Last night the GOLF team on site at the U.S. Open went to “Drum & Quill”, a tavern in Pinehurst Village that is dedicated to all golf writers and their contribution to growing the game. I think every town should have one. But it was the perfect place for us to debrief the final day of practice at Pinehurst before the tournament began.
I’ve been having so much fun exploring Pinehurst over the last 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 monogrammed carts as the sun sets and I think that just might be the key to happiness.
Unfortunately, I have not found an ice cream spot yet, but I will keep you all updated on that front.
Wednesday Tiger-mania
Tiger Woods may not have played a practice round on Wednesday at Pinehurst, but that didn’t keep U.S. Open fans from seeing him. Hundreds of people lined up to watch him hit balls for an hour before he went to chip and putt for a bit.
Here’s a video I took; CBS analyst Trevor Immelman commented that this “May be the most active I’ve seen his right leg in the downswing in a long time,” which is great to hear.
Enough about Tiger’s swing, though. Let’s talk about the kids going absolutely wild for Tiger as he walked by on Wednesday afternoon.
Absolute madness from the kids autograph zone when Tiger walked by. Rob went to hand out some golf balls and then a kid asked for the box they came in 😂 pic.twitter.com/mDCGC6JAss
Children screamed Tiger’s name as he headed from the range to the practice green, which made me laugh a bit as I realized most of these guys were probably born after 2014. I have to assume they’ve all inherited the Tiger obsession from their parents or grandparents, which makes me happy. Some families pass down recipes or heirlooms, others pass down something much more important: a love for the 15-time major champion.
While Tiger didn’t stop to sign in the middle of his practice, his right-hand man and pal Rob McNamara fed into the chaos and made a bunch of kids’ days when he tossed about a dozen of Tiger’s golf balls into the crowd. When he ran out, kids who weren’t lucky (or quick) enough to grab one were bummed, except for one genius girl who got McNamara to give her the box that he had been using to hold the golf balls. I’m very certain that the kid who thought of that will change the world one day. She missed one opportunity and created another for herself. The epitome of “when one door closes, another one opens.” I just hope no one mistakenly throws out the empty cardboard box thats laying around in her house one day.
Folks, we’re chasing a feel-good theme for the rest of this Rogers Report: your favorite players being certified Good Guys. Buckle up.
Scottie Scheffler’s thoughtful response
One of my favorite U.S. Open traditions is the junior reporters that come in and get to cover a major championship for the day. This week we had Tytus with us for Scottie Scheffler’s press conference, and he asked how the World No. 1 remained calm after making a triple-bogey last Saturday at the Memorial.
You won’t believe the question young Tytus asked World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler 🤣
“That’s a good question. I was very frustrated so I’m glad you couldn’t tell.I think I’ve learned over the course of my career to stay as patient as possible. When I made a triple on that hole, I really didn’t hit that bad of a shot, it just hit a tree and went out of bounds. I kind of reminded myself I was playing good golf and as long as I kept a good head on my shoulders I could continue to go about my day and was able to bounce back nicely. I think that’s something you learn playing more and more golf, is that bad breaks are going to come but it’s more about your response to those things than really receiving the bad break because over the course of a 72-hole tournament you’re going to get plenty of bad breaks and hit plenty of bad shots. It’s more about how am I going to recover from those shots.”
It’s more about how you react to the bad breaks that matter. 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 thoughtful reply. Also, can we talk about how excited Tytus was so see Scheffler at the start of that video? I remember feeling the exact same way the first few times I covered a tournament.
Tytus, I look forward to following your long, successful career in golf media.
Rickie Fowler meets an incredible 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 a U.S. Open, and you can tell he definitely wasn’t expecting to meet Rickie Fowler. Thanks to the USGA, they made it happen.
Make-A-Wish recipient Parker Milkos’ wish was a visit to the @USOpenGolf.
Milkos did not hold back when it came to telling Fowler how big of an inspiration he’s been to him. Also, I know the feeling of your heart rate skyrocketing before talking to a player for the first time (I used to get so nervous asking questions in press conferences), so you’re not alone, Milkos. Shout out to Fowler for making a fan’s unforgettable day even more special.
A biology teacher and Jordan Spieth tee it up
Jordan Spieth played his Wednesday practice round alongside high school biology teacher Colin Prater, who qualified for the U.S. Open on Golf’s Longest Day.
In Colin Prater's "normal" life, he's a high school science teacher and golf coach in Colorado.
After qualifying on Golf’s Longest Day, Prater’s normal life takes a break this week as he tees it up in the @USOpenGolf.
Imagine going from spending your days trying to get teenagers to pay attention to your lecture to playing on golf’s biggest stage? It sounds like the plot of a really good Disney Channel movie. Stories like this is what makes the U.S. Open so special, and no matter what Prater does in the tournament, it seems like he’s already had the week of a lifetime. Also, I hope his students realize how insanely cool and talented their science teacher is for this.
