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US Open 2024 Tee Times: Rory McIlroy Alongside Patrick Cantlay

Before the final day of the US Open 2024, Bryson DeChambeau was able to extend his lead to three strokes with a strong Moving Day performance. The American will tee off in the last group with his playing partner Matthieu Pavon. The Frenchman is at a total of -4 and shares second place with Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay, who will start their round together in the second-to-last group of the day at 8:10 PM.

Tee Times US Open 2024 Round X

Tee Teetime Player 1 Player 2
1 7:30 am Seonghyeon Kim Gunnar Broin (a)
1 7:41 am Matthew Fitzpatrick Jackson Suber
1 7:52 am Brandon Wu Austin Eckroat
1 8:3 am Francesco Molinari Ben Kohles
1 8:14 am Dean Burmester Ryan Fox
1 8:25 am Sepp Straka Martin Kaymer
1 8:36 am Greyson Sigg Cameron Young
1 8:47 am Nico Echavarria Brendon Todd
1 8:58 am Justin Lower Sam Bennett
1 9:9 am Adam Scott Brian Campbell
1 9:25 am Matt Kuchar Frankie Capan III
1 9:36 am Adam Svensson Harris English
1 9:47 am Jordan Spieth Si Woo Kim
1 9:58 am Max Greyserman Sahith Theegala
1 10:9 am Daniel Berger Keegan Bradley
1 10:20 am Scottie Scheffler Tom McKibbin
1 10:31 am Brooks Koepka Tim Widing
1 10:42 am Nicolai Højgaard Emiliano Grillo
1 10:53 am Isaiah Salinda Christiaan Bezuidenhout
1 11:4 am Cameron Smith Wyndham Clark
1 11:15 am J.T. Poston Tommy Fleetwood
1 11:31 am Shane Lowry Zac Blair
1 11:42 am Billy Horschel Chris Kirk
1 11:53 am Denny McCarthy Min Woo Lee
1 12:4 pm Neal Shipley (a) Luke Clanton (a)
1 12:15 pm Sam Burns Stephan Jaeger
1 12:26 pm Brian Harman Mark Hubbard
1 12:37 pm David Puig Thomas Detry
1 12:48 pm Akshay Bhatia Russell Henley
1 12:59 pm Davis Thompson Xander Schauffele
1 1:10 pm Sergio Garcia Taylor Pendrith
1 1:26 pm Aaron Rai Tom Kim
1 1:37 pm Corey Conners Collin Morikawa
1 1:48 pm Tony Finau Tyrrell Hatton
1 1:59 pm Ludvig Åberg Hideki Matsuyama
1 2:10 pm Patrick Cantlay Rory McIlroy
1 2:21 pm Matthieu Pavon Bryson DeChambeau
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Sepp Straka Scores Hole-in-One During Second Round of US Open 2024

On Friday morning, Sepp Straka experienced a true magic moment at the US Open 2024 on Pinehurst No. 2. With a hole-in-one, the Austrian catapulted himself into the headlines and brought smiles to the faces of the spectators.

A Early Setback at the US Open 2024

The Friday could have started better for Straka. On the third hole, his second shot bounced off the flagstick and landed in the bunker. What followed was a painful triple-bogey that set him back to three over par—a tough blow for the usually confident player.

The Magical Moment on the Ninth Hole

But then came the moment that changed everything. On the ninth hole, a 177-yard par-3, Straka showed his full class. The 31-year-old hit his tee shot perfectly onto the green—about 26 feet from the pin—and the ball rolled straight into the hole as if by magic. Straka celebrated the first hole-in-one of this year’s US Open together with his caddie Duane Bock and American playing partners JT Poston and Peter Malnati.

A Special Entry in History

With this ace, Straka joins the few players who have achieved a hole-in-one on the ninth hole of Pinehurst No. 2. Before him, only Peter Jacobsen (2005) and Zach Johnson (2014) managed this feat.

The Road to the Cut

The hole-in-one brought Straka back into the tournament, as he was previously within range of the cut. In his career, Straka has already celebrated successes, including victories at the 2022 Honda Classic and the 2023 John Deere Classic. His best result at a major so far was a tied second place at last year’s British Open.

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Charlie Woods Takes Part in US Open Qualifier

Charlie Woods made another attempt to qualify for a professional tournament this week. The son of Tiger Woods took part in a local qualifying tournament in Florida for the US Open 2024 on Thursday. Woods is one of 10,052 golfers who have applied to take part in the US Open 2024 in Pinehurst. Only 52 of them have already been confirmed as participants, the rest are trying to qualify via the qualifying tournaments.

Charlie Woods Plays 81 at US Open Qualifier

Charlie Woods took part in one of 109 local qualifiers. Among the 84 participants at The Legacy Golf & Tennis Club in Port St. Lucie, there were five spots for the final qualifier. Woods, who carded a round of 81 over the 18 holes of the event, finished T61 and will not advance to the next stage. He started the round with a bogey and a double bogey, followed by another double bogey on hole 6, before making his only birdie of the round on hole 5. Another double bogey and three bogeys followed on the back nine. In the end, he was twelve strokes behind the leader. Only four players played under par.

The 15-year-old last tried his hand at a pre-qualifier for the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic in February and played a round of 86. He gained his first ‘experience’ on professional tours together with his father at the PNC Championship on the Champions Tour. The two have been taking part in the family event together since 2020. Last year, the pair finished in a tie for fifth place behind winner Bernhard Langer. Their best result came in 2021, when they finished second behind John Daly and John Daly II.

Incidentally, the older Woods is not one of the players who has already qualified for the US Open. 2023 was the last year in which he was automatically qualified thanks to his Masters victory in 2019.

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Video: First Hole in One at the US Open 2022

On the second day of the US Open 2022, the fans at The Country Club in Massachusetts (USA) were able to cheer loudly. Cameron Young took a swing at the sixth hole and holed out from 165 yards directly from the tee box.

US Open 2022: Hole in one from Cameron Young

The American thus scored the 48th (known) ace in the 122-year history of the US Open. Young had been rather mediocre so far and still had a chance to make the cut thanks to the eagle. After a 72 at the start, the 25-year-old experienced a debacle at hole 3. On the par-4 Cameron Young recorded an 8 and thus a quadruple bogey. For the round, the PGA Tour professional was already seven shots over par after 13 holes, but then started a series in which he framed the hole-in-one of three birdies at hole 6 (he had started on the 10th tee).

However, these five stroke wins within four holes were not enough; Cameron Young would also have needed a birdie on the last hole to make the cut at +3. As a result, he narrowly missed the weekend of the US Open 2022 by one stroke.

The 48th known hole-in-one in #USOpen HISTORY!

Take a bow, Cameron Young!

? : @NBC and @PeacockTV pic.twitter.com/cXlJP5zMwh

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US Open 2022: Rory McIlroy takes out his frustration in the bunker

With a round of 67 and an interim shared lead at the 2022 US Open, Rory McIlroy actually has no reason to be particularly frustrated with his round. Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman gave free rein to his feelings in the meantime.

US Open 2022: Rory McIlroys aggressive bunker reaction

On hole 5, for example, where his tee shot landed on the edge of the bunker and the liberating shot strayed into the next bunker. But for a player of McIlroy’s caliber, that’s no problem either: he carried the ball onto the green and holed out for par. So did the bunker really deserve this reaction?

Woah ?pic.twitter.com/kSUgJ2dSwN — Golf Monthly (@GolfMonthly) June 16, 2022

“At the US Open, you’re faced with things you’re not faced with in any other week, whether it’s lies or things like that,” McIlroy said. “The thick rough of the course is on the edges of the bunkers. So I’ve been cursing the USGA.”

“You have to accept it. It didn’t seem like much work for Harry (Diamond, his caddy), so I gave the sand my opinion, and then I backed off and played a good bunker shot, and then it’s great to sink that hole.”

That wasn’t the only incident, however, in which McIlroy showed he’s hot to finish his majorless streak. On hole 9, McIlroy’s final hole that would end in a bogey, he clearly wasn’t satisfied as well and threw his club to the ground.

Rory club throws!! The Prince wants it this week!! pic.twitter.com/1KeaRdhx0D — Riggs (@RiggsBarstool) June 16, 2022

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US Open 2022: Forbidden souvenir! Fans steal Rahm’s golf ball

Not an easy start for the Spanish defending champion at the US Open in Brookline, Massachusetts. On his first round, Jon Rahm experienced a veritable roller coaster ride over the 18 holes. Wild tee shots into deep rough, outstanding saves for a par save and long putts for birdie. It really was all there, and on top of that there was the scene on the 18th hole where Rahm missed the fairway again, but when he went for his ball, it was no longer in the place where it was initially spotted.

US Open 2022: Detective Rahm quickly spots the culprits

After the round, Rahm was asked about the incident on 18. The Spaniard visibly took the scene in stride, especially since he was awarded a free drop under the rules. Rahm also stated for the record that he saw the two offenders who took the ball on the court. Apparently, two younger fans had unceremoniously decided to take the ball from the former world number one.

“I’m pretty sure I know who did it,” he said, visibly amused. “I’m 100 percent sure I saw the two kids who stole it. The two of them were running in the opposite direction and had huge smiles on their faces.”

To the kids who stole @JonRahmpga‘s golf ball on the 18th hole, he knows who you are. ? #USOpen pic.twitter.com/Nh5YeeoXV9 — Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 16, 2022

Lucky for Rahm and, of course, lucky for the two fans that the scene ended without disadvantage for the Spaniard. Quite the opposite, in fact. Rahm took advantage of the free drop, played the ensuing ball to the 18th green and holed the 20-foot putt for a birdie worth seeing. With this, Rahm moved up to a score of -1 for the day and is now tied for 14th place.

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Webb Simpson: “I have always loved this tournament”

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Webb Simpson to the podium here at the 120th U.S. Open at Winged Foot golf course. Webb is the 2012 U.S. Open champion. Webb was a member of the 2007 Walker Cup team and is making his 10th career U.S. Open start. He’s currently the 6th ranked player in the world. Webb, what are your first impressions of the golf course?

WEBB SIMPSON: It’s in phenomenal shape, it’s firm, I know there hasn’t been a whole lot of rain up here lately. It’s just hard. It’s really hard. I know they have cut the rough the last few days, but I played in the U.S. Amateur here in 2004, I remember thinking this is a really hard golf course, but it’s very fair. My caddie, Paul Tesori, caddied here in 2006 for Vijay and had the same thoughts. And so this is a, to me, a classic U.S. Open setup where it’s brutally hard all day, but there’s no tricks to it, you got to drive it in the fairway. And I’m sure the guys are saying the same stuff that if you’re not in the fairway it’s hard to score and I do think this will be a higher winning score U.S. Open than we have seen in a while.

THE MODERATOR: Great. Questions.

Q.  One of the things guys have kind of talked about this week that seems odd to me is kind of laying up on a par-3. Have you ever done that and would you consider doing it?

WEBB SIMPSON: I’ve never done it, but it’s definitely, it’s definitely a hole where you cannot, you really don’t want to go long and a lot of times we’re going to have yardages where we’re in between clubs and we’re always going to hit the shorter club just to be short. So I hit a shot today, I couldn’t quite get my 3-iron hybrid there, but I still didn’t want to hit a 5-wood long, so I hit it and I was five yards short of the green perfect. I’m not going to purposefully lay up, but I will purposefully try to hit it short of the hole to the front pins. If I miss the green short, that’s fine. I think if you make two pars and two bogeys there, you’re with the field or beating the field.

Q.  Were you one of those guys who embraces the harder it is the better you like it or is there a limit and where does this potentially rank on the scale of difficulty places you’ve played?

WEBB SIMPSON: So I like for it to get as hard as it can get without them losing the golf course. I think a couple, we have seen a couple U.S. Opens where it might have gotten away from them and when something, when a golf course gets away from you, you’re bringing in luck. We don’t mind it to be really hard, we just don’t like for luck to play a huge part. This is the epitome of a golf course where it’s just hard, it kind of in your face all day, especially that finish, where the best golfer will win this week. I think there have been setups in the past where you could argue that the a great golfer with a good amount of luck won that week, but you’re not going to have that here at Winged Foot. It’s going to be whoever wins on Sunday is the best golfer here for the week.

Q.  Is there anything you find similar to Olympic here that might be an advantage to you?

WEBB SIMPSON: I mean Olympic is similar in the sense that it’s a classic, old-style golf course, doglegs, you have to shape some tee shots to hold the fairways. And again, Olympic was kind of brutally hard, not a lot of scoring holes. Out here there’s only a few holes where you’re going to have shorter shots in, you got to take advantage of those holes. So, yeah, there’s some similarities for sure and we’re going to have, looks like, great weather, so the golf course is going to get firm, a little bit more firm each day. I mean, I’m getting 40 yards of roll right now on some holes. But that’s good, it’s a long golf course. I don’t think that’s bad. And they’re penalizing us when we hit a bad tee shot.

Q.  Brandel Chamblee this morning on Golf Channel was pointing out that despite the recent dominance of Dustin Johnson, Rahm, even Justin Thomas, that you are the best combination of length and accuracy off the tee, plus you’re a better putter and you’ve won this championship before. So how do you feel your chances stack up in this event this year and with your understanding of the patience it takes to win at a place like this?

WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I mean I’m coming in confident, I’ve been playing good golf for awhile, I have always loved this tournament. My first one was 2011 at Congressional, I grew up watching Payne Stewart make the putt in ’99 at No. 2, I was a standard bearer that week as a 13 year old. So I’ve always loved the challenge and kind of the thoughts behind a U.S. Open. I love the idea of patience matters here. Some weeks you can get impatient and that’s okay, but this week you have to stay patient. Every golfer is going to make tons of bogeys this week. So it’s kind of the marathon mentality of kind of who can kind of hang on and play the 72 holes as well as they can. So, yeah, I like my chances. And I’ve been driving it well, I’m certainly not near as long as some of those guys you mentioned, but length on a week like this doesn’t matter as much. It always helps but it doesn’t matter as much.

Q.  You’re also No. 1 in bogey avoidance on the tour and given the carnage that has happened here the past couple of times that it’s been here, how important do you feel that will be, just eliminating those kind of mistakes to keep yourself relevant every day?

WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I mean that’s huge. Somebody told me yesterday that I think Geoff Ogilvy in 2006 hit less than half of the greens in regulation and it just shows how good his wedge game was, his pitching. And so that’s been a major focus for us the last few days, because I’m going to miss fairways and I’m not going to be able to advance it that far, I know that. So how well can I control layups, I mean laying up most weeks out of the rough is pretty easy, you just hack it down there but this week it actually takes skill. And again, there’s a huge emphasis on hitting good pitch shots, controlling them. And what I love about this golf course is the greens are crazy and they’re undulating, but there’s plenty of pins where slopes around the pin can really help you. So if you know what you’re doing, these pitch shots and wedge shots, you actually have a little help. So it really does test every part of your game.

Q.  How do you compare the Webb Simpson who won in 2012 to the one who is teeing it up this week?

WEBB SIMPSON: I think I’ve just, years of experience, I’ve learned a lot, I’ve endured a lot, had ups and downs. So I think then everything, I was kind of wide eyed and didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully I was able to get the W. But I really, I just love the moments of getting into contention and trying to win. Whereas, I think then I was extremely nervous, not really knowing how to handle myself. So now I really, I look forward to that, that’s where I hope to be on Sunday afternoon, and I think all around through the bag my game has gotten better and more solid and, yeah, just feel good. I’m getting older, I got my gray hairs, but I feel young inside.

Q.  How do you feel about playing without fans? Do you thrive on that energy or is it more calming perhaps or does it, is it advantageous for the younger players perhaps, the more inexperienced players?

WEBB SIMPSON: Yeah, I think guys that haven’t played many major championships it’s going to help because any major we’re going to have 10, 12 deep on most every hole and the grandstands will be filled up. So I think for those guys it helps. For me, I love the crowd. There’s more going on, but it, actually, I think the more going on, the more that’s out there, the better focused we are. It’s like when I get paired with Tiger or Phil, I’ve always loved it because with how many people are out there and how many moving parts and the golf carts and the cameras, you really got to zero in on what you’re doing and it actually helps. So the PGA was obviously our only major without fans and I didn’t play late so I didn’t really experience kind of the lack of roars when Collin made eagle or somebody makes a long birdie putt, but those things, we miss those things and especially in New York where the fans are historically, they’re just loud and they love golf, so we’ll miss them this week.

Q.  Do you have a favorite New York moment in terms of fans? I mean, it’s different up here and having an Open without them is going to be different, but do you have a moment that you remember that sort of got to the essence of what it’s like?

WEBB SIMPSON: No, I mean when I think of the fans in New York I just think of the volume, the noise is louder than anywhere. Boston tries to compete a little bit, but here it’s just louder. I think people aren’t afraid to kind of speak their mind when you hit a bad shot and that’s part of it. We know that going in. And we appreciate that people care enough to come watch us and it’s a bummer, it’s a bummer for all these states and towns, but I think especially here hosting a major.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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Collin Morikawas Interview before the US Open

Q. First major since you became a major champion. Does it feel any different or do you approach it any different? COLLIN MORIKAWA: I don’t think I approach it any different. I think I do some really good prep, and I’m sure that’ll kind of adjust as time goes on. This is my third major, so figuring out how to — guys know how to prep for majors, especially the ones that have won, and know the secret to doing that. But I think I do a really good job Monday through Wednesday of figuring out a course, figuring out what I need to do, so I’m doing the same thing. But I think walking here as a major champion, you have a sense of knowing how to get things done. Yes, I’ve only done it once, but I’ve done it. You just want more. You get that little taste of what it’s like, and you know why guys mark in their calendars the major championships for the year. So it’s not like I’m showing up not knowing what a major championship feels like. You still have that feeling here even without the fans. You can tell how guys are prepping, how guys are getting ready, but for me it’s just, okay, let’s come out here, I see all these guys every week, and let’s have some fun playing golf. Q. I’m sure there’s no similarities between the two golf courses, but from off the tee is there anything to be said for the fact that you have to be able to play from the short grass if you’re going to do anything? COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I love that. We saw all of us tested a couple weeks ago at Olympia Fields, and you can see what scores does like that. I love playing courses like that because, yes, guys can make birdies, but you also have to know how to make pars and you have to be able to know when to take a bogey if you have to or when you hit it in the rough and really take your medicine. As a young player, we necessarily might not have that mindset as some guys, but I think if you look back, the four years I spent in college, college coaches loved telling you hit to the middle of the green, and this week might not necessarily be hit to the middle of the green, but it’s hit to your spots. You look at hole 1, and I only played it once yesterday, but you can be pin high and not have a putt at the hole. That’s just how tough this course is. You have to know where to hit it. Just getting to know the course is going to be really beneficial for everyone. Q. Collin, when there was a Tour stop in Westchester, guys would come over, play here, go play Quaker Ridge. Your generation hasn’t had a chance to do that. So how new is the Winged Foot experience for you guys? Do you know many guys who have played here? COLLIN MORIKAWA: My caddie played in the U.S. Am here in 2004, so he’s bringing a lot of knowledge. I think he was here in ’06. Yeah, that’s just part of what I’ve been doing, playing only a year and a half in, is figuring out these courses Monday through Wednesday and that’s kind of all you get. It’s nice to go to courses that I’ve played before, but it’s nothing new. So I come out here yesterday and start figuring out what I need to do, what is going to be the important factors. Obviously off the tee is going to be important, but you can’t let up on any part of your game out here. You’re going to see every shot. You’re going to see some really good shots, really bad shots from every part of in golf course. It’s just the way it’s set up. It’ll be fun, yeah. Q. And when you’re not on Tour, when you get a week down, do you ever go visit some of the historical places, or is that ever part of your routine? COLLIN MORIKAWA: Not really. I’ll go eat. No, I’d rather relax and get away from the golf course as much as I can. I know you’ve talked to other people, I’m sure, and asked them what courses they want to play. To be honest, I really don’t have many because I just don’t want to keep playing golf on those off weeks. Our off-season — you look at our off-season this year, right, Tuesday through Sunday. It’s not a lot of time. It’s not like any other sport, and I’ve talked to other guys about it. It’s just the way we go. But it’s really cool we get to travel to so many cities, give back, and help out as much as we can. Q. How does the course suit your eye and shot shape, and how many drivers will you hit in each round? COLLIN MORIKAWA: I’ve only seen the front nine, so I hit a lot of drivers yesterday. It fits my eye pretty good. I think there’s a couple holes on the front where they were kind of dogleg lefts and the fairway was sloping to the right, and I think 12 — 12 might be the par-5. I think that’s really similar to that. Those tee shots I really just got to hit the most neutral ball flight I can. But I’ve kind of tweaked my driver here and there and just on every other fairway, especially with the narrow fairways, I’ve been able just to aim down the left side and have it peel back to the middle, and that’s all I can ask for. That pretty much makes my fairway as wide as it can be, knowing that my ball is going to fall right. It’s going to be a lot of drivers. It’s cold this morning, so if we get some cold mornings throughout the tournament, the course is going to play very long. It’s going to play a little tougher, especially this first stretch of golf. Q. Where is the line between extremely difficult and unfair? COLLIN MORIKAWA: I don’t know. I really don’t know because I would love to see it as tough as it can get. I think when it starts getting unfair is when it’s more on our approach shots and more on the we can’t stop a ball in a certain part of the green. I realize it’s Tuesday now and the greens are going to get firmer, they’re going to dry them out, they’re going to roll them, cut them, but off the tee, if you look at it, it’s just penalizing bad tee shots. And it’s not something we see all the time because sometimes we can just hit it as hard as we want and get away with it. That’s just how different golf courses work. But this is a golf course this week where you’ve got to hit it in the fairway, and if you’re not in the fairway, you’ve got to play smart. The good thing about this course is that a lot of the front of the parts of the greens are shaved and you can almost run them up if you have — if you get a decent lie, I guess. That’s not going to be the case all week. But you have some flexibility in some shots if you miss it off the tee. Q. What’s the hardest course you’ve played? COLLIN MORIKAWA: This one probably. (Laughter.) Q. Number of guys, young guys, whether it’s Rahm or Xander or maybe even Bryson, who the next step is the major, is this the week they win the major, is there any part of you that’s considered what it’s like to not have to get that question for the rest of your career, having knocked it out at age 23? COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, it’s nice, I guess, I won’t get that question asked. But now it’s going to be what’s next and what are you going to win next. But that’s the thing; I’m not waking up every day realizing, yeah, I’m a major champion. I’m realizing we’re at the U.S. Open, let’s go win another tournament. So for me it’s always what’s next, like what can I put my head forward, what is going to be the next test of golf, and obviously it’s this week. I’ve got to focus on every week. I can’t get ahead of myself, can’t start thinking about this long season that we have, what tournaments I’m going to play. It’s just let’s get focused for this week. To be honest, the game, swing feels really good, and it should be really fun Thursday through Sunday. Q. Especially after the PGA Championship, you talk to a lot of the older players, veteran players about you, they said that you have a lot of courage. They use a lot of terms I can’t say right here, but they’d say hutzpah. Talking about in terms of your golf. You seem poised in all these moments; where does that come from do you think? COLLIN MORIKAWA: I don’t know. My parents raised me really well, and they’ve been a huge impact on my life. But I think that’s just who I am. I’ve always had kind of a mature head on my back, and that’s just the way I think. I kind of think through things a lot. Q. Some people in pressure moments shrink, especially the first time they might be in them. You had a little trouble on the green early in the year, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting you, you seem to be able to handle those moments. COLLIN MORIKAWA: Well, I think you learn from moments like that. You learn from tough breaks. You learn from losses, and you learn from — like the two missed cuts I’ve had, I’ve learned, seriously, some of the most things I could have learned from just two days of golf. That’s where I’ve learned the most. So I think that’s where I’ve done a really good job is reflecting back. And I need to do a better job of reflecting back on the good weeks, as well. It’s not just, okay, we’re good and we’re going to go win every week. That’s not how golf works. You wake up every day, and you don’t know how your body is going to feel, you don’t know how you’re going to hit it. But it’s about being as consistent as possible. Yeah, I think I’ve learned a lot, and I go back and I do reflect on what I need to get better, what I’ve been doing well. So I think that’s why, yes, I’ve had a tough break, but it’s okay, like what is next. How do we improve, how do we not do that in the next situation. Q. Is there such a thing as a clutch player, people that are able to do that and people that aren’t? COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, there’s Tiger Woods and there’s the rest of us. But yeah, you look at guys like — there are definitely guys that are clutch in moments, and every PGA TOUR player wouldn’t be here — they wouldn’t be on the PGA TOUR, they wouldn’t be at the U.S. Open if they weren’t clutch. It’s just who is going to step up to the next moment. We’re on a different stage now. It’s not just another amateur event or another college event or whatever it is. This is the big time. This is the major. So yeah, you’ve got to step up, and you can’t be scared of taking another step because that puts you in another level of golf. Q. Has being a major champion and having the success in such a short period of time put pressure on your time demands for interviews and things off the course, and how do you manage that time? COLLIN MORIKAWA: Yeah, I’ve definitely been busier, especially that week after. I couldn’t tell you how much sleepy got. But for me it was actually a lot of fun, and it’s weird to say that. Now, I’m not going to take like every interview you guys ask, but for me, it was not just golf interviews, there were interviews on like all networks, on like different topics. So it was cool to talk to those people because it wasn’t just golf related and it’s not like they knew golf that well so I could have said a lot of things and it would have passed on their end. But yeah, I think if we talk about managing time, being efficient is I think what I do. Going through college, finishing it in four years, getting my degree, my business degree, I had to be efficient. I couldn’t just show up and get things done and have time pass by and realize, okay, I’m in my fourth year. I had to know what was going to be done and when. I think that’s just kind of who I am, so I’ve brought that here. I bring that to how I practice. If you look at me, I’m not pounding balls on the range until sunset. I just get things done when I need to. Adding in media, a little more media, yeah, maybe I’ve got to get here an hour earlier, but other than that, it hasn’t been too overwhelming I’d say. Q. What’s the worst lie you’ve found so far at Winged Foot? COLLIN MORIKAWA: Well, I only hit one ball in the rough yesterday, but that was only nine holes, and we’ve got par-3s, so let’s not make a big deal out of that. So 9. But I did see some, I threw some balls in just walking down the fairways. There’s lies that you know you’re just going to have to wedge it out, and that’s why I say you’ve got to take your medicine. You’re going to hear that all week. Guys that are going to play well are going to take their medicine and scramble really well. That’s just the way this course is going to play out. Q. I don’t know what made me think of this, but there’s been stories over the years of what guys put in the Claret Jug or where they take the green jacket with them. The Wanamaker weighs like 35 pounds. What are you supposed to do with that? COLLIN MORIKAWA: There’s a lot of things you can do with it. There’s a lot of things. Q. Do you take it anywhere? COLLIN MORIKAWA: No, I haven’t taken it anywhere, but there’s things you can do. It’s pretty big.
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U.S. Open exemptions available during European Tour’s UK Swing

Participants in the European Tour’s new UK Swing will have even more to play for following confirmation that ten spots in the 2020 U.S. Open Championship will be available for the highest placed finishers in the mini order of merit after the first five events.

The UK Swing begins at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Lee Westwood at Close House, near Newcastle, from Wednesday July 22 to Saturday July 25, and will launch the European Tour’s Golf for Good initiative, which underpins all events for the remainder of the 2020 season. As part of the initiative, a mini order of merit will run for all six events in the UK Swing, with the top ten sharing an additional £250,000 to donate to charities of their choice.

Coronavirus upsets qualification system

The USGA has confirmed that the top 10 aggregate points earners in the mini order of merit that are otherwise not exempt at the conclusion of the fifth event – the Wales Open at Celtic Manor – will be exempt for the rescheduled U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club on September 17-20.

The traditional U.S. Open sectional qualifying events, including the European qualifier at Walton Heath in June, were cancelled this season following the upheaval in the global golf calendar due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, with the field now comprised entirely of exempt players.

After the European Tour resumes with two events in Austria – the Austrian Open on July 9-12 and the Euram Bank Open on July 15-18 – the action switches to the UK and the Betfred British Masters.

That is followed by the English Open at the Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club and the English Championship at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club, before The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport hosts back-to-back European Tour tournaments – the Celtic Classic and the Wales Open. The UK Swing then concludes with the UK Championship at The Belfry.

Opportunity for European Tour players

Keith Waters, European Tour Chief Operating Officer, said: “Throughout our discussions with the USGA, it was clear that they shared our desire to offer European Tour players an opportunity to earn places in this year’s U.S. Open. We thank them for working with us to create this new exemption category encompassing the first five events in the UK Swing.

“The UK Swing mini order of merit already offers an additional incentive through the Golf for Good initiative, and we are pleased that players now have more to play for, with places available in the second Major Championship of the season.”

“We are grateful to the European Tour”

John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director, Championships, said: “The U.S. Open qualifier in England has historically featured a very strong field, and we felt it was important to provide an opportunity for players throughout Europe to earn a place in this year’s championship.

“We are grateful to the European Tour for the wonderful collaboration that allowed us to create this exemption category for the 2020 U.S. Open.”

Press release by European Tour