;)
Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy at Oakmont.
Peacock
Hello friends and happy Thursday from a very hot U.S. Open! I spent my day rotating between the air-conditioned media center, the course and the practice areas here at Oakmont. I’ll admit I was a little worried this morning when 23 players were under par here, but things have evened out and Oakmont is definitely showing its teeth.
Like the rest of the world, I was hoping that the course would play hard this week for a few reasons. One, we don’t see many winning scores around par these days. Two, the player reactions. My apologies to the best in the world, but it’s fun to see the pros struggle out there. The rest of us do it on a daily basis, so seeing our favorite players deal with a little frustration out there is good for the soul.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at the most relatable moments from Round 1 of the U.S. Open.
Trent Phillips’ wake up
Trent Phillips was in the first group off at Oakmont on Thursday morning. He teed off at 6:45 a.m and by 7:08 a.m. the following video of him just barely making his way out of a horrible bunker lie hit the internet.
It did not take long for Oakmont to take its first victim, but you know what? This should inspire us all. Who among us hasn’t been faced with a debilitating bunker issue just minutes after starting a round?
Shane Lowry’s mic drop
I’ve been referring to Shane Lowry lately (in my head at least) as “Tyrrell Hatton Lite.” I mean this as a good thing. I was wondering why Lowry’s anger on the course doesn’t seem as jarring as Hatton’s, and my pal Chris Powers’ theory that you can get away with anything if you have an accent seems to add up.
Lowry went through all of the emotions on Thursday at Oakmont. He went from throwing a microphone out of anger to making U.S. Open history on No. 3 — and all he could do was laugh.
As I was perusing Getty Images this afternoon, I came across the following photo of Lowry and Rory McIlroy on the ninth green, which was their final hole of the day.
;)
Getty Images
Lowry may not have had his best stuff today, but he was still able to crack a smile after a round with his best pal.
Rory McIlroy’s fourth hole
Next up we have the Masters champion. While none of us can relate to winning the career grand slam or the 309-yard tee shot McIlroy hit on No. 4, we can empathize with what followed.
I personally spend most of my 18-hole rounds in the rough. The only reason I don’t spend much time in the fescue is because my home course doesn’t have much of it. McIlroy hit two shots on No. 4 a combined 96 feet. Been there!
Si Woo Kim’s post-round interview
When it comes to his sense of humor, Si Woo Kim is one of the most underrated players on Tour. He went viral last fall for his Steph Curry imitation after chipping in during the Presidents Cup. Kim may have lost the match after this celebration, but he won over a lot of fans after showing just how much fun he was having on the golf course.
Today was a little different for Kim at Oakmont. He definitely wasn’t having fun. In fact, he thinks the golf course is too tough for him. Here’s what he had to say in his post-round interview.
So next time you feel like you’re getting beaten up by the course, just remember that you’re not alone. Si Woo Kim has been there. Sure, he still managed to shoot two-under par, but he’s been there.
Scottie Scheffler’s club slam
Next up we have the World No. 1, who we don’t often get to see upset on the golf course because things tend to go his way. I mean, the guy has three wins (including a major) in the last six weeks. But Oakmont briefly got the better of Scottie on Thursday after his approach on No. 14.
Seeing Scottie angry on the course is pretty rare, so while I definitely felt bad that he wasn’t happy, I felt happy for Oakmont. The members must’ve loved this moment. Their track cracked the No. 1 player in the world, even if it was just for a brief moment.
;)
