The post A ‘monumental’ coup: Inverness Club will get another U.S. Open appeared first on Golf.

The post A ‘monumental’ coup: Inverness Club will get another U.S. Open appeared first on Golf.

Cinderella stories are part of golf. Usually, though, they involve players, not places.

For years, Inverness Club — a six-time major championship venue and Donald Ross design in Toledo, Ohio — seemed an unlikely candidate to rejoin the modern U.S. Open rota. As the national championship increasingly gravitated toward a small circle of anchor sites and the modern game rendered many older courses obsolete for the best male players, Inverness came to be seen as a relic of an earlier era: a great design but not a national championship stage.

On Saturday, that changed.

The United States Golf Association, gathered in New York for its annual meetings, confirmed that Inverness will host the 2045 U.S. Open, the headliner in a trio of additional championships rounded out by the 2033 U.S. Girls’ Junior and the 2036 U.S. Women’s Amateur. The announcement had been anticipated after reporting by the Toledo Blade, which called the news a “monumental” coup, and a statement by Toledo mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, who said the decision dispelled the “myth” that the Toledo market wasn’t strong enough to merit such an honor.

The 2045 championship will mark the fifth U.S. Open contested at Inverness and the 13th USGA championship held at the club overall. The course is already scheduled to host the 2027 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2029 U.S. Amateur, underscoring what has become a renewed partnership between the governing body and one of the Midwest’s most storied venues.

USGA CEO Mike Whan said in a statement that Inverness provides a championship setting consistent with the organization’s competitive standards, noting its history of staging events ranging from national opens to elite amateur competitions.

For Inverness, the award represents a striking championship revival.

The club first hosted the U.S. Open in 1920, when Ted Ray captured the title in an event notable for featuring the U.S. Open debut of Bobby Jones. Subsequent U.S. Opens, in 1931 and 1957, ended in playoffs, before Hale Irwin won at even par in 1979, two strokes ahead of Gary Player and Jerry Pate.

Despite that résumé — which also includes PGA Championships in 1986 and 1993 — Inverness gradually faded from the championship spotlight. As professional golf entered an era defined by distance and infrastructure demands, the course was regarded by some as too short to challenge modern players, while Toledo found itself competing for attention with nearby major-championship markets such as Detroit’s Oakland Hills Country Club and western Pennsylvania’s Oakmont Country Club.

Inverness’s prospects seemed to dim further when the USGA began emphasizing anchor venues for the U.S. Open — returning repeatedly to sites such as Pinehurst No. 2 and Pebble Beach Golf Links — with championships scheduled through 2044 already spoken for. Against mounting odds, though, Inverness pushed to reestablish itself as a championship stage.

Courses

Key to that effort was a 2017–2018 renovation by architect Andrew Green, who reworked the course to better reflect the strategic principles of Ross’s Golden Age design. The project reopened playing corridors, expanded greens, and reinstated design characteristics that had been altered during a 1970s overhaul undertaken ahead of the 1979 U.S. Open.

The changes helped reshape perceptions. Inverness hosted the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 2021 Solheim Cup. Then came the USGA’s decision to award the club the 2029 U.S. Amateur. There was growing indication that the course was back in the governing body’s sights.

The latest announcement extends that trajectory while also delivering a significant moment for Toledo, a Rust Belt city hit hard by a waning industrial economy and decades-long population decline.

Saturday’s news is also another notch in the golf belt for Ohio. Through 2025, the state has hosted 41 USGA championships overall, among the highest totals in the country.

The Inverness announcement came as part of a broader slate of future championship site selections unveiled by the USGA. National Golf Links of America on Long Island will host the 2040 Walker Cup, while Cypress Point Club in California is slated to stage the 2042 Curtis Cup and the 2048 Walker Cup. Seminole Golf Club in Florida was awarded the 2046 Curtis Cup and the 2052 Walker Cup.

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The post USGA releases qualifying sites for 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills appeared first on Golf.

The post USGA releases qualifying sites for 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills appeared first on Golf.

Think you have what it takes to tee it up in a U.S. Open? Now is your chance to select a venue to start the journey, as the USGA announced the local and final qualifying sites for the 126th U.S. Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.

While the U.S. Open won’t begin until June 18-21, local qualifying — in which only one 18-hole round is played — will take place between April 20 and May 18 at 110 sites across 46 U.S. states, as well as Canada and Mexico.

Final qualifying will commence on May 18 through June 8 and includes players who made it through local qualifiers in addition to locally exempt competitors. Thirteen sites (10 in the U.S. and one each in England, Japan and Canada) will host the 36-hole final qualifiers.

Last year, the USGA accepted a record 10,202 entries for the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, exceeding the previous record of 10,187 entries received for the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.

Interested in giving it a go? There is a prerequisite: You must be a professional, or an amateur with a Handicap Index not exceeding 0.4. If you meet that criteria, you can register to play at champs.usga.org beginning 9 a.m. ET on Feb. 18. The deadline for entry is 5 p.m. ET on April 8.

While winning the U.S. Open as a qualifier seems like the ultimate long-shot, there is some precedent for success. At last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, six final qualifiers finished in the top 25, including Carlos Ortiz, who finished fourth, and Chris Gotterup, who is now a four-time PGA Tour winner.

Ken Venturi (1964) and Orville Moody (1969) are the only players to win the U.S. Open after advancing through both qualifying stages. Perhaps the next player could be you! Check out all the 2026 U.S. Open qualifying sites below.

2026 U.S. Open Championship Local Qualifying Sites (110) 

Monday, April 20 (8)

Oro Valley (Ariz.) Country Club 

Del Rio Country Club, Modesto, Calif. 

Wichita Falls (Texas) Country Club 

The Territory Golf and Country Club, Duncan, Okla. 

Solina Golf Club, West Columbia, S.C. 

Druid Hills Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga. 

Eastpointe Country Club (East Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 

Persimmon Ridge Golf Club, Louisville, Ky. 

Tuesday, April 21 (2) 

Woodland Golf Club, Auburndale, Mass. 

The Club at Nevillewood, Presto, Pa. 

Wednesday, April 22 (2) 

Club de Golf La Hacienda, Mexico City, Mexico 

Stonewall Orchard Golf Club, Grayslake, Ill. 

Monday, April 27 (10) 

Parkersburg Country Club, Vienna, W.V. 

Ridgewood Country Club, Waco, Texas 

Barton Creek Country Club at Lakeside, Spicewood, Texas 

Medford Village (N.J.) Country Club 

Rams Hill Golf Club, Borrego Springs, Calif.  

Four Bridges Country Club, Liberty Township, Ohio 

Fairmont Country Club, Chatham, N.J. 

Crooked Stick Golf Club, Carmel, Ind. 

Hidden Valley Country Club, Reno, Nev. 

The Club at Carlton Woods (Nicklaus Course), The Woodlands, Texas 

Tuesday, April 28 (5) 

Pearl at Kalauao, Aiea, Oahu, Hawai’i 

Findlay (Ohio) Country Club 

Southampton (N.Y.) Golf Club 

Eagle Trace Golf Club, Coral Springs, Fla. 

Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course), Palm Harbor, Fla. 

Thursday, April 30 (5)

Kings Country Club, Hanford, Calif. 

La Purisima Golf Course, Lompoc, Calif. 

Wailua Golf Club, Lihue, Hawai’i 

Country Club of York (Pa.) 

The Home Course, DuPont, Wash. 

Monday, May 4 (18) 

The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach (Fla.) 

Lake Nona (Fla.) Golf & Country Club 

Avila Golf & Country Club, Tampa, Fla. 

North Oaks (Minn.) Golf Club 

Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Country Club 

Brentwood Country Club, Los Angeles, Calif. 

Indian Ridge Country Club (Grove Course), Palm Desert, Calif. 

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club, Maricopa, Ariz. 

Plum Hollow Country Club, Southfield, Mich. 

Illini Country Club, Springfield, Ill. 

North Shore Country Club (Red & White Courses), Glenwood Landing, N.Y. 

Raven Golf Club at Sandestin (Fla.) 

Secession Golf Club, Beaufort, S.C. 

Stonebrae Country Club, Hayward, Calif. 

Morris Park Country Club, South Bend, Ind. 

Crestview Country Club (North Course), Wichita, Kan. 

The Country Club of Sioux Falls (S.D.) 

Chester Valley Golf Club, Malvern, Pa. 

Tuesday, May 5 (10) 

Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, Westminster, Colo. 

Great River Golf Club, Milford, Conn. 

Hot Springs Country Club (Arlington Course), Hot Springs, Ark. 

Ruby Hill Golf Club, Pleasanton, Calif.  

WingHaven Country Club, St. Louis, Mo. 

Andalusia Country Club, La Quinta, Calif. 

Collindale Golf Course, Fort Collins, Colo. 

North Shore Country Club (Red & White), Mequon, Wis. 

Red Hawk Golf Club, Las Cruces, N.M. 

The Country Club, Morristown, Tenn. 

Wednesday, May 6 (6) 

Plantation Bay Country Club (Founders – North/South), Ormond Beach, Fla. 

Moorings at Hawk’s Nest, Vero Beach, Fla. 

Turf Valley Resort (Original Course), Ellicott City, Md. 

Omaha (Neb.) Country Club 

Pasatiempo Golf Club, Santa Cruz, Calif. 

River Landing, Wallace, N.C. 

Thursday, May 7 (4) 

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Silver Lakes (Backbreaker/Heartbreaker), Gadsden, Ala. 

Rancho La Quinta Country Club (Jones Course), La Quinta, Calif. 

Thorncreek Golf Course, Thornton, Colo. 

Riverton (Wyo.) Country Club 

Monday, May 11 (24) 

St. Thomas (Ontario, Canada) Golf & Country Club 

The Club at P.B. Dye, Ijamsville, Md. 

Canongate-on-White-Oak (Old Course), Newnan, Ga. 

Phoenix (Ariz.) Country Club 

Marsh Creek Country Club, St. Augustine, Fla. 

Shingle Creek Golf Club, Orlando, Fla. 

Vineyards Country Club (North Course), Naples, Fla. 

The Club at Sonterra (North Course), San Antonio, Texas 

Classic Club, Palm Desert, Calif. 

The Links at Greystone, Walworth, N.Y. 

Duke University Golf Club, Durham, N.C. 

Battle Creek (Mich.) Country Club 

Fairview Country Club, Greenwich, Conn. 

Metropolis Country Club, White Plains, N.Y. 

Elmhurst Country Club, Moscow, Pa. 

Mendakota Country Club, Mendota Heights, Minn. 

Willow Creek Country Club, Sandy, Utah 

Scioto Reserve Country Club, Powell, Ohio 

Hallbrook Country Club, Leawood, Kan. 

Flossmoor (Ill.) Golf Club 

Nashville Golf & Athletic Club, Brentwood, Tenn. 

Papago Golf Course, Phoenix, Ariz. 

Creekside Golf Club, Salem, Ore. 

Shaker Ridge Country Club, Albany, N.Y. 

Tuesday, May 12 (11) 

Weymouth Country Club, Medina, Ohio 

Keswick (Va.) Golf Club 

Ironwood Country Club (South Course), Palm Desert, Calif. 

Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Mission Viejo, Calif. 

Missoula (Mont.) Country Club 

The Cardinal by Pete Dye, Greensboro, N.C. 

Meadow Springs Country Club, Richland, Wa. 

Hackberry Creek Country Club, Irving, Texas 

UNM Championship Golf Course, Albuquerque, N.M. 

Berkshire Hills Country Club, Pittsfield, Mass. 

Kirkbrae Country Club, Lincoln, R.I. 

Wednesday, May 13 (4) 

Kensington Golf & Country Club, Naples, Fla. 

Mallard Golf Club, Lake Charles, La. 

Warm Springs Golf Course, Boise, Idaho 

Casablanca Golf Club, Mesquite, Nev. 

Monday, May 18 (1) 

Palmer (Alaska) Golf Course 

2026 U.S. Open Championship Final Qualifying Sites (13) 

Monday, May 18 (2) 

Dallas (Texas) Athletic Club (Blue/Gold) 

Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey, England 

Monday, May 25 (1) 

Hino Golf Club (King Course), Shiga Prefecture, Japan 

Monday, June 8 (10) 

Hawks Ridge Golf Club, Ball Ground, Ga. 

Lambton Golf & Country Club, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

The Lakes Golf & Country Club, Westerville, Ohio 

Woodmont Country Club (North Course), Rockville, Md. 

BallenIsles Country Club (East Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 

Century Country Club, Purchase, N.Y. & Golf Club of Purchase (N.Y.) 

Gaston Country Club, Gastonia, N.C. 

Del Paso Country Club, Sacramento, Calif. 

Springfield (Ohio) Country Club 

Emerald Valley Golf Club, Creswell, Ore.

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The post J.J. Spaun’s major title was memorable for more reasons than you’d think appeared first on Golf.

The post J.J. Spaun’s major title was memorable for more reasons than you’d think appeared first on Golf.

The past 12 months had a little of everything — a career Grand Slam, Ryder Cup chaos and so much more. With 2026 on the horizon, our writers look back at the most memorable moments from 2025 and explain why they mattered.

No. 15 — The zero-torque putter movement
No. 14 — ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ takes golf world by storm
No. 13 — Joaquin Niemann’s big 2025 (and crucial 2026)

Stories of 2025 No. 12: J.J. Spaun’s major moment

It was raining, and crouching green-side, my battle to keep my notebook dry while simultaneously scribbling thoughts on it had just begun. Eighty feet away from me, J.J. Spaun had bigger things to worry about. Spaun faced a 64-footer for birdie on Oakmont’s par-4 18th with a U.S. Open trophy on the line.

Make and he wins, but no one was expecting that — not in this weather and not from the parking lot. But a good lag putt here was a likely par and one-shot win over Robert MacIntyre, who was waiting in scoring.

It had been a long, difficult day at Oakmont. Weather delayed the final round of the third major of the year by 96 minutes, and Spaun, who started the day just a shot behind leader Sam Burns, went into the locker room reeling. He bogeyed five of his first six holes and the tournament was slipping away. It was easy to start thinking of the Players Championship from three months earlier, when Spaun was a massive underdog in a playoff with Rory McIlroy and dunked one into the water on the iconic par-3 17th. McIlroy won the three-hole aggregate playoff easily.

Despite the loss at TPC Sawgrass, Spaun saw only the positives in his close call. He used the same mindset during the weather delay at Oakmont. He changed his outfit (“I’m done wearing those clothes,” he said) and reset everything. He came out refocused and recharged.

“All I was thinking, and even my whole team, my coach, my caddie, they were like, ‘Oh, dude, this is exactly what we need,'” Spaun said. “And it was. We went back out and capitalized.”

Spaun made pars on 9, 10 and 11 before making birdies on 12 and 14. He bogeyed 15 but got it back with a birdie on 17. All around him, competitors were falling off the leaderboard on a difficult U.S. Open Sunday. Then came the 18th, and Spaun needed just two putts to win.

You know what happened next. He drained it. But do you remember what happened elsewhere? While I was jockeying for position among waterlogged media members and as fans around the green focused their gaze on Spaun’s celebration, some of the best moments in the aftermath of the victory came elsewhere.

There was Spaun’s wife and kids, celebrating on the platform above the green. There was MacIntyre, watching in scoring. He needed Spaun to bogey to get in a playoff with him, but he didn’t seem to care about that at the time. He looked up at the TV in scoring and unleashed a few hearty, jovial claps. “Wow,” he said.

Outside of scoring, there was Tyrrell Hatton talking to the media. He had finished bogey-bogey and was particularly annoyed with some of the questions he received about his finish. But his mood changed mid-answer as he watched Spaun finish on a nearby TV.

“Oh, he’s holed it,” Hatton said. “Unbelievable.” He paused, then smiled. “What a putt to win. That’s incredible.”

Between Scottie Scheffler’s pair of major routs, McIlroy’s green jacket and Spaun’s walk-off winner, golf fans were spoiled by 2025’s majors.

And sometimes even the players realize how good the entertainment is.

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The post What’s it like to be a Junior Reporter at a major? Ask Silas appeared first on Golf.

The post What’s it like to be a Junior Reporter at a major? Ask Silas appeared first on Golf.

Sentry is the official insurance partner of the USGA, and as a trustee of the First Tee program they sponsor a Sentry First Tee Junior Reporter each year at the U.S. Open. At Oakmont, the intrepid scribe was 10-year-old Silas Ryan, of Pittsburgh. Here’s his report from a practice-round hang with the greats. [This content was created in partnership with Sentry.]

My day as the 2025 U.S. Open Junior Course Reporter was one I’ll remember the rest of my life. After a sleepless night and a morning filled with excitement, my family and I arrived at the shuttle bus lot bright and early. Normally, I do not like waking up early, but that was not the case today. We made our way onto a shuttle to the course, which was bigger and more beautiful than I had dreamed it would be. I had to see for myself if the grass was real! We ate breakfast, then my brother and I raced to the autograph barn, where we were lucky enough to get a few player autographs. Finally, it was time to meet everyone at the media center.

I instantly felt both excited and nervous. The first person I met was Jack McGraw with the USGA. He introduced us to the Sentry team who helped make my entire day possible. When we were speaking about our agenda for the day, I received a huge surprise: a 2025 Masters flag autographed by Rory McIlroy! After that, I met my partner for the day: GOLF’s director of social media, Claire Rogers. Claire was so kind that my nervousness melted away. Things were off to a great start, so we went to the range to start interviewing pros. It was the first time in my life being that close to professional athletes. My first interview was with PGA Tour player James Nicholas, and he was great. James showed me that pros were just normal humans. Next, I spoke with Aaron Rai. I asked him one serious and one goofy question. This went over great, and it turned out to be my formula for the day.

One of my favorite parts of the day was my “walk and talk” with Gary Woodland. A highlight was when Mr. Woodland handed me his putter on the 1st green. How many other 10-year-olds can say they putted during a U.S. Open practice round with a former U.S. Open winner?

After lunch and a few more attempts on a practice green that was as tricky as the actual Oakmont greens, I put a cherry on the day with my final activity: Bryson DeChambeau’s media interview. I knew I was going to get to ask him his final question, but it seemed like there were so many questions before mine. As every reporter asked their questions, the knot in my throat tightened more and more. But it was finally my turn!

“You have successfully reinvented the game of golf in so many ways, both on and off the course,” I said. “How do you want to be remembered?” Bryson’s looked directly at me. He said he wanted to inspire kids like me to play golf and to be inspired to play professionally. I will never forget the huge smile he had on his face when they called on me and how proud I was for not messing up the question. Then he came over, gave me a fist bump and took a picture with me.

The whole day was like a dream. I am so grateful to the USGA, Sentry and the First Tee — they’re so committed to growing the game through projects like this that empower kids and teens through the game of golf and embrace tech and learning to be a better person through golf. I’m happy to say it’s worked for me.

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The post ‘I did something awful’: Wyndham Clark’s rage fallout follows him to Open appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘I did something awful’: Wyndham Clark’s rage fallout follows him to Open appeared first on Golf.

As Wyndham Clark was putting the finishing touches on a sparkling, eight-birdie 65 in the final round of the 153rd Open Championship, NBC announcer Dan Hicks surfaced on the broadcast one of the darker chapters in Clark’s career: the moment when Clark, after missing the cut at the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in June, took out his frustration on a defenseless bank of lockers in Oakmont’s historic men’s locker room. Clark’s outburst incensed Oakmont members, and when a photo of the damage surfaced on social media, golf fans at large also got a look at the ugly result of Clark’s rage.

Hicks informed the NBC audience that Oakmont had recently decided to ban Clark from the club and “put the onus on him to be better,” which drew a spirited response from one of Hicks’ booth mates, four-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Kisner.

“I’m not sure anybody in the situation handled it properly,” Kisner said. “Wyndham probably could have nipped that in the bud with an earlier, or justifiable, statement, but locker rooms are supposed to be sacred. Not sure how that picture got out; USGA can help with that. I think if everyone just sat at a table face to face, that situation could go away pretty quickly.”

It seems highly unlikely that the United States Golf Association had anything to do with leaking that photo — the image was shared with Tron Carter of No Laying Up, who posted it on his X feed — but whatever the case, Hicks and Kisner’s rehash of L’Affaire Clark caught the attention of golf fans on social media.   

Clark himself also was asked to reflect on the ramifications of the incident, in his post-round press conference on Sunday evening. “Obviously I feel terrible with what happened,” he said. “I’m doing anything I can to try to remedy the situation.”

Earlier this week, Golf Digest published a letter that Oakmont club president John Lynch had sent to members that said after “multiple discussions with the USGA and the OCC Board, a decision has been made that Mr. Clark will no longer be permitted on OCC property.” Lynch wrote that the club would consider reinstating Clark only if he fulfilled “a number of specific conditions, including full repayment for damages, a meaningful contribution to a charity of the Board’s choosing, and the successful completion of counseling and/or anger management sessions.”

Asked on Sunday whether those requirements felt reasonable to Clark, he said: “Yeah, we reached out and we wanted to do that. Obviously, it’s a no-brainer to pay for the damages. That was a given. Then obviously all the apologies, and I want to give back to the community because I hurt a great place in Pittsburgh, so I wanted to do anything I can to show them that what happened there was not a reflection of who I am and won’t happen again.”

News

The U.S. Open is slated to return to Oakmont in 2033, and then again in 2042 and 2049. Clark earned a 10-year U.S. Open exemption for winning the 2023 U.S. Open, meaning he would be exempt for the 2033 edition. As for whether Clark will be welcome at the club by then, he said, “That’s up to them. I really don’t know. I would hope so. It’s a fantastic course and place.”

Clark said he would have preferred that Lynch’s letter remain private but stressed that he was deeply regretful for his actions. “I did something awful, and I’m really sorry for it,” he said. “Hopefully they have it in their heart to forgive me, and maybe in the future I’ll be able to play there.”

That Friday in Oakmont wasn’t the first time Clark has let his temper get the better of him. After a loose tee shot at the PGA Championship in May, Clark flung his driver into signage behind the tee box. On the Monday after that tournament, he apologized on X, writing, “My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on.”

On Sunday in Portrush, Clark acknowledged the “two stupid things” he has done this year and said his anger management is a work in progress.

“I’ve been pretty open about my mental shift and change to get better,” he said. “One thing that it did do is wake me up and get me back into the person I know I am and the person I want to be. I hope those things don’t reflect because I don’t think they reflect on who I am, and going forward that stuff is not going to happen again.”

Clark’s Sunday 65 was bettered only by Bryson DeChambeau’s 64 and elevated him into a tie for 4th. It’s his first top-10 finish at a major since his U.S. Open win.

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The post U.S. Open champ Wyndham Clark suspended from Oakmont Country Club appeared first on Golf.

The post U.S. Open champ Wyndham Clark suspended from Oakmont Country Club appeared first on Golf.

If Wyndham Clark plans to return to the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in 2033 — or visit the historic club for any reason before then — he’ll need to satisfy a list of requirements beforehand.

Clark has been suspended from the Oakmont, Pa., club after he damaged lockers in a fit of rage following his second round of the U.S. Open last month. Pat Mayo first reported the suspension on X on Tuesday, and multiple outlets confirmed since. Golf Digest’s Joel Beall obtained a copy of a letter club president John Lynch sent to members this week.

“Several of you have inquired about the situation involving Wyndham Clark and the steps being taken in response to his recent behavior. Following multiple discussions with the USGA and the OCC Board, a decision has been made that Mr. Clark will no longer be permitted on OCC property.

“This decision will remain in effect unless formally reconsidered and approved by the Board.”

“Reinstatement would be contingent upon Mr. Clark fulfilling a number of specific conditions, including full repayment for damages, a meaningful contribution to a charity of the Board’s choosing, and the successful completion of counseling and/or anger management sessions.“

Clark, 31, bogeyed the final hole of the second round of the U.S. Open to miss the cut by one. The damage he caused to historic lockers afterward eventually circulated on social media.

He was asked about the incident after his Thursday round at the next week’s Travelers Championship.

“I’ve had a lot of highs and lows in my career, especially this year some lows,” Clark said. “I made a mistake that I deeply regret. I’m very sorry for what happened.

“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 this year and things that come up,” he continued. “I still want to try to make the Ryder Cup team. I still am on the outside looking in for the FedExCup. So I’m starting to move on and focus on those things.”

But Oakmont, like many clubs, is a proud membership; many members were angry and disappointed with what transpired.

“Whoever did it, I don’t know who the f— they think they are,” one longtime member told GOLF.com, adding, “I’d be tempted to show up at his next tournament and heckle him on the tee. You know, something like, ‘Hey, buddy, how about I come to your house and kick in the shower doors?’”

Clark’s apology at the Travelers wasn’t his first of the season. He also put out a statement after he threw a club against a sponsor sign behind a tee box after a wayward drive at the PGA Championship in May, saying, “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 won the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, earning him a 10-year exemption into the national championship. The final year of that exemption, in 2033, will be when the U.S. Open returns to Oakmont.

Clark tees off for his first round of the 2025 Open Championship at 5:20 a.m. ET on Thursday.

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The post Kevin Kisner saw the future on J.J Spaun’s U.S. Open-winning moment appeared first on Golf.

The post Kevin Kisner saw the future on J.J Spaun’s U.S. Open-winning moment appeared first on Golf.

J.J. Spaun’s U.S. Open-winning birdie putt was spectacular, astonishing and unforeseen.

It was also, it turns out, something else: Predictable.

In a video released by the USGA on Tuesday morning, golf fans earned a glimpse into the NBC Sports booth as Spaun’s 60-footer to win his first-career major championship found the bottom of the hole at Oakmont. While the most memorable piece of the video occurs shortly after Spaun’s putt fell — Hicks’ instant-classic “How about ONE?!” call — the most compelling piece of the video occurs shortly before.

That’s when NBC Sports lead analyst Kevin Kisner turned to his broadcast partner like Nostradamus, flipping a thumbs-up to Hicks 15 feet before the putt had reached the bottom of the hole.

“I’d seen that putt probably 10 times throughout the day,” Kisner told hosts Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme in an interview on Kaufman’s The Smylie Show podcast. “Most guys were getting it within four or five feet — it wasn’t like it was impossible to get to a makeable second — so I could kind of tell when it crested the ridge whether the speed was good or not.”

Kisner said his thumbs-up was more about the pace of Spaun’s putt than it was a prediction about the putt’s outcome. Kisner wanted Hicks to know the putt was good pace … and wanted to give Hicks the opportunity to prepare for the possibility that it might be really good.

“Dan is kind of leading as it’s rolling, [saying Spaun] needs a two-putt to win the U.S. Open. As it crested the hill I’m like, ‘oh, man, this is perfect speed,’ like, it’s a two-putt,” Kisner said. “I just stick my thumb up right in front of Dan’s face, [as if to say] it’s good, because I know he’s got to make some crazy, big moment right there if the putt does something good.”

“None of us, nobody in that booth, was thinking [it would fall], right?” Kisner said. “You’re not thinking it. No one in America is thinking it. So I’m like, What is Dan gonna say if it goes in? I thought that was the coolest call ever.”

The great irony of Kisner’s prediction? His partner in the booth, Hicks, never saw it.

“I don’t think I did,” Hicks told Kaufman with a laugh. “I can’t imagine why. I was locked in on the monitor and just making sure I didn’t screw this epic U.S. Open moment up. But afterwards, I do remember Kiz saying, ‘Man, I knew that.'”

“I did not see the thumbs up, Kiz,” Hicks said, laughing again. “That’ll be enough of you for now. Let me do the call.”

To hear Kiz and Hicks’ full interview after the U.S. Open with Kaufman, you can check out the link here.

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The post Phil Mickelson feeling more bullish about U.S. Open future appeared first on Golf.

The post Phil Mickelson feeling more bullish about U.S. Open future appeared first on Golf.

Phil Mickelson, fresh off a disappointing missed cut at the U.S. Open earlier this month, did not speak to the media that Friday at Oakmont and instead made his way to the parking lot, thanked a few security guards and left the property.

As his final exempt invite that came with winning the 2021 PGA Championship, it might have been his last time in golf’s national championship, and he indicated as such in the lead-up to the event.

But turns out Mickelson may not be ready to throw in the towel just yet.

“I said it’s very possibly my last, and I think that’s real,” Mickelson said Thursday at LIV Golf Dallas, the first time he’s spoken to the press since his missed cut at Oakmont. “However, I also feel like I’m starting to play some good golf. This year has been my best year on LIV. I’ve had three top-six finishes and some opportunities to win. If I play like that in some upcoming major championships, that could ultimately qualify me into another U.S. Open.”

Mickelson shot back-to-back rounds of four-over 74 at the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. Finishing up on a rainy Friday, he seemed destined for the weekend until he played his final four holes in four over. He made doubles on 15 and 17, and on 18 he just missed a birdie try that would have allowed him to make the cut on the number.

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The Oakmont missed cut meant he failed to qualify for the weekend at all three majors so far this season. It was also his fourth straight missed cut in a U.S. Open, the tournament that’s long eluded the six-time major champion. He’s famously finished as the runner-up in six U.S. Opens: in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2013.

“I don’t want to say it’s my last,” he said Thursday. “I actually think I’m playing well enough that if I can play at the level I’ve played at out here in majors again, I’ll finish high enough to get into a U.S. Open via that qualifying avenue. So I don’t want to say that it is my last because I think I’m going to contend. I’m in the other three majors for a lot of years, and it could very well get me into the U.S. Open again.”

Mickelson, 55, still has options for future Opens. While winning another major or getting his World Ranking high enough provides auto invites, those might be unlikely pathways (LIV still doesn’t receive World Ranking points). There is also the newly created exemption for a top LIV player not already qualified. He could also advance through final qualifying. Or he could hope to get a special exemption from the USGA, which he received in 2021 but ended up not needing after he won the PGA at Kiawah Island.

The 2026 U.S. Open is at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island; the last time the Open was played there, in 2018, Mickelson was penalized two strokes when he hit a moving ball (several times) on the 13th green during Saturday’s second round.

“My anger and frustration got the best of me last weekend,” he texted a few reporters in the aftermath. “I’m embarrassed and disappointed by my actions. It was clearly not my finest moment and I’m sorry.”

At the U.S. Open, John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s chief championships officer, was asked if the USGA would consider giving Mickelson a future exemption.

“We would review things for Shinnecock ahead of next year and look at all of those possibilities and evaluate it from there,” he said. “I think the way that we would also think of Phil is we hope he earns his way in, and I think he’d tell you the same thing. That’s what he did last time. We gave him one and then he went out and won the PGA Championship. So wouldn’t put it past him.”

Mickelson has played in 34 U.S. Opens, tied with Hale Irwin for the second most. Jack Nicklaus played in 44.

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The post Here’s how wet conditions can impact your golf ball | Fully Equipped appeared first on Golf.

The post Here’s how wet conditions can impact your golf ball | Fully Equipped appeared first on Golf.

After J.J. Spaun’s dramatic back-to-back finishing birdies to take the U.S. Open title over a host of other contenders, the next biggest story coming out of last Sunday was Sam Burns’ ruling (or lack thereof) for temporary water relief.

On the 15th hole on the final round, after heavy rains had suspended play for nearly two hours, Burns asked for relief from temporary water on the 15th hole and was denied by two USGA officials.

He then pulled his second shot and made double bogey, falling to three over for the tournament and from tied for the lead to trailing by two. He eventually shot 78 and finished T7.

But what caused Burns’ wild second shot on 15? Was it the excess water around the golf ball or just how he handled not getting relief? Probably a little bit of both.

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On this week’s Fully Equipped, co-host Kris McCormack explained what exactly happens when you get some much water around the golf ball and how that impacts a golf shot.

“It’s a spin story,” McCormack said. “So I mean, it’s just how much [water] gets between the ball and the face, and how much spin do you lose? I mean, there is, it’s kind of a coin flip as to what’s going to happen, right?

“So you see the wedge shots that are green side where they’re trying to hit it out of a water hazard, and you have so much more loft, you have deeper grooves that deflect more material, deflect more water, you can get a little bit of face on it.

“But I mean, with a full swing iron and taking a shot like that, it’s, I mean, it’s costing you ball speed. It’s costing you spin and the solidness of strike is, I mean, it’s a gamble at best.”

For more from McCormack and me, listen to the full episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped here, or watch it below.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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The post ‘Mistake I deeply regret’: Pro apologizes for damaging property at U.S. Open appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Mistake I deeply regret’: Pro apologizes for damaging property at U.S. Open appeared first on Golf.

Former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark has apologized for damaging property in one of golf’s most historic locker rooms during last week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club outside of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Clark, 31, bogeyed the final hole of his second round on Friday, missing the cut by a stroke. Clark reportedly damaged two lockers afterwards, news that was first reported by Tron Carter of No Laying Up and later confirmed by GOLF.com.

Clark didn’t speak to the media after his round or early this week at the Travelers Championship, but he was asked about the locker-room incident following his six-under 64 on Thursday at TPC River Highlands.

“I’ve had a lot of highs and lows in my career, especially this year some lows,” Clark said. “I made a mistake that I deeply regret. I’m very sorry for what happened.

“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 this year and things that come up,” he continued. “I still want to try to make the Ryder Cup team. I still am on the outside looking in for the FedExCup. So I’m starting to move on and focus on those things.”

In the days following the damage, several Oakmont members, proud of their club’s history and storied locker rooms, were deeply disappointed with the news.

“Whoever did it, I don’t know who the f— they think they are,” one longtime member told GOLF.com, adding, “I’d be tempted to show up at his next tournament and heckle him on the tee. You know, something like, ‘Hey, buddy, how about I come to your house and kick in the shower doors?’”

This wasn’t the first time this season Clark apologized for his on-course actions. At the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C., he threw a club against a sponsor sign behind a tee.

“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 wrote at the time.

On the course, Clark has seen his World Ranking drop to 27th, the lowest it’s been since before he won the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. He has one top-10 in 16 tournaments this season and hasn’t finished better than 50th in his last six starts. He’s also struggled in the majors since his win at LACC. In the eight since, he’s missed four cuts and has failed to register a finish in the top 30.

Clark’s 64 Thursday was one of the lowest scores of the morning rounds. He’ll tee off alongside Matthieu Pavon at 12:10 p.m. ET on Friday for the second round of the Travelers.

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