Slow Play Files: Cantlay’s Pace Earns Rav(ing) Reviews

Golf.com's Josh Berhow does a nice job rounding up the social outrage from Saturday's 2018 Memorial, when Patrick Cantlay took as much as 40 seconds over the ball, not including the pre-shot prep time. 

The PGA Tour resists penalties or doing anything to speed up play, but the fans are pretty clear: this is not acceptable.

CANTLAY w/ 13 looks at the pin at address.

no wonder the shot had bad luck. pic.twitter.com/TYSN41nCBF

— Matthew Wiley (@wiley77) June 3, 2018

Astros Owner Crane Pitches Houston Open Move To Fall And Memorial Park

Nice reporting work by the Houston Chronicle's Dale Robertson on the latest efforts to save the Houston PGA Tour stop. With the Houston Golf Association unable to land a sponsor for the event dating to 1947, Astros and Floridian owner Jim Crane has made a proposal that may or may not include the HGA. 

He said his proposal went into PGA Tour headquarters once a deadline was not met by the HGA to find a sponsor for a possible pre-US Open date. Something doesn't feel right here with Crane talking up community, the HGA and the First Tee managed by the HGA, yet sounding like he really doesn't like them all that much. 

It's believed a wide rift has opened between Crane and the HGA over his unwillingness to step up under the organization's umbrella, even suggesting he had been sabotaging its efforts to corral a sponsor so he could run the show, post-SHO, on his own. But he insists it's simply a matter of doing what makes the most fiscal sense and best serves the big-picture needs of the community.

He stayed in the picture because nobody else was coming forward, and given his personal relationship with the sport — he's a scratch player who was once rated the country's best golfing CEO — he didn't want to see his city lose its PGA Tour event.

"They hadn't been able to pull together a deal, so I got on it," he said. "(PGA commissioner Jay Monahan) told me, 'They (the HGA) have been (the PGA's) partners for years, and we want to give them a chance.' I said, 'Fine. I'm not fighting them.' It's not about me. I won't make a dime off this thing. But if I can get it done ... (The HGA has) a pretty big budget, and I don't think you need that big of a budget to put on a golf tournament."

That statement, while perhaps accurate, is a disconcerting one given the HGA's many roles in the community developing the game. And in recent years, the organization has been working to restore Houston's run-down munis and setting a strong example for other regional golf associations.

Crane loves him some First Tee and the wonderful write-off they can be...

Crane, however, was a founding board member of what's arguably the HGA's centerpiece beneficiary, The First Tee Foundation, and he said, "I love First Tee. I donated a million dollars to First Tee, I like them so much. I'm willing to sit down with (the HGA). I want their help. I like Steve personally, and the HGA does a lot of good stuff. We'll be doing a lot of things through (the Astros') foundation."

Sadly, golfers in Houston won't benefit from the Astros foundation like they would from the HGA's work. 

City Of San Diego Paid $7.5 Million To Lease Mowers

The maintenance "building" at Torrey Pines, 2018

The San Diego Union-Tribune's David Carrick reports on a grand jury finding that San Diego is not properly managing its corporate marketing partnerships and whether they are succeeding for the city.

Of note in the story is a deal made in connection to the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

Turfstar is providing San Diego $7.5 million in cash and other contributions over 12 years, in exchange for the city agreeing to exclusively lease all mowers and other golf maintenance equipment from Turfstar.

Now, maybe this $7.5 million will help the maintenance crew move those leased mowers out of the 2008 U.S. Open tent and under a real roof, and maybe Turfstar is just breaking even on the deal, but that is one big loan for mowers.

Bryson's Win, Tiger's Putting Pain: Strokes Gained Tells The Story Again

Mark Broadie's little stat that could has become a fun way for fans to understand how all of these talented, closely-matched players separate themselves on the PGA Tour. And the investment in ShotLink continues to help tell the stats story in a sport where the numbers do not always tell the story.

Regarding the 2018 Memorial, while it does not take a rocket surgeon* to know Bryson DeChambeau putted his way to Memorial glory and Tiger Woods putted his way out of contention, the numbers are still intriguing.  From the talented crunchers at the PGA Tour's ShotLink:

Bob Harig at ESPN.com filed his assessment of Tiger's week and included this:

For 72 holes, Woods was -7.695 meaning he gave up more than 7 shots on the greens; had that number been 0, in theory he would have finished 7 strokes better and been leading or certainly in a position to chase down eventual playoff winner Bryson DeChambeau.

Mark Broadie took the comparison a bit deeper with this Tweet:

Congrats to @b_dechambeau on his Memorial win! Dominated in round 3 in spite of putting. See a strokes gained comparison of Bryson and Tiger. Tiger putting field average 'would have won' (of course, every player would look better replacing negative SGP with 0). pic.twitter.com/5BpUHUhVQS

— Mark Broadie (@MarkBroadie) June 4, 2018

*I'm aware rockets are not operated on by surgeons, joke

The Best Storylines, Key Links Of 2018 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying

Sectional qualifying, conducted over 36 holes with the chance to play the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. 

Scores can be tracked at the USGA's Sectional Qualifying page.

Golfweek's coverage can be found here.

Fox Sports 1 airs a sectional recap show at 10 pm ET.

And here is the fine work of USGA Communications, trimmed down to the storylines that caught my eye. You'll probably notice a strong bit of age discrimination in the list, but I favor both the old guy and young guy storylines. (Adam Scott is not listed as his desire to play was up in the air following the Memorial, but he has teed off.)

Of course, all competitors making to Sectionals are fine players and are to be commended for their efforts. Here goes...

Walton Heath Golf Club (New and Old courses)
Surrey, England

• Paul Dunne, 25, of the Republic of Ireland, won the PGA European Tour’s British Masters by three strokes over Rory McIlory in 2017. He was a member of the victorious 2015 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team. Dunne shot a third-round 66 on the Old Course at St. Andrews to share the 54-hole lead in the 2015 Open Championship and finished in a tie for 30th. He became the first amateur since Bob Jones in 1927 to share the 54-hole lead. Dunne, who was an All-American at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, reached the 2015 U.S. Amateur quarterfinals.
• Padraig Harrington, 46, of the Republic of Ireland, won the 2007 and 2008 Open Championships, conducted by The R&A, and the 2008 PGA Championship. He has competed in 16 U.S. Opens and has posted five top-10 finishes. He tied for fourth in 2012 at The Olympic Club. He was chosen 2007 European Tour Player of the Year and 2008 PGA Tour Player of the Year.
• Sam Horsfield, 21, of England, has competed on the both PGA European Tour and Challenge Tour in his first year as a professional. He has played in 13 USGA championships, including the 2015 and 2016 U.S. Opens. Horsfield reached the Round of 16 in the 2016 U.S. Amateur. A two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection at the University of Florida, Horsfield was chosen first-team All-American and SEC Freshman of the Year in 2016.
• Andrew Johnston, 29, of England, has played in two U.S. Opens, tying for 42nd last year at Erin Hills and tying for 54th in 2016 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. Johnston, known as “Beef” since his youth, has won once on the PGA European Tour and twice on the Challenge Tour.
• Chase Koepka, 24, of Tequesta, Fla., is the younger brother of 2017 U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka. Chase posted five top-10 finishes on the Challenge Tour last year. He was a three-time All-American Athletic Conference and all-region selection at the University of South Florida. He advanced to match play in two U.S. Amateurs (2013, 2015).
• Alfie Plant, 25, of England, earned the silver medal as the low amateur in last year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Plant, who is in his first year as a professional, won the 2017 European Amateur Championship with a birdie on the fifth playoff hole. He was a member of the 2017 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team. Plant holed a 9-foot birdie putt on the final hole to help England finish second in the 2016 World Amateur Team Championship. He tied for third as an individual with a final-round 66. Plant has also run a marathon, parachuted from a plane, bungee jumped and gone cage-diving among great white sharks.
• Lee Westwood, 45, of England, has played in 18 U.S. Opens and has recorded nine top-25 finishes. He tied for third in 2008 at Torrey Pines Golf Course and in 2011 at Congressional Country Club. Westwood, who has competed on seven winning European Ryder Cup Teams, has compiled 23 victories on the PGA European Tour and has 42 professional wins overall.

Lake Merced Golf Club & The Olympic Club (Ocean Course)
Daly City, Calif.

• Allen Geiberger Jr., 30, of Palm Desert, Calif., is the son of Al Geiberger, who played in 20 U.S. Opens and tied for second in 1969 and 1976. Al Geiberger, the 1966 PGA champion, became the first player to shoot 59 in a PGA Tour event, the 1977 Danny Thomas Memphis Classic.
• Scott Hoyt, 64, of San Jose, Calif., is the oldest player in U.S. Open sectional qualifying. Hoyt is the general manager at Pasatiempo Golf Club, where he carded a 2-under 68 to advance through local qualifying with his wife, Anne, serving as his caddie. Hoyt was a key figure in his club’s irrigation project, which provides three sources of water – recycled, well and potable. Hoyt, an All-America selection at San Jose State, advanced to the Round of 16 in the 1975 U.S. Amateur.
• Thomas Lehman, 22, of Scottsdale, Ariz., is the son of Tom Lehman, who won the 1996 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes and three senior major professional titles. Thomas is a sophomore on the Cal Poly team and tied for 15th in the 2018 Big West Conference Championship. He competed in football and baseball (not golf) on the high school level.
• Jordan Miller, 31, of Anchorage, Alaska, shot a 2-under 70 in 47-degree weather with a 25-mph wind coming off the glacier to earn medalist honors by five strokes in U.S. Open local qualifying. Miller, a financial analyst for ConocoPhillips, is traveling 3,075 miles to play in sectional qualifying. He is a two-time defending Alaska State Amateur champion.
• Collin Morikawa, 21, of La Canada Flintridge, Calif., helped the USA to a 19-7 victory over Great Britain and Ireland in the 2017 Walker Cup Match, at The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club. Morikawa, Maverick McNealy and Doug Ghim became the first trio of USA players to record perfect 40 Walker Cup records. In 2018, Morikawa was chosen All-Pac-12 Conference first team for the third consecutive year as a junior on the University of California-Berkeley team.
• Danny Ochoa, 23, of Carlsbad, Calif., miscalculated a jump on his motocross bike nine years ago and broke his humerus bone after his bike landed on top of him. Two metal rods were placed in his left arm, and he was looking at a year of recovery. Ochoa, who returned in seven months and later placed fifth at the 2010 Callaway Junior World Golf Championships, went on to play at the University of Southern California. He reached the 2017 California Amateur quarterfinals.
• Kevin Sutherland, 53, of Sacramento, Calif., has competed in 10 U.S. Opens, with his best finish a tie for 10th at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club in 2003. Sutherland won the PGA Tour Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup Championship by one stroke over Vijay Singh last year.
• Sahith Theegala, 20, of Chino Hills, Calif., was selected to the All-West Coast Conference first team for the third consecutive year and helped Pepperdine win its first WCC Championship since 2015. Theegala, who was the WCC co-player of the year as a sophomore, qualified for the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills. He has advanced to match play in consecutive U.S. Amateurs (2016, 2017). Theegala won the Collegiate Showcase to earn a spot in the PGA Tour’s 2017 Genesis Open and went on to tie for 49th.
• Jeff Wilson, 54, of Fairfield, Calif., has competed in four U.S. Opens and was the low amateur at Pebble Beach Golf Links in 2000 when he tied for 59th. Wilson is the general sales manager at an automobile dealership and abandoned a professional golfer’s life, bouncing around mini-tours, for a more stable career path. Wilson, who was reinstated as an amateur in 1997, has competed in 28 USGA championships, including nine U.S. Amateurs and three U.S. Senior Opens.

The Bear's Club
Jupiter, Fla.

• Canon Claycomb, 16, of Orlando, Fla., tied for third in the 2017 FHSAA Class 1A state championship and helped Circle Christian High to the team title as a sophomore. Claycomb had played on the Greenwood High School team in Bowling Green, Ky., since fourth grade. He led the team to a second-place finish in the 2016 KHSAA state championship when he tied for second. Claycomb, who qualified for the 2017 U.S. Amateur, won the 2015 Teen World Championship at Pinehurst No. 8.
• Sam Saunders, 30, of Atlantic Beach, Fla., is the grandson of 1960 U.S. Open champion Arnold Palmer. In 2015, Saunders was co-medalist in the Columbus, Ohio, sectional qualifier and tied for 50th in the U.S. Open. He also played in the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club. Saunders shot a first-round 59 and tied for second in the 2017 Web.com Tour Championship.
• Jamison Sindelar, 28, of Horseheads, N.Y., is the son of Joey Sindelar, who has seven PGA Tour victories and competes on PGA Tour Champions. Jamison, who is a Type 1 diabetic and travels with an insulin pump, has played on the Web.com Tour. He was a member of the Ohio State University team, like his father, and lettered from 2010-12.
• Tyler Wilkes, 16, of Tampa, Fla., won the 2017 Florida Boys’ Junior Championship by five strokes with a final-round 64. A first-team All-Hillsborough County selection as a sophomore at Gaither High School, Wilkes tied for sixth in the 2016-17 Florida state 3A championship. He won the Orlando International Amateur for Juniors last January.
   

Ansley Golf Club (Settindown Creek Course)
Roswell, Ga.

• Tadd Fujikawa, 27, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was the youngest player (age 15) to compete in a U.S. Open when he advanced through both local and sectional play in 2006. At age 16 years and 4 days, he made the 36-hole cut at the Sony Open, the second-youngest player at the time to make the cut in a PGA Tour event. Fujikawa was born three months premature and doctors gave him a 50-50 chance of survival.
• Scott McCarron, 52, of Mooresville, N.C., spent four years working in the family clothing business after playing at UCLA. He returned to golf in 1992 and won three times on the PGA Tour. He later worked for Golf Channel and Fox as a broadcaster. He has six PGA Tour Champions victories, including last year’s PGA Seniors Championship. McCarron has played in six U.S. Opens, including a tie for 10th in 1997.
• Garrett Rank, 30, of Canada, became a full-time National Hockey League official in 2016-17 after working for several years in the American Hockey League. He was called into action during the first-round playoff series this year between the Blue Jackets and Capitals when another official was injured mid-game. Rank, who overcame a cancer scare at age 23, was the runner-up in the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur and has twice reached the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball semifinals (with partner Patrick Christovich). He has competed in 15 USGA championships, including six U.S. Amateurs.
• Gene Sauers, 55, of Savannah, Ga., won the 2016 U.S. Senior Open Championship at Scioto Country Club, in Columbus, Ohio. He was also the runner-up to Colin Montgomerie in 2014. He has played in four U.S. Opens, with his best finish a tie for 58th in both 1985 and 1987. Sauers registered three PGA Tour victories.
• Jackson Van Paris, 14, of Pinehurst, N.C., is the youngest player in U.S. Open sectional qualifying. He helped The O’Neal School capture the 2018 North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) state 2A championship and was third as an individual. As an eighth grader, he won the NCISAA state individual title and was a first-team all-state selection. He was second in this year’s AJGA Junior at Lost Springs with a 54-hole score of 4-under 212.

Woodmont Country Club (North Course)
Rockville, Md.

• Joseph Bramlett, 30, of San Jose, Calif., was the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Amateur when he competed at age 14 in 2002. Bramlett recently returned to golf after being sidelined for two years due to lateral spine dysfunction. He was an All-America and All-Pac-12 Conference selection at Stanford University and earned his PGA Tour card through qualifying school in 2010. He has two top-10 finishes on the Web.com Tour this year.
• Sean Knapp, 56, of Oakmont, Pa., outlasted Paul Simson, 2 and 1, to win the 2017 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis, Minn. He has competed in 42 USGA championships but has never played in a U.S. Open. He took up the game of golf at age 19 while caddieing at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. He is vice president of financial sales for an investment management firm.
• Nicholas Thompson, 35, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., has played in three U.S. Opens and was a member of the 2005 USA Walker Cup Team. He has competed on the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour. His brother, Curtis, also plays on the Web.com Tour. Their sister, Lexi, the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion, has won nine LPGA Tour titles, including the 2014 Kraft Nabisco.

Canoe Brook Country Club (North & South courses)
Summit, N.J.

• Jack Druga, 58, of Southampton, N.Y., has been the head professional at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the site of this year’s U.S. Open, since 2007. He was once a caddie and assistant professional at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. Druga competed in the 1990 U.S. Open at Medinah (Ill.) Country Club and advanced to match play in the 1977 U.S. Amateur.
• Stewart Hagestad, 27, of Newport Beach, Calif., was a member of the winning 2017 USA Walker Cup Team. Hagestad, who won the 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship by defeating Scott Harvey in 37 holes, qualified for last year’s U.S. Open at Erin Hills. In 2016, he produced the largest comeback victory (4 down with five holes to play) since a 36-hole Mid-Amateur final was introduced in 2001. Hagestad was the low amateur (T-36) in the 2017 Masters Tournament.
• Steven Kluemper, 25, of Bethlehem, Pa., is in his third year as assistant women’s volleyball coach at Moravian College, an NCAA Division III program. Kluemper, who shot 70 to earn one of five spots in local qualifying at York (Pa.) Country Club, previously led Southern Lehigh High’s boys’ volleyball team to the 2016 2A state quarterfinal. He was a three-time all-conference selection as a member of the Centenary University (N.J.) golf team.
• James Nicholas, 21, of Scarsdale, N.Y., was chosen 2018 Ivy League player of the year after leading Yale University to the league championship. Nicholas, a three-sport standout in high school, has competed in golf and football for the Bulldogs. In 2015, he played in 10 games as a freshman, primarily on special teams. Nicholas is sixth all time in state career high school hockey scoring and was an all-state selection in football. He was chosen 2015 Journal News Golfer of the Year. Nicholas advanced to match play in the 2017 U.S. Amateur, his first USGA championship.
• Andy Pope, 34, of Orlando, Fla., is attempting to play in his fourth consecutive U.S. Open. He was one of six players to make the cut in the 2015 U.S. Open after advancing through both local and sectional qualifying. Pope, who tied for 70th at Chambers Bay, played at Xavier University and has competed primarily on the Web.com Tour since 2012.
   

Brookside Golf & Country Club & Lakes Golf & Country Club
Columbus, Ohio

• Ryan Armour, 42, of Jupiter, Fla., was the runner-up to Tiger Woods in the 1993 U.S. Junior Amateur. Armour, who recorded his first PGA Tour victory last fall when he won the Sanderson Farms Championship by five strokes, held a 2-up lead before Woods birdied holes 17 and 18 and won it with a par on the 19th hole. Armour, who earned All-America honors at Ohio State University, was a winner on the Web.com Tour in 2016.
• Jamie Broce, 41, of Indianapolis, Ind., led IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) to a third-place finish in the Horizon League in his first year as head coach. Broce spent the previous five seasons at the University of Toledo and was an assistant at Indiana University. As a player, he earned All-America recognition at Ball State University.
• K.J. Choi, 48, of the Republic of Korea, has competed in 13 U.S. Opens. His best finish is a tie for 15th in 2005 at Pinehurst No. 2 and in 2012 at The Olympic Club. Choi, a former competitive power weightlifter, has eight PGA Tour wins, including The Players Championship in 2011.
• Stewart Cink, 45, of Huntsville, Ala., has competed in 20 U.S. Opens and has seven top-25 finishes. He was third in 2001 at Southern Hills Country Club, in Tulsa, Okla. Cink won the 2009 Open Championship, conducted by The R&A, in a four-hole playoff over Tom Watson.
• Erik Compton, 38, of Miami, Fla., was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy at age 9 and has since had two successful heart transplants. Compton, a member of the 2001 USA Walker Cup Team, has played in three U.S. Opens. He tied for second at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014.
• Joaquin Niemann, 19, of Chile, won the 2018 Latin America Amateur Championship and established the 72-hole scoring record with a final-round 63. He received the 2017 Mark H. McCormack Medal as the top-ranked male amateur player in the world. Niemann, who qualified for the 2017 U.S. Open, turned professional after competing in the 2018 Masters. He advanced to match play in the 2016 and 2017 U.S Amateurs.
• Vijay Singh, 55, of Fiji, has played in 18 U.S. Opens and has seven top-10 finishes. His best effort was a tie for third at Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999. Singh, who has won one Masters and two PGA Championships, tied for seventh in his third U.S. Senior Open at Salem Country Club, in Peabody, Mass., last year. 
• Sam Triplett, 22, of Scottsdale, Ariz., is the son of Kirk Triplett, who won three PGA Tour titles and was the runner-up to Kenny Perry in last year’s U.S. Senior Open. Sam was chosen second-team All-Big Ten Conference this year and helped Northwestern University reach the NCAA Championship. He qualified for the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Four-Ball in 2016.
• Kristoffer Ventura, 23, of Norway, earned first-team All-Big 12 Conference recognition for the second consecutive year as a senior on the Oklahoma State University squad. He helped the Cowboys win the NCAA Championship and finish second in the Big 12 Championship. He reached the Round of 16 in last year’s U.S. Amateur, his first USGA championship. Ventura, who was an All-American in 2017, speaks three languages and is also a citizen of Mexico.
  
   

Springfield Country Club
Springfield, Ohio

• Ben Bendtsen III, 32, of Mount Pleasant, Wis., is a fourth-generation baker whose Racine bakery is known for kringle, which is a Scandinavian pastry or Nordic variety of pretzel. Bendtsen, who mixes the dough by hand, left the family business for two years to play the mini-tour professional circuit after winning the 2008 Wisconsin State Amateur. He shared medalist honors (70) at the Sheboygan, Wis., local qualifier.
• Zac Blair, 27, of Orem, Utah, qualified for his lone U.S. Open through both local and sectional play. He tied for 40th at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014. Blair, an All-America selection at Brigham Young University, has two top-30 finishes on the PGA Tour this season.
• Doc Redman, 19, of Raleigh, N.C, won the 2017 U.S. Amateur in 37 holes, coming from 2 down against Doug Ghim with two holes remaining in the final match to force extra holes with an eagle on the 35th and a birdie on the 36th hole. Redman, who tied for 15th individually in the 2018 NCAA Championship, earned first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference recognition for the second consecutive year as a sophomore at Clemson University. Redman, who was the 2016-17 ACC Freshman of the Year, was a member of the winning 2017 USA Walker Cup Team. He turned professional on May 30.
   

Portland Golf Club
Portland, Ore.

• Davis Bryant, 18, of Aurora, Colo., was born 14 weeks premature, weighed 1 pound, 10 ounces and spent 105 days in the hospital before his parents could take him home. Bryant, who has competed in two U.S. Junior Amateurs, won the 2017 CHSAA Class 5A state championship by two strokes as a member of the Eaglecrest High School team. He once caddied for Pro Football Hall of Fame and Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway in the Colorado Senior Open.
• Gipper Finau, 27, of St. George, Utah, is the younger brother of PGA Tour player Tony Finau. Gipper turned professional before his senior year of high school and made the 36-hole cut in a Nationwide Tour (now Web.com) event at age 16. Finau, who is of Tongan and American Samoan descent, shot 70 in the Las Vegas, Nev., local qualifier.
• Tyler McCumber, 27, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., considers himself a surfing thrill seeker. He rode 15-foot waves in Puerto Rico, following his philosophy: "If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room." He is the son of Mark McCumber, who tied for second with Chip Beck and Ian Woosnam behind Curtis Strange in the 1989 U.S. Open. McCumber, who competed in 13 U.S. Opens, won 10 PGA Tour titles and tied for eighth in the 1986 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills after briefly holding a share of the lead on Sunday.
• John Murdock, 21, of Laramie, Wyo., shot a 68 to earn medalist honors in the Westminster, Colo., local qualifier to advance to U.S. Open sectionals. Murdock, who has played the classical violin since third grade, tied for 25th in the 2018 Mountain West Conference Championship for the University of Wyoming. He was a four-time all-state high school selection at Laramie High.
• Hunter Stewart, 25, of Lexington, Ky., recorded five top-10 finishes on PGA Tour Canada in 2017. He was a member of the 2015 USA Walker Cup Team. Stewart, who qualified for the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, competed in four U.S. Amateurs. In 2014-15, he earned first-team All-America honors and became the first player from Vanderbilt University to be chosen Southeastern Conference player of the year; he tied for third at the NCAA Championship.
• Mike Weir, 48, of Canada, has played in 13 U.S. Opens and recorded four top-10 finishes. He tied for third at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club in 2003. Weir has won eight times on the PGA Tour, including the 2003 Masters and 2001 Tour Championship.

Ridgeway Country Club & Colonial Country Club (South Course)
Memphis, Tenn.

• Ken Duke, 49, of Stuart, Fla., has played in four U.S. Opens, with his best finish a tie for 23rd at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club in 2007. Duke, who overcame spinal surgery as a teenager, won the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship in 2013 and recorded two Nationwide Tour victories.
• Retief Goosen, 49, of South Africa, won the U.S. Open in 2001 (playoff with Mark Brooks) and 2004, a two-stroke victory over Phil Mickelson at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Goosen, who was struck by lightning as an amateur, has seven wins on the PGA Tour and 12 victories on the PGA European Tour. He has played in 18 U.S. Opens and received a special exemption into the field at Oakmont in 2016 (missed the cut).
• Davis Love III, 54, of Sea Island, Ga., has played in 23 U.S. Opens and owns five top-10 finishes, including a tie for second in 1996 at Oakland Hills. Love has 21 PGA Tour wins, including the 1997 PGA Championship. He served as United States captain for the 2012 and 2016 Ryder Cup Matches. Love will compete in his first U.S. Senior Open this year at The Broadmoor. His son, Davis IV, qualified for the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills.
• Shaun Micheel, 49, of Collierville, Tenn., won the 2003 PGA Championship by two strokes over Chad Campbell. He has competed in seven U.S. Opens, with his best finish a tie for seventh at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links in 2010. He became the second known player to record a double eagle in U.S. Open history when he accomplished the feat on the sixth hole in the fourth round.
• Geoff Ogilvy, 40, of Australia, won the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., by one stroke over Jim Furyk, Colin Montgomerie and Phil Mickelson. He has competed in 13 U.S. Opens. Ogilvy, who has at least a top-six finish in all four professional major championships, won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2006 and 2009.
• Henrik Simonsen, 50, of Denmark, is the head professional at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn., which will host the 2021 U.S. Senior Amateur, its sixth USGA championship. Simonsen was an all-conference selection at Houston Baptist University from 1988-90.
• Steve Stricker, 51, of Madison, Wis., tied for 16th in the 2017 U.S. Open after earning medalist honors in the Memphis, Tenn., sectional qualifier. Stricker has played in 20 U.S. Opens and has 12 top-25 finishes. He finished fifth in both 1998 and 1999. Stricker, who has 12 PGA Tour victories, was an All-American at the University of Illinois before starting his pro career on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour in 1990. He is fully exempt to play in his first U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor, June 28-July 1.
• Norman Xiong, 19, of Canyon Lake, Calif., was a member of the victorious 2017 USA Walker Cup Team. Xiong tied for 11th individually in the 2018 NCAA Championship as a sophomore on the University of Oregon team. Xiong, who turned professional on May 30, earned first-team All-Pac 12 Conference honors for the second consecutive year. He received the 2017 Phil Mickelson Award as Division I’s top freshman in leading the Ducks to the Pac-12 championship and NCAA match-play final against Oklahoma. Xiong also defeated Doc Redman in 22 holes to win the 2017 Western Amateur.
   

Shadow Hawk Golf Club
Richmond, Texas

• Angel Cabrera, 48, of Argentina, won the 2007 U.S. Open, a one-stroke victory over Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, and the 2009 Masters in a playoff over Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell. Cabrera has competed in 18 U.S. Opens and has posted four top-25 finishes. He also owns three PGA European Tour victories.
• Cameron Champ, 22, of Sacramento, Calif., tied for 32nd in last year’s U.S. Open at Erin Hills and was one of five players to complete 72 holes who advanced through both local and sectional qualifying. He was a member of the victorious 2017 USA Walker Cup Team and later turned professional. Champ has posted four top-25 finishes on the Web.com Tour this year. His father, Jeff, was a catcher at San Diego State University who was selected in the 33rd round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
• Viktor Hovland, 20, of Norway, earned All-Big 12 Conference honors for the second consecutive year as a sophomore on the Oklahoma State University team. Hovland, who helped the Cowboys win the NCAA Championship and place second in the Big 12 Championship, competed in last year’s U.S. Amateur. He led Norway to fifth place, its best finish, in the 2016 World Amateur Team Championship with a final-round 65.
• Sammy Schmitz, 37, of Farmington, Minn., won the 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship and earned an invitation to the 2016 Masters. Schmitz recorded the second known ace on a par 4 in USGA championship history when he holed his tee shot on No. 15 on John’s Island Club’s West Course in the championship match. He has competed in eight USGA championships.
• Matthew Wolff, 19, of Agoura Hills, Calif., was chosen 2018 Big 12 Conference newcomer of the year and helped Oklahoma State University win the NCAA Championship. Wolff tied for seventh individually in the NCAA Championship. He has advanced to match play in two U.S. Amateurs (2016, 2017) and was the runner-up to Noah Goodwin in last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur. Wolff led Westlake High School to two CIF state titles (2014, 2015) and finished as runner-up in 2016. He was selected 2017 Ventura County Star Boys Golfer of the Year.

Video: Shinnecock Hills' Par-3 7th Hole

Phil Mickelson said this week that Shinnecock's 7th is a great par-3 until the USGA gets a hold of it and while he certainly has reason to be bitter--putting off the green Saturday of the 2004 U.S. Open due to faulty setup** and hole location and intentionally having to play to a greenside bunker in Sunday's final round--the hole is mostly a victim of modern green speeds.

P.J. Boatwright on the 188-yard par-3 prior to the 1986 U.S. Open:

Our written instructions on the preparation of the course say, for this hole, "No changes required." It is a terrific par-3 hole to a putting green perched on a plateau framed by handsome bunkering work. We think it will ask for a four- or five iron from most players. The green is considerably sloped from right to left; it will be a challenge.

The same yardage will be used this year, though the club of choice figures to be more like 7 and 8-irons instead of 4's and 5's. The USGA's description:

This classic representation of the Redan hole at North Berwick in Scotland features a green that slopes from front right to back left, requiring precise distance control. The prevailing wind is typically against the player and slightly from the right. The back-left bunker will likely catch quite a few tee shots. Players who miss the green long will face a recovery shot back up the slope, and they must be wary of a ball not hit crisply enough rolling back toward them.

Architecturally, the hole is a fun, bizarre little par-3 but other than to one hole location really, shares little in common with the reason people love the original Redan's playing characteristics.

The flyover:

**Mickelson made double bogey to Saturday's hole location mess. He lost the tournament by two strokes. 

ShackHouse 65: Memorial Recap, Shinnecock Preview Phase 1

It was a fantastic Memorial Tournament, so House and I return to gear up for the U.S. Open with a recap and some discussion of this week's television situation. 

As always, we'd love for you to subscribe on iTunes or wherever you stream your pods. And you can listen here, all for free thanks to our friends at Callaway and The Ringer.

$2 Billion: Discovery Lands PGA Tour International Television Rights

I believe Sky Sports has the UK rights through 2021, but otherwise PGA Tour golf has a new partner in Discovery, reports Bloomberg's Gerry Smith.

The 12-year deal, which begins next year, includes TV and online rights to the U.S.-based men’s golf circuit, and the development of a Netflix-like video service. It covers more than 140 tournaments a year, including about 40 PGA Tour events.

Netflix-like! 

Here is the real key to how the whole thing makes sense for Discovery, owners of Animal Planet and HGTV:

Discovery will air tour events on its regular TV channels and use them to attract more viewers to its online service, Eurosport Player, which has more than 1 million subscribers who currently pay to stream soccer, tennis and other sports. The tour puts on events 43 weeks a year, so fans would have a reason to keep coming back, Zaslav said. Discovery also will sublicense rights in some markets.

Roundup: Ariya Wins U.S. Women's Open, Bryson Wins Memorial, Olesen Wins In Italy

It took extra innings but Ariya Jutanagarn finally beat Hyo-Joo Kim to win the 2018 U.S. Women's Open. Beth Ann Nichols with all of the details on the meltdown and recovery at Shoal Creek.

A champion and her 🏆! #USWomensOpen 📸USGA/Darren Carroll

A post shared by United States Golf Association (@usga) on Jun 3, 2018 at 5:12pm PDT

Bryson DeChambeau captured his second PGA Tour title at the Memorial in an exciting playoff win. Brentley Romine at Golfweek.com with all of the details and DeChambeau's focus on making the Ryder Cup.

A special Sunday at Jack's Place. #LiveUnderPar

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour) on Jun 3, 2018 at 4:19pm PDT

Thorbjorn Olesen fired a 64 to hold off home-country hero Francesco Molinari to win the Italian Open.

Wow... this one is really special and means so much to me. What an amazing week here at the #ItalianOpen. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this possible for me - you guys are the best 🇩🇰🏆

A post shared by Thorbjorn Olesen (@thorbjornolesen) on Jun 3, 2018 at 12:52pm PDT

How CBS Expected Us To Watch Live PGA Tour Golf Sunday And Why This Needs To Be Remedied, Pronto!

You wake in the east. Maybe it's raining outside. Or, you just don't feel like playing golf.

You are excited about the 2018 Memorial's rare confluence of young guns, old legends, legendary tournament host and a top venue.  The U.S. Open is less than two weeks ago. Golf fan euphoria sets in!

On a scale of 1 to 10 in PGA Tour intrigue, the 2018 Memorial is probably 9.89999, with a tiny deduction because Chief Leatherlips is threatening to mess with all of this fun. After all, tee times are moved up to ensure a Sunday finish.  

So here's how your Sunday went if you wanted to undertake the mission of watching the coverage from start to finish, or just jump in for parts. All times ET.

7:30 am to 8:30 -  PGA Tour Live app

8:30 am to 11 - Golf Channel

11 to 2:30 - PGA Tour Live, CBSSports.com, CBSSports app--for the first time ever BTW, normally CBS would not stream and force us to watch a tape delay

2:30 - 4:00 - CBS comes on at allotted start time, tournament in progress

Instead of accommodating normal viewing sensibilities by providing live coverage over traditional airwaves for PGA Tour golf, CBS chose to put the viewers through the madness of moving between viewing platforms.

Meanwhile, on affiliates through the land, CBS could not interrupt some spectacular content. As the Memorial Presented by Nationwide streamed the following on LA's KCBS: Cindy Crawford's Beauty Secrets, AAA Benefits And Savings, Small Town Big Deal (featuring a Civil War reenactment!) and Relieve Your Foot Pain With WalkFit!

While this was a breakthrough week with CBS choosing to live stream the final round--a policy in place for some time at NBC--the discombobulated schedule did not service the viewer or sponsor Nationwide. 

While 2018 has been a year of progress for CBS. They now stream golf as we await college basketball to end, or when tee times have been moved up, or when a graphics changeover was an excuse to take a half hour off between telecasts. All of this makes today's treatment of a big time event, with a big time sponsor and big time leaderboard, that much more peculiar. 

The PGA Tour is working for three more years with an antiquated contract featuring synergy issues that viewers or sponsors do not care about. We've certainly seen change on a few fronts thanks to viewer complaints, so change is possible. But at some point changes should not be made only because viewers rant and rave. Executives are paid handsomely by these organizations because of an ability (presumably) to solve problems before they surface.  Put yourselves in the viewer's seat and envision ways to better deliver PGA Tour golf when Mother Nature intervenes.

Oh, and all of this was for naught. They had a lovely day in Columbus with no delays. Leatherlips strikes all the way around!

Take That, Chief Leatherlips: A Guide To Viewing The (Early Starting) Memorial Final Round

The Chief's memorial in Dublin.

The storylines are flowing! The stars are aligned--Tiger, Justin! A nice crop of young players are seeking a signature win! And naturally rain-inducing Chief Leatherlips will apparently have none of it. 

So the PGA Tour has moved up tee times in anticipation due to possible inclement weather Sunday at The Memorial. 

After years of resisting live-streaming, CBS has acquiesced and will stream its coverage as well as allow Golf Channel to air live golf starting at 8:30 am ET. 

As Bill Speros notes here in a handy guide, PGA Tour Live will get the first our exclusively before Golf Channel is on and CBS still airs the telecast in the normal window.

If storms come, then all bets are off and CBS may be showing live golf in its normal window.

The point is, fans finally are the focus here. Thanks to all who whined to help us get long overdue live golf.

Herculean: Ariya Headed For Coronation As Shoal Creek Is Somehow Playable

As Ariya Jutanagarn is positioned for a likely U.S. Women's Open victory (Beth Ann Nichols with a great read at Golfweek.com), it's the grounds crew that has kept the place playable despite absurdly unfair circumstances. 

Writing for USGA.org, Julie Williams highlights the work of Shoal Creek's Rex Davis and crew.

The week could have played out very differently. Davis noted that 15 days before the championship, Shoal Creek was playing firm and fast. The greater Birmingham area had seen limited rainfall.

“The golf course was playing the way we intended it to play,” Davis said. “Then Mother Nature threw us a curveball and we had to adapt.”

New greens went in at Shoal Creek in the fall of 2016. Given the moisture, they haven’t been as fast as Davis would have liked, but the drainage has helped to keep the championship close to schedule. Shoal Creek’s new greens drain at a rate that is four times faster than the old greens.

As Davis eyed the approach of subtropical storm Alberto, he started making preparations. Shoal Creek staff mowed the fairways seven times and the rough three times in the week before the championship, also applying growth regulators to the grass. Knowing the golf course might take on large amounts of rainfall, Davis had crews clearing pine straw and other ground cover from every place they anticipated that water would run through the property. 

Rory: USGA Overthinks Course Setup

I can't say I agree with Rory McIlroy's assessment of recent U.S. Open course setups, but as Dan Kilbridge notes for Golfweek, the 2011 champion chimed in following a strong third round at Muirfield Village.

“I think the USGA thinks that we’re better than we actually are, if that makes sense,” McIlroy said. “I think they overthink it. I think that, and I don’t want to single out (USGA Executive Director) Mike Davis here, I think it’s a collective thought process. We were talking about this yesterday. They sort of, I don’t think it should be as much of an exact science to set up golf courses as it is. I mean, get the fairways sort of firm, grow the rough, put the pins in some tough locations, but fair, and let us go play.”

Ah if it were only that simple!

I certainly understand the player reaction to the Davis era of more variety and different questions being asked. Most have made the golf better to play and watch, with a few hiccups. 

But it's most intriguing to read McIlroy's example of overthinking setup, which may be a case of him overthinking just how much the USGA controls Mother Nature.

“It’s been a very reactionary few years to what happened at Chambers Bay,” McIlroy said. “I think they felt Chambers Bay was – Erin Hills was going to be similar to Chambers Bay. So they soaked it and made it really wide and all of a sudden 16 under par wins again and they’re like, um, what just happened? So I think they have to take previous results out of their head and just say, ‘Okay, let’s set up this golf course as best we can and just let the guys go play.'”

Ariya Jutanagarn Leads But Shoal Creek Staff Wins U.S. Women's Open Day One

Somehow they got Shoal Creek playable, through no shortage of manpower, machinery and insane hours put in by Rex Davis's staff and volunteer crew. Round one of the 2018 U.S. Women's Open was started and completed on time and the course looked mostly playable, writes Beth Ann Nichols for Golfweek:

Plenty of players came into the first round worried about playing the ball down in the muck, particularly with so many rough patches in the fairways due to uncharacteristically tough winter and spring seasons. Nearly five inches of rain fell at Shoal Creek dating back to late Sunday afternoon. Since 1895 the USGA has never implemented a lift, clean and place policy at one of its championships. And they weren’t starting now.

There were mud balls. And it played long with virtually no rollout – Kang hit a 5-iron and a couple 4-irons into par-4s – but in most cases it was better than expected. The fact that Round 1 began on time and remained uninterrupted by weather delays was nothing short a miracle.

The best compliment came from Michelle Wie:

“It’s incredible that we played today and got a practice round in yesterday,” said Wie. “The greens staff did an amazing job. I mean the greens were perfectly fine. The fairways are fine. You would not have known that it rained so much.”

Leader Jutanagarn's highlights:

The eagle landed on No. 6 for Ariya @Jutanugarn, lifting her to the @Lexus Performance of the Day! #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/Vnjp9t063p

— USGA (@USGA) June 1, 2018

Bridgestone CEO Angel Ilagan Out...

Golf World's Mike Stachura reports that CEO Angel Ilagan is out after signing Tiger Woods and quickly guiding Bridgestone to the second spot in golf ball sales behind Titleist before slipping back 20% and well behind Callaway.

Ilagan was the only manufacturer CEO to endorse the idea of a distance solution involving the ball. 

Ben Alberstadt at GolfWRX.com has the full statement and wonders if Ilagan's stance on distance hurt his cause.