Latest news with #PebbleBeach
Newsweek
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
JJ Spaun Shares Dodgers Star Who Reached Out amid U.S. Open Win
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The popularity of golf among celebrities is booming more than ever, as evidenced not only by Pro-Am events. Celebrities swing clubs whenever they have the opportunity, but they also follow professional events with the same enthusiasm as any other fan. Another example of this was the numerous calls and messages from celebrities that JJ Spaun received after winning the U.S. Open. During his pre-Travelers Championship press conference, Spaun revealed some of the stars who reached out to congratulate him on his victory at Oakmont: "I heard from George Lopez, comedian and actor from Los Angeles; [Los Angeles Dodgers star] Mookie Betts, who was actually my Pro-Am partner at Pebble Beach; [renowned sportscaster] Scott Van Pelt; a lot of people." "I'm still like halfway through my messages. [1988 and 1989 US Open winner] Curtis Strange, [1974, 1979 and 1990 US Open winner] Hale Irwin, just some great champions that have been there and know what it's like, people that I have never even talked to, but it was great." J. J. Spaun of the United States kisses the trophy after winning the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 15, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. J. J. Spaun of the United States kisses the trophy after winning the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 15, 2025 in Oakmont, also shared some details about the days after his win at Oakmont, which turned out to be quite a rollercoaster: "We were off to New York City. Had a nice dinner with my family on Monday night. We went to do all the media 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning." "It was literally nonstop. Didn't finish until 3:30, 4:00, hopped in a car, got driven up here. That was about 3 1/2 hours. Didn't walk through the front door of the hotel until 8:00 p.m." JJ Spaun won the U.S. Open with a score of 1-under, becoming the only player in the field to finish with a 72-hole score of par or better. His final-round performance was spectacular, as he birdied the final two holes to take a lead that proved to be definitive. To top it off, he sank a 64-foot putt on the 18th hole to secure his victory. With this victory, Spaun became the first PGA Tour Americas alum to win the US Open. The victory propelled him to the eighth spot in the world rankings and to the third spot in the rankings to make the Ryder Cup team. More Golf: Paige Spiranac Has Hilarious Request of New PGA Tour CEO
National Post
a day ago
- Sport
- National Post
Wyndham Clark 'deeply regrets' damaging his Oakmont locker during U.S. Open
Former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark said he 'deeply regrets' the damage done to the century-old locker he was using at Oakmont during the U.S. Open, his second act of frustration that caused damage at a major this year. Article content Reports surfaced over the weekend that Clark damaged his locker. The USGA said only that it works directly with players and their managers when it comes to player conduct. Article content Article content Article content Clark, who bogeyed his last hole Friday to miss the cut by one shot at the U.S. Open, opened the Travelers Championship with a 64 on Thursday. When asked to comment on the Oakmont locker incident, Clark said: 'Yeah, I mean, I've had a lot of highs and lows in my career, especially this year some lows. Article content 'I made a mistake that I deeply regret. I'm very sorry for what happened,' he said. 'But I'd also like to move on, not only for myself but for Oakmont, for the USGA, and kind of focus on the rest of the year and things that come up.' Article content Clark burst into prominence in 2023 with two victories, including the U.S. Open, and a spot on the Ryder Cup team. He won at Pebble Beach a year later and qualified for the Olympics. Article content But he has only one top-10 finish in the last nine months and has dropped to No. 27 in the world ranking and No. 80 in the FedEx Cup. Article content At the PGA Championship, he hit his drive to the right and slung his driver behind him, damaging a sign on the tee. The logo was that of one of his corporate sponsors. Clark posted an apology for that incident on social media. Article content Article content 'As professionals, we are expected to remain professional even when frustrated and I unfortunately let my emotions get the best of me. My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on,' Clark said last month. Article content 'I promise to better the way I handle my frustrations on the course going forward, and hope you all can forgive me in due time.' Article content Clark is No. 23 in the Ryder Cup standings, with six players getting automatic spots. He has the one more signature event (Travelers) and one major (British Open) among tournaments left to improve his standing in the FedEx Cup. Only the top 70 make the postseason.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Wyndham Clark says he 'deeply regrets' damaging his Oakmont locker during the US Open
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark said he 'deeply regrets' the damage done to the century-old locker he was using at Oakmont during the U.S. Open, his second act of frustration that caused damage at a major this year. Reports surfaced over the weekend that Clark damaged his locker. The USGA said only that it works directly with players and their managers when it comes to player conduct. Clark, who bogeyed his last hole Friday to miss the cut by one shot at the U.S. Open, opened the Travelers Championship with a 64 on Thursday. When asked to comment on the Oakmont locker incident, Clark said: 'Yeah, I mean, I've had a lot of highs and lows in my career, especially this year some lows. 'I made a mistake that I deeply regret. I'm very sorry for what happened,' he said. 'But I'd also like to move on, not only for myself but for Oakmont, for the USGA, and kind of focus on the rest of the year and things that come up.' Clark burst into prominence in 2023 with two victories, including the U.S. Open, and a spot on the Ryder Cup team. He won at Pebble Beach a year later and qualified for the Olympics. But he has only one top-10 finish in the last nine months and has dropped to No. 27 in the world ranking and No. 80 in the FedEx Cup. At the PGA Championship, he hit his drive to the right and slung his driver behind him, damaging a sign on the tee. The logo was that of one of his corporate sponsors. Clark posted an apology for that incident on social media. 'As professionals, we are expected to remain professional even when frustrated and I unfortunately let my emotions get the best of me. My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on,' Clark said last month. 'I promise to better the way I handle my frustrations on the course going forward, and hope you all can forgive me in due time.' Clark is No. 23 in the Ryder Cup standings, with six players getting automatic spots. He has the one more signature event (Travelers) and one major (British Open) among tournaments left to improve his standing in the FedEx Cup. Only the top 70 make the postseason. 'I still want to try to make the Ryder Cup team. I still am on the outside looking in for the FedEx Cup,' Clark said. 'So I'm starting to move on and focus on those things.' ___ AP golf:
Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Times
Sam Burns and Adam Scott lead charge as Rory McIlroy heads for exit
After slumping to ten over par following three frustrating days at the US Open, Rory McIlroy could no longer let his golf do the talking. So having refused to speak to the media after six consecutive rounds at the majors, he said that he had not really cared if he had made the cut or not. His amended ambition for Sunday? 'A round in under 4½ hours and get out of here.' It summed up the puzzling enigma that McIlroy has become since completing the career grand slam at Augusta in April, but a bevy of less-fancied players are relishing the prospect of contending for a major on one of the world's toughest courses. While the world's top ten were a collective 70 over par at the halfway point, Sam Burns reached 54 holes at four under par, a shot clear of an age-defying Adam Scott and JJ Spaun. 'I'm pretty happy to be one behind and not sleeping on the lead,' Scott said after a superb round of 67. 'This would be huge for me.' Rolling in the putts and rolling back the years, the popular Aussie has the chance to become the second-oldest US Open champion at 44 and set a record for the longest gap between majors; his first came at Augusta in 2013. Viktor Hovland dropped a shot on the last but played some lustrous irons and is only three off the lead. They are the only men under par. Nobody has been better here than Scott in terms of consistency — he is the one player with no rounds over par — and the way he salvaged a par from the sand by the 15th, after a lustrous 95-yard wedge ended a few inches from an eagle on the previous hole, was evidence of his talent and temperament. If he lingers, expect the crowd to get right behind him. Such is the capacity for mayhem of Oakmont, with its dense rough, steep bunkers and slick and sloping greens, that plenty of others will think they can still win. Tyrrell Hatton is one, only five off the top, and Bob MacIntyre is in the top ten. At the summit, Burns, eighth a year ago, is sharing a house with Scottie Scheffler so did not have far to go for advice on sleeping on a 54-hole major lead. A stuttering Scheffler is eight behind and needing to find his hitherto missing best while hoping his housemate encounters problems. It is about time Hatton applied some varnish to a shabby major record too. Anyone who can use their irons to such brilliant effect should be in contention more often, and his ability to put tantrums and setbacks behind him could help here. It was a restorative day for him, despite a late double bogey, as he has been struggling off the tee on the LIV circuit. Win here and he will be a fifth LIV champion from the past 12 majors. Of course, it will not be comfortable for anyone. Oakmont has challenged the best and Matt Fitzpatrick, a player who likes a grind and won the US Open at Brookline in 2022, gave a damning verdict and said the difficulty had actually made it unfair. 'You can be more penalised for hitting a shot six inches off the fairway than you can 40 yards off it,' he said. 'And obviously, when you've got greens as extreme as these, it amplifies any miss. I get that it's the same for everyone and you have got to hit good shots, and it always sounds like sour grapes when a player complains. But I've played 11 US Opens now and I feel I've experienced what is hard and fair and what is hard and unfair. This falls into that category of unfair.' As for McIlroy, he is clearly struggling for motivation and is still irked that someone leaked news that his driver had been judged 'non-conforming' at last month's US PGA Championship. Most felt that was not a huge deal, but wanted to know if changing to a back-up had explained his errant driving at Quail Hollow. He admitted the leak was only part of it. Having bogeyed the last hole at Oakmont for a round of 74, he was never going to be in Tigger mode, but he did stop for his first post-round major interview since winning the Masters. 'You don't really know how it's going to affect you,' he said of his victory at Augusta. 'You don't know how you're going to react to something [you've] dreamt about for a long time, and I have felt a little flat on the golf course.' He showed some fight to make the cut on Friday but laughed about the methodology involved. 'It's funny. It's much easier being on the cut line when you don't really care if you're here for the weekend or not. It makes it much easier to play when you're in that mindset.' His assessment of his US Open so far was 'pretty average,' but he said he had driven the ball as well as he had for a long time. Eventually, McIlroy was asked why he had snubbed the media for six rounds. Was it frustration with the golf course? 'Not, not really,' he said. 'It's more frustration with you guys.' Given that McIlroy has given more of himself and his thoughts than almost any other player, this was uncharacteristic touchiness. He stressed that he had skipped media sessions before. 'That [the driver story] was part of it, but it's not out of the ordinary. I've done it before. I'm just doing it more often. I feel I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do.' Hindsight has not yet been kind to the notion that McIlroy would be unburdened after ticking off the grand slam. The pressure is off, but recent evidence suggests McIlroy is better when that is not the case. For Burns, Scott, Spaun and those eyeing a golden major Sunday, the heat is very much on.
The Star
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Reed leaves his mark
Patrick at the US Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. — AP IT took two mighty swings on a 621-yard hole at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania for Patrick Reed to make history with just the fourth albatross on record at a US Open championship. Reed raised his hands to the sky, wondering what happened when he unleashed a 3-wood from 286 yards in the fairway of the par-5 4th hole at the third major of the season. It was a beauty. The ball bounced three times then rolled towards the hole and into the cup. The so-called albatross is considered the rarest shot in golf, with only a few hundred dropping a year, compared to more than 30,000 holes-in-one. Reed said the best albatross he hit came at a tournament in Germany, when he came out in the morning to finish the last four holes after getting rained out the night before. He had two par-5s left and his wife, Justine, was urging him to attack those and get to 3-under. He parred the first, then made an albatross, sometimes referred as a double eagle, to close. The only one Reed saw came at Dominion Country Club in San Antonio when he was a kid. He hit driver off the deck onto the green while the group in front of him was still putting. 'They turned around and looked at me, then they all started jumping because they watched the ball roll right past them and disappear,' Reed said. 'I didn't know I could get there.' Reed's achievement in Thursday's opening round marks only the fourth albatross at the US Open since the event started keeping such records in 1983. The 2018 Masters champion joins T.C. Chen (1985 at Oakland Hills), Shaun Micheel (2010 at Pebble Beach) and Nick Watney (2012 at Olympic) as the players who managed it. Despite the two, Reed finished at 3-over 73 after finishing with triple bogey on No. 18. 'I was doing pretty well there until that last hole,' Reed said. But Reed was not only one who might have felt a little down. Loads of players got that sinking feeling – straight down into the rough at a brutal and punihsing Oakmont. Gary Woodland, the 2019 US Open champion, waved the rules official over. Certainly, a ball buried that deep in the rough had to have embedded into the soft turf below when his off-line drive on the 12th hole landed with a thunk. No such luck, the official told him. The rough at Oakmont is just deep – and thick and hard to escape. Instead of taking a free drop for an embedded ball, Woodland had to replace it where he found it, get out his wedge, take a hack and pray. That resulted in Woodland's first blemish on a back nine of 6-over 41 on the opening day. It turned a promising round that began with three birdies into a 3-over 73 slog. Woodland's was one of dozens of tales from the rough – gnarly, thick and sometimes downright impossible – that make an Open at Oakmont as tough as they come. 'I can't get out of it (the rough) some of the times, depending on the lie,' said defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, who makes a living on overpowering golf courses and gouging out of the thick stuff. 'It was tough. It was a brutal test of golf.' Scotland's Robert MacIntyre said: 'If you miss the green, you miss it by too much, you then try to play an 8-yard pitch over the rough onto a green that's brick hard running away from you.' Punishing the best in the world is exactly how the superintendents at what might be America's toughest golf course planned. For the record, they do mow this rough. If they didn't, there's a chance some of the grass would lay over itself, allowing the ball to perch up instead of sink down. The mowers here have blades that use suction to pull the grass upward as they cut, helping the grass stand up straight and creating the physics that allow the ball to sink to the bottom. Which is exactly where Rory McIlroy found his second shot, then his third, after failing to gouge his drive out of the lush green fescue located right of all that 'regular' rough on the par-4 fourth. He made 6 there on his way to 74.
