Latest news with #SonyOpen
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Jordan Spieth's verdict on Bryson DeChambeau saw two PGA Tour allies snubbed
Jordan Spieth is the only player in PGA Tour history to see two of his playing partners shoot a round of 59, but he was more in awe of one of Bryson DeChambeau's performances Jordan Spieth showered Bryson DeChambeau with praise after he delivered what he considers the best round of golf he's ever witnessed. But he snubbed two PGA Tour peers in the process. Spieth had a ringside seat to golfing magic as he played alongside Justin Thomas at the Sony Open in 2017, when Thomas spectacularly broke 60 with an eagle at the last hole. He was also present during Cameron Young's electrifying 11-under-par 59 in the third round of the Travelers Championship last year. Yet, it's DeChambeau's sensational performance at the BMW Championship in 2021 that left the biggest impression on the three-time major champion. DeChambeau dazzled at Caves Valley with a round score of 60, flirting with breaking into the 50s only to be denied by a six-foot miss on the final green. Asked about the best round he'd ever seen, Spieth told the media: "I would say Bryson that day because it was a par 72. That might be the answer on those three rounds. "I remember thinking both Cam and Justin were right in it at the beginning. There's definitely an argument for JT because he knew he needed eagle [on the final hole] and made a 15-foot slider. That's a little bit different. That was the most clutch of the three," reports the Mirror US. Despite winning the Masters and the US Open in 2015 and the Open Championship two years later, Spieth has found it difficult to regain his form in major championships in the years since. He is also still chasing his first PGA Tour win of the year as the Travelers Championship unfolds. Spieth, 31, finished 14th at the Masters in April and missed the cut at the PGA Championship. He also struggled at the US Open, finishing 23rd with a score of eight over par. However, he was not alone in finding the going tough at Oakmont Country Club, with several top players - including Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson - missing the cut. The tournament was won by JJ Spaun, who claimed his first major title with a score of one-under, highlighting the difficulty of the Pennsylvanian conditions. Speaking after his win, he said: "I never thought I would be here holding this trophy. I've always had aspirations and dreams but a few months ago I didn't know what my ceiling was and how good I could be, but I am just proud. "I have been resilient in my career and pushed through a lot of things and tried to be the best golfer I could be. I was happy to display that today at Oakmont. It was a dream weekend scenario on Father's Day, to have my two kids here is awesome and a cherry on top of a wonderful weekend."
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
J.J. Spaun takes a long road of hard work to become US Open champion
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — J.J. Spaun faced his first big moment on a big stage in golf and he wasn't ready for it. He didn't even have a club in his hand. Spaun was a 26-year-old PGA Tour rookie at Torrey Pines in 2017. He was not eligible for the pro-am and wanted to see the North course when he came across an enormous crowd that could mean only one thing: Tiger Woods. He was walking along the edge of the fairway when Amy Bartlett, a Nike representative, spotted him and offered a chance to meet Woods. Spaun shook his head and took a step back. Bartlett laughed and dragged him over. 'I was too scared,' Spaun said a few weeks later. 'I didn't want to bug him.' Woods was gracious, as he often was with young players. For Spaun to imagine then that their names would be on the same piece of hardware — a silver U.S. Open trophy — would have been hard to fathom. 'I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,' he said in the Sunday twilight at soaked Oakmont during the trophy presentation. 'I always had aspirations and dreams. I never knew what my ceiling was.' Spaun isn't quite an out-of-nowhere winner that majors can produce — think Shaun Micheel at the 2003 PGA Championship for his first PGA Tour title or Jack Fleck taking down the great Ben Hogan in a U.S. Open playoff at Olympic Club in 1955. He feared losing his PGA Tour card last summer and fell to No. 119 in the world at the end of 2024. But he had a close call at the Sony Open in January and was one turn of the golf ball away from winning The Players Championship, instead losing in a playoff to Rory McIlroy. More than being on the rebound, Spaun was having a good year, already up to No. 25 in the world ranking. A new ceiling. And then he shattered it. In March, Spaun was in the interview room after his playoff loss when he looked up at a television and saw for the first time his tee shot on the island-green 17th at the TPC Sawgrass that didn't quite reach land. 'It's floating,' he said as he watched the golf ball in the air. Far more fun was looking up in the scoring room at Oakmont for his first look at the 65-foot birdie putt on the 18th that capped off a wet-and-wild finish to the 125th U.S. Open . Equally memorable, if not more important, was standing on the tee at the 314-yard 17th hole, remembering the cut driver he hit during the practice round and envisioning a repeat, which is what he delivered. The drive settled 18 feet behind the hole for a two-putt birdie that gave him the lead and ultimately made him a major champion. Where he goes from here is less interesting than how Spaun reached this point. He didn't have the easiest path. He just worked as hard as anyone. And he always kept going. In his second year playing on the Canadian Tour, Spaun missed the cut in all but one of his seven tournaments. The next year he won, getting him to the Korn Ferry Tour, and then getting him to the PGA Tour. 'I think it's just perseverance. I've always kind of battled through whatever it may be to kind of get to where I needed to be and get to what I wanted,' he said. 'I've had slumps at every level. I went back and said: 'You've done this before. You've been down before. You got out of it.' 'There's a little pattern, so hopefully I don't do that pattern again.' No one should rush to anoint Spaun the next star. Sure, he is the eighth of the 10 players who won the U.S. Open at Oakmont for their first major. That list includes Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller, Ernie Els and Dustin Johnson. Spaun doesn't fit that profile, in age or pedigree. He had only one PGA Tour title in his eight previous years on tour. The latest U.S. Open champion at Oakmont is a 34-year-old Californian who gave up on skateboarding only when he realized he couldn't make a living. But he is more about Pittsburgh grit than California chill. Spaun, whose heritage from his mother's side is Filipino and Mexican, was asked as a rookie if being a minority in golf was more about the bank account or the color of his skin. 'It would probably be money,' he said. 'We didn't have the means to play the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association). That was like playing a professional schedule. You had to pay to fly to tournaments, pay for the tournaments. My parents would have to take time off from work, another flight, another hotel room.' He feels fortunate to have leaned on the Southern California Junior Golf Association, among the best. He starred at San Dimas High School east of Los Angeles. He wasn't heavily recruited and walked on at San Diego State and worked his way up to a 70% scholarship. 'I had to fight through it and be tough,' Spaun said. 'My dad always instilled in me to work hard and let golf do the talking, to make my own luck.' The reward was enormous, greater than the $4.3 million he won at the U.S. Open, more than he had earned in any season on the PGA Tour. Spaun moved to No. 8 in the world. The victory moved him to No. 3 in the Ryder Cup standings, and it would be hard to imagine him not being at Bethpage Black at the end of September. Most telling is what Spaun said about his future as a rookie. He loved skateboarding, but he always felt there was something special in his future with golf. 'Maybe it's helping younger kids,' he said in 2017. 'Golf is going to help me reach a broader moment. And I'm waiting for that moment to come. I don't know what it is yet.' J.J. Spaun, U.S. Open champion. How's that? ___ AP golf:
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
J.J. Spaun takes a long road of hard work to become US Open champion
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — J.J. Spaun faced his first big moment on a big stage in golf and he wasn't ready for it. He didn't even have a club in his hand. Spaun was a 26-year-old PGA Tour rookie at Torrey Pines in 2017. He was not eligible for the pro-am and wanted to see the North course when he came across an enormous crowd that could mean only one thing: Tiger Woods. He was walking along the edge of the fairway when Amy Bartlett, a Nike representative, spotted him and offered a chance to meet Woods. Spaun shook his head and took a step back. Bartlett laughed and dragged him over. 'I was too scared,' Spaun said a few weeks later. 'I didn't want to bug him.' Woods was gracious, as he often was with young players. For Spaun to imagine then that their names would be on the same piece of hardware — a silver U.S. Open trophy — would have been hard to fathom. 'I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,' he said in the Sunday twilight at soaked Oakmont during the trophy presentation. 'I always had aspirations and dreams. I never knew what my ceiling was.' Spaun isn't quite an out-of-nowhere winner that majors can produce — think Shaun Micheel at the 2003 PGA Championship for his first PGA Tour title or Jack Fleck taking down the great Ben Hogan in a U.S. Open playoff at Olympic Club in 1955. He feared losing his PGA Tour card last summer and fell to No. 119 in the world at the end of 2024. But he had a close call at the Sony Open in January and was one turn of the golf ball away from winning The Players Championship, instead losing in a playoff to Rory McIlroy. More than being on the rebound, Spaun was having a good year, already up to No. 25 in the world ranking. A new ceiling. And then he shattered it. In March, Spaun was in the interview room after his playoff loss when he looked up at a television and saw for the first time his tee shot on the island-green 17th at the TPC Sawgrass that didn't quite reach land. 'It's floating,' he said as he watched the golf ball in the air. Far more fun was looking up in the scoring room at Oakmont for his first look at the 65-foot birdie putt on the 18th that capped off a wet-and-wild finish to the 125th U.S. Open. Equally memorable, if not more important, was standing on the tee at the 314-yard 17th hole, remembering the cut driver he hit during the practice round and envisioning a repeat, which is what he delivered. The drive settled 18 feet behind the hole for a two-putt birdie that gave him the lead and ultimately made him a major champion. Where he goes from here is less interesting than how Spaun reached this point. He didn't have the easiest path. He just worked as hard as anyone. And he always kept going. In his second year playing on the Canadian Tour, Spaun missed the cut in all but one of his seven tournaments. The next year he won, getting him to the Korn Ferry Tour, and then getting him to the PGA Tour. 'I think it's just perseverance. I've always kind of battled through whatever it may be to kind of get to where I needed to be and get to what I wanted,' he said. 'I've had slumps at every level. I went back and said: 'You've done this before. You've been down before. You got out of it.' 'There's a little pattern, so hopefully I don't do that pattern again.' No one should rush to anoint Spaun the next star. Sure, he is the eighth of the 10 players who won the U.S. Open at Oakmont for their first major. That list includes Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller, Ernie Els and Dustin Johnson. Spaun doesn't fit that profile, in age or pedigree. He had only one PGA Tour title in his eight previous years on tour. The latest U.S. Open champion at Oakmont is a 34-year-old Californian who gave up on skateboarding only when he realized he couldn't make a living. But he is more about Pittsburgh grit than California chill. Spaun, whose heritage from his mother's side is Filipino and Mexican, was asked as a rookie if being a minority in golf was more about the bank account or the color of his skin. 'It would probably be money,' he said. 'We didn't have the means to play the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association). That was like playing a professional schedule. You had to pay to fly to tournaments, pay for the tournaments. My parents would have to take time off from work, another flight, another hotel room.' He feels fortunate to have leaned on the Southern California Junior Golf Association, among the best. He starred at San Dimas High School east of Los Angeles. He wasn't heavily recruited and walked on at San Diego State and worked his way up to a 70% scholarship. 'I had to fight through it and be tough,' Spaun said. 'My dad always instilled in me to work hard and let golf do the talking, to make my own luck.' The reward was enormous, greater than the $4.3 million he won at the U.S. Open, more than he had earned in any season on the PGA Tour. Spaun moved to No. 8 in the world. The victory moved him to No. 3 in the Ryder Cup standings, and it would be hard to imagine him not being at Bethpage Black at the end of September. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Most telling is what Spaun said about his future as a rookie. He loved skateboarding, but he always felt there was something special in his future with golf. 'Maybe it's helping younger kids,' he said in 2017. 'Golf is going to help me reach a broader moment. And I'm waiting for that moment to come. I don't know what it is yet.' J.J. Spaun, U.S. Open champion. How's that? ___ AP golf:
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
J.J. Spaun takes a long road of hard work to become US Open champion
Associated Press OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — J.J. Spaun faced his first big moment on a big stage in golf and he wasn't ready for it. He didn't even have a club in his hand. Spaun was a 26-year-old PGA Tour rookie at Torrey Pines in 2017. He was not eligible for the pro-am and wanted to see the North course when he came across an enormous crowd that could mean only one thing: Tiger Woods. He was walking along the edge of the fairway when Amy Bartlett, a Nike representative, spotted him and offered a chance to meet Woods. Spaun shook his head and took a step back. Bartlett laughed and dragged him over. 'I was too scared,' Spaun said a few weeks later. 'I didn't want to bug him.' Woods was gracious, as he often was with young players. For Spaun to imagine then that their names would be on the same piece of hardware — a silver U.S. Open trophy — would have been hard to fathom. 'I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,' he said in the Sunday twilight at soaked Oakmont during the trophy presentation. 'I always had aspirations and dreams. I never knew what my ceiling was.' Spaun isn't quite an out-of-nowhere winner that majors can produce — think Shaun Micheel at the 2003 PGA Championship for his first PGA Tour title or Jack Fleck taking down the great Ben Hogan in a U.S. Open playoff at Olympic Club in 1955. He feared losing his PGA Tour card last summer and fell to No. 119 in the world at the end of 2024. But he had a close call at the Sony Open in January and was one turn of the golf ball away from winning The Players Championship, instead losing in a playoff to Rory McIlroy. More than being on the rebound, Spaun was having a good year, already up to No. 25 in the world ranking. A new ceiling. And then he shattered it. In March, Spaun was in the interview room after his playoff loss when he looked up at a television and saw for the first time his tee shot on the island-green 17th at the TPC Sawgrass that didn't quite reach land. 'It's floating,' he said as he watched the golf ball in the air. Far more fun was looking up in the scoring room at Oakmont for his first look at the 65-foot birdie putt on the 18th that capped off a wet-and-wild finish to the 125th U.S. Open. Equally memorable, if not more important, was standing on the tee at the 314-yard 17th hole, remembering the cut driver he hit during the practice round and envisioning a repeat, which is what he delivered. The drive settled 18 feet behind the hole for a two-putt birdie that gave him the lead and ultimately made him a major champion. Where he goes from here is less interesting than how Spaun reached this point. He didn't have the easiest path. He just worked as hard as anyone. And he always kept going. In his second year playing on the Canadian Tour, Spaun missed the cut in all but one of his seven tournaments. The next year he won, getting him to the Korn Ferry Tour, and then getting him to the PGA Tour. 'I think it's just perseverance. I've always kind of battled through whatever it may be to kind of get to where I needed to be and get to what I wanted,' he said. 'I've had slumps at every level. I went back and said: 'You've done this before. You've been down before. You got out of it.' 'There's a little pattern, so hopefully I don't do that pattern again.' No one should rush to anoint Spaun the next star. Sure, he is the eighth of the 10 players who won the U.S. Open at Oakmont for their first major. That list includes Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller, Ernie Els and Dustin Johnson. Spaun doesn't fit that profile, in age or pedigree. He had only one PGA Tour title in his eight previous years on tour. The latest U.S. Open champion at Oakmont is a 34-year-old Californian who gave up on skateboarding only when he realized he couldn't make a living. But he is more about Pittsburgh grit than California chill. Spaun, whose heritage from his mother's side is Filipino and Mexican, was asked as a rookie if being a minority in golf was more about the bank account or the color of his skin. 'It would probably be money,' he said. 'We didn't have the means to play the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association). That was like playing a professional schedule. You had to pay to fly to tournaments, pay for the tournaments. My parents would have to take time off from work, another flight, another hotel room.' He feels fortunate to have leaned on the Southern California Junior Golf Association, among the best. He starred at San Dimas High School east of Los Angeles. He wasn't heavily recruited and walked on at San Diego State and worked his way up to a 70% scholarship. 'I had to fight through it and be tough,' Spaun said. 'My dad always instilled in me to work hard and let golf do the talking, to make my own luck.' The reward was enormous, greater than the $4.3 million he won at the U.S. Open, more than he had earned in any season on the PGA Tour. Spaun moved to No. 8 in the world. The victory moved him to No. 3 in the Ryder Cup standings, and it would be hard to imagine him not being at Bethpage Black at the end of September. Most telling is what Spaun said about his future as a rookie. He loved skateboarding, but he always felt there was something special in his future with golf. 'Maybe it's helping younger kids,' he said in 2017. 'Golf is going to help me reach a broader moment. And I'm waiting for that moment to come. I don't know what it is yet.' J.J. Spaun, U.S. Open champion. How's that? ___ AP golf: recommended in this topic
New York Post
10-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
2025 U.S. Open match-up picks, predictions: Corey Conners vs. Jordan Spieth, Ben Griffin vs. Shane Lowry
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. The U.S. Open kicks off Thursday at one of golf's most iconic venues, Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. Scottie Scheffler is a historic favorite after a dominant showing during the PGA Championship, but there are plenty of other betting opportunities to target. Here's a look at a couple of matchups we're targeting for this weekend's action. Corey Conners vs. Jordan Spieth Corey Conners has been one of the breakout PGA Tour stars of 2025. The Canadian has five top-10 finishes so far this season and has proven to be a cut-making machine, playing the weekend in 14-of-15 starts, including 13 straight since falling short at the Sony Open in January. Since mid-February, Conners has finished 30th or better in 10 of 11 tournaments he's entered. Jordan Spieth, who is slightly favored to finish ahead of Conners this weekend at Oakmont, has been more of a wild card of late. He's missed the cut just twice this year, but Spieth has finished outside the top-30 in four additional tournaments, suggesting he's having a hard time putting four solid rounds together. Conners has finished ahead of Spieth in both majors this season. Look for the up-and-comer to do it again this weekend. The play: Corey Conners to finish ahead of Jordan Spieth (-105, BetMGM Sportsbook) Ben Griffin of the United States prepares to play a shot on the third hole during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 10, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Getty Images Ben Griffin vs. Shane Lowry Ben Griffin comes into the U.S. Open as the hottest player in golf outside of Scottie Scheffler. Over his past three tournaments, Griffin has won the Charles Schwab Challenge, finished second at the Memorial, and finished T-8 at the PGA Championship. He's a big underdog to beat out Shane Lowry this weekend, despite playing as well as anyone in the field. Lowry has enjoyed a strong season, with two runner-up finishes and two additional top-10s, but he's struggled during the majors, finishing T-42 at Augusta and missing the cut during the PGA Championship. The Irishman is a much more familiar name to the average golf fan, but Griffin is the hot hand to ride in this matchup. The play: Ben Griffin to finish ahead of Shane Lowry (+110, FanDuel Sportsbook) Why Trust New York Post Betting Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He's particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
