on Sunday, and tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach. Italy’s Guido Migliozzi completed play in 67 strokes on day three, moving one shot past the triumvirate, to 17-under par.
It was Spain’s Adrian Otaegui who persevered the best and played the purest. Otaegui was clean on the day, with seven birdies for 65. Even when Migliozzi ceased the lead at the 10th, Otaegui remained calm. With everything on the line, Migliozzi made bogey at the par-five 17th, as his principal competitor finished in birdie. To the Italian’s credit, he bounced back with birdie at the last, to claim solo second. The victory was Otaegui’s fifth on the DP World Tour, and first since October of 2022.
.@adrianotaegui birdies the 16th to tie the lead at -17 ?#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/p4tfE5DRJa
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 5, 2024
PGA Tour Americas: Quito’s rains gift title to Longbella
Across the world, superintendents and their staffs will do anything to prepare a course for play. Even after fierce, nightime rains, the Quito TG Club greeted the first four groups on Sunday. The rains worsened after 7 am, however, and the tour was forced to abort the final round of play. With scores reverting to Saturday’s numbers, Thomas Longbella’s one-shot advantage over Gunn Yang turned into a Tour Americas victory.
64 held the opening-day lead, and Longbella was not far off, with 66. Yang jumped to the top on day two, following a67 with 66. He posted 68 on day three, and anticipated a fierce, final-round duel for the title. As for Longbella, he fought off a ninth-hole bogey on Saturday with six birdies and a 17th-hole eagle. That rare bird proved to be the winning stroke, allowing Longbella to edge past Yang, and secure ultimate victory.
.@TBalla21 eagles 17, shoots 65 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KIA Open. pic.twitter.com/TTOL2LxSdh
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 4, 2024
PGA Tour Champions: Dunlap survives Saturday stumble for win
Scott Dunlap did not finish Saturday as well as he might have liked. After beginning play near Houston with 65, Dunlap made two bogeys in his final found holes on day two, to finish at nine-under par. Hot on his heels was Joe Durant, owner of a March 2024 win on PGA Tour Champions. Just behind Durant was Stuart Appleby, perhaps vibing from his Sunday 59 at Greenbrier on this day in 2010. Neither would have a chance to track Dunlap down.
The rains that have forced emergency responders into action, to save hundreds of lives in the metro Houston area, ended hopes for a third day of play at The Woodlands. Dunlap had won once previously on Tour Champions, in 2014 in Washington state. Ten years later, Dunlap was the fortunate recipient of a canceled final round, and his two days of play were enough to earn him TC victory number two.
Off the green? No worries for @ScottDu12500063
8-under solo leader @InsperityInvtnl pic.twitter.com/hoj5OujL5C
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 4, 2024
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Morning 9: Pendrith’s maiden Tour win | Morikawa back with former coach | Brooks victorious
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GG
Sep 18, 2020 at 2:26 am
you forgot number 6. Spieth lost a lost cause.
Ronald Montesano
Sep 18, 2020 at 9:47 am
It’s incredible that he went chasing distance, having won 3 or 4 major titles at such a young age. I wonder if his pro just agreed, or if the pro is to blame. Such a stupid thing to do. If you’re built for distance, you chase it. If not, you don’t mess with it.