CG Editor
Wow. As a writer, I’m typically good with words, but as I stood by the 18th green, watching the sun dip low towards the Olympic mountains, silhouetting the flag-topped grandstand at No. 1 against a sublime orangey-purple Seattle sunset, the only word I could conjure was, “Wow.”
When Jordan Spieth walked back out to the 18th green to celebrate winning the 2015 U.S. Open, the gallery rose to its feet like a wave surging just before it crests, before the sound exploded from all sides as the wave crashed down, the gallery’s appreciation washing over Spieth and taking with it all the frustration of missed opportunities to put the tournament away in the final two holes. If it seemed like a baptism, it was. As a back-to-back major champion, Jordan Spieth is a new man.
I can’t imagine a more spectacular week to spend with my friends and neighbors than the one we just experienced. There was Jason Day’s chip-in birdie, collapse, and unbelievable rally. There was Louis Oosthuizen’s bounce-back from an opening-round 77 to be in contention on the final day, following the greatest middle 36 holes in U.S. Open history, and six – SIX! – birdies in his final nine holes. There was the rock star, Dustin Johnson, bombing drives longer than anyone had ever seen, and coming oh. so. agonzizingly. close. to winning his elusive first major title. There was Sergio Garcia blasting our beloved Chambers Bay, then feeling the wrath of the gallery over his next 54 holes. There were eagles on the golf course (a record number, in fact) and plucking salmon from the Sound, impossible shots and sand saves, and a sky so blue you wanted to reach out and pinch it between your fingers. There was Tiger, and Phil, and Rory, and Bubba; Fowler, Kuchar, Scott and Els.
For one week, we were the center of the sports world, the equal to an Olympics or World Cup. It was a week no one will ever forget.
More than any of the incredible individual moments in the tournament, however, the memory I’ll carry with me the most from this week is just how darn happy everybody was. I couldn’t turn a corner on the golf course without a volunteer wishing me a good morning, or to have a nice day, and everywhere I looked, I saw friends, neighbors and fellow Western Washingtonians enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime (if Gary Player gets his way) experience.
There was no demographic to the crowd at Chambers Bay – from toddlers on their parents’ shoulders to octogenarians riding scooters (or, bravely walking up and down Chambers’ slopes, sometimes with the help of canes – God bless you diehards), men and women, the crowd represented a true cross-section of our region.
The roars for great shots or long birdies, laughter at the tournament’s sillier moments (“Choo choo!”) and cheers when their golf heroes walked by made me happier than any of the cool personal moments I experienced. We spend so much of our lives compartmentalized from our neighbors and extended Northwest family, focused — as we have to be — on our own lives, families and jobs. There have only been a small handful of times that I can recall the whole community being united by one cause the way we have been these past few weeks – the Mariners’ miracle run in the fall of 1995 and the 2013 Seahawks season, which ended with 700,000 of us partying together on the streets of downtown Seattle.
It’s felt that way again around the Northwest these last few weeks, and especially since Michael Putnam fired that first drive on Thursday.
As Washingtonians, we all worked together – spectators, volunteers, support staff and the thousands who didn’t have tickets, but shared their excitement through phone calls and social media with friends and family across the country – to pull of an incredible event. We – you — came together to make this possible. And we helped create one of the most spectacular and exciting major championships in golf history.
We did it. Let’s do it again.
WHAT WE SAW
1. Oh. My. Goodness.
What words are there to describe the last 30 minutes of the U.S. Open? On the 16th tee, Branden Grace and Jordan Spieth were two strokes clear of the field, with only Dustin Johnson – due to his prodigious length and two eagleable holes remaining – considered a realistic threat. Ten minutes later, Grace had sliced his drive almost onto the train tracks, and Spieth had drained a 30-foot birdie, moving him three clear of the field with two to play. It was Spieth’s championship to lose – so that’s exactly what he tried to do. Spieth followed up Grace’s brain-fart with one of his own, hitting his tee shot on the par-3 17th into the fescue right of the greenside bunker, then three-putting for double bogey. Meanwhile, Louis Oosthuizen capped one of the greatest inward nines in U.S. Open history with his sixth birdie, carding a back-nine 29 and moving into a two-way tie with Spieth at -4. Ten minutes later, it was Spieth’s championship to win, as he blasted his second shot on 18 to 15 feet, sending the 10,000 packed into the grandstands and surrounding slopes into a frenzy. Spieth missed the putt, though … opening the door for Dustin Johnson, who was simultaneously birdieing 17 to move back within one stroke. Needing birdie to tie, and eagle to win, Johnson blasted his second shot even closer than Spieth’s – suddenly, it was Johnson’s championship to lose. And, in mind-boggling, staggering fashion, he did, three-putting from 12 feet with his first major championship in his grasp. Dick will go into more detail on DJ’s collapse below, but, wow. There has never been a more exciting finish to the U.S. Open, with four different players coming into the final four holes with a realistic shot to win, and two – TWO! – potential winning eagle putts from inside 15 feet in 18. If you didn’t have your jaw on the floor by the time Johnson tapped in for par, you’re not a golf fan.
2. Greller Earns His Paycheck
Michael Greller had a tough job this week. One of a caddy’s most important jobs is to keep their player focused – to block out distractions and focus on the task at hand. But, how can you do that when you’re dealing with so many distractions of your own? Caddying in a U.S. Open on the course where he learned the craft, just minutes from the house he calls home, and the school where he taught sixth grade before picking up Jordan’s bag, was, he admitted afterward, overwhelmingly emotional. The gallery was packed with Greller’s family, friends – he said he spotted the husband of the woman who set him up with his wife, Ellie (who he married at Chambers Bay two years ago), on the 10th green today; the standard-bearer for his group on Thursday was a former student he once gave detention to. While managing all of that, he also had a player who seemed a little edgy all week. Multiple times Spieth backed off of putts or shots, only rarely showing that cool calm that we saw throughout the 2015 Masters. He looked more like the 21-year-old that he is – anxious, stressed and nervous. At one point, while checking out his line on the sixth green, I saw him look back towards No. 5 after a roar signaled a birdie by Jason Day; it seemed like he was easily distracted, and not quite in the right mental state. Greller got caught up in the anxiety on several occasions, backing off photographers and fans, clearly recognizing that Spieth was having trouble blocking out the distractions on his own. Over the last four holes, though, I heard Greller on multiple occasions tell Spieth to “paint the picture” or “see the picture” – to visualize the perfect shot in his mind before swinging the club. It’s an old trick, for sure, but he pulled it out at just the right time, putting Spieth into the right frame of mind to make a fantastic par save at 15, a clutch birdie at 16, and an incredible second shot on 18 to give him two putts to take the lead.
When I caught up with him after the round, he said that when he first picked up a bag seven years ago, his dream was simply to caddy in the 2015 U.S. Open. To win it? “It’s so special,” he said. He’s been well-known locally for the last two years (we like to think we helped break the story with Steve Kelley’s cover feature last August). He’ll be known by everyone soon enough.
3. “It’s Greller!”
One last Greller note. As he talked to a small group of us after the round, a group of kids waited nearby. One asked, “Who’s that?” before another answered excitedly, “It’s Greller!” Seems like he might be a household name sooner than anyone thinks.
4. Spieth Stats
Jordan Spieth’s win was defined by its status as a “second” – that is, a second-straight major championship, and the second of his career. But there are also a number of firsts. Spieth is the first player to win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same season since Tiger Woods in 2002, and the youngest to win two career majors than Gene Sarazen in 1922 – that’s right, even Tiger didn’t have two majors at Spieth’s young age. He also is the youngest U.S. Open champion since Bob Jones in 1923 (amazingly, no relation to Bobby Jones, the golfer, or Robert Trent Jones, the golf architect), and has now led or shared the lead after seven of eight rounds in major championships this year.
5. Distracted DJ
While Dick will go into detail on Dustin Johnson’s collapse below, I did want to share a few of my own observations from the course today. For whatever reason, DJ struggled on the back nine at Chambers Bay all week – while most players were taking advantage of birdie opportunities at holes like 10, 12, 16 and 18 (only No. 8 yielded more birdies than those latter three), DJ struggled, posting a cumulative score of 5-over par on the back nine. It’s especially odd, because he played the toughest part of the course – holes 4-7, “The Monster Mile,” so well, scoring an almost-unbelievable 8-under par this week. When he made the turn with the lead, we noted his back-nine struggles and Tweeted out that this wasn’t over. Sure enough, he bogeyed No. 10, then missed a long birdie attempt on 11. While waiting for Jason Day to putt, a buzz went through the gallery as Jordan Spieth’s birdie at No. 12 was posted to the scoreboard by the No. 11 green. Johnson clearly looked up at the scoreboard, seeing a name other than his own at the top for the first time since the fourth hole. He promptly missed a short par putt, and I wondered if Spieth’s birdie was in his head, and if he was mentally focused. A three-putt par on 12 and bogey on 13 seemed to confirm that something just wasn’t right. When he three-putted from 12 feet on 18, I was stunned by the sheer gravity of the moment – but given what I had witnessed earlier, I wasn’t surprised.
6. Mike Dials It Back
You’ve probably heard the name Mike Davis this week more times than just about anyone except the leaders. As the USGA Executive Director, Davis has a heavy hand in choosing which courses host the U.S. Open, and how they are set up from day to day (even though he tries to downplay his role in interviews). The players have a bit of an antagonistic relationship with Davis, whose primary goal at U.S. Open is to push them right to the edge of their abilities. Obviously, much has been made of Davis’ decisions at Chambers Bay, including using two tees on the ninth hole, moving the tee boxes up to 100 yards on some holes from day to day, and rotating the par on holes 1 and 10, each of which have been mostly unpopular with players, who can’t get into a rhythm from day to day. It was widely assumed that Sunday’s setup would be the toughest of the week, but in fact, Davis seemed to take his foot off the players’ throats, playing the 16th hole as a reachable par-4 (at 336 and playing downwind, it was no more than a 285-yard shot for most players), using shorter tees on several holes, and most significantly, playing 18 as a par-5. Those changes created incredible scoring conditions for much of the day, and made the four-hole finish one of the most exciting in U.S. Open history, with two dramatic par-3s, and two strong eagle opportunities. As it turns out, though, it also might have reduced the chances of any player pulling a Johnny Miller and making a run from deep in the field, as the likelihood that all four of the leaders would fall back to the pack in such conditions was slim. Indeed, that’s how it played out – Adam Scott fired a 64, Rory a 66, but it wasn’t enough to catch Spieth, whose 1-under 69 proved just good enough to win.
7. Fans Being Heard, Too
While the players have complained about the USGA not listening to their feedback on the course, fans were frustrated on Thursday by the limited viewing options that were provided on what is admittedly a unique piece of property. It seems, though, that the USGA has been listening on both fronts – while the course was more player-friendly today, it was more fan-friendly as well. With the low tee in use at No. 9, the USGA opened up the entire length of the upper No. 9 tee box to spectators – not only creating room for approximately 500 more fans to line the hole (and relieving long lines at one of the more popular grandstands), but also allowing fans to get close to the No. 8 green for the first time all week. In addition to new viewing areas added during the week at 12, 16 and 17, it was refreshing to see the USGA being proactive about the situation and listening to fans’ concerns. If we do get another U.S. Open – and I do believe that we will – I expect there will many positive changes in the way fans are positioned around the course, making for a better experience for all, and a cooler vibe for the players.
8. A Well-Oiled Machine
Since I’ve taken the first two items today to address the USGA’s responses to criticism, I want to take the third to toss the organization some well-deserved praise. I’ve been to many major sporting events in my life, including a Super Bowl, and I have never seen one run as smoothly and efficiently as this U.S. Open. Sure, the viewing opportunities could have been better, and I think that next time they will. But moving 30,000 people a day into, out of and around a relatively remote community, on a course with difficult topography, could have been a nightmare. Instead, the entire operation – from the complex transportation plan including shuttle buses, satellite parking lots and a drop-off lot that ran far smoother than anyone could have dared hope; to the incredible town village built on the property with a merchandise tent, autograph pavilion and fun fan activities; to the volunteers that executed their duties with a smile and the knowledge and confidence of people who have been well-trained; the whole production was truly top-notch. The merchandise pavilion ran like a Swiss watch, with volunteers seemingly at every display. Despite hundreds of fans packing in seemingly every few minutes, I never waited so much as two minutes in line for a register, and was always sent off with a smile. If you volunteered at this year’s U.S. Open, as I’m sure many of you did, you did a heck of a job. And to the USGA, one more kudos for organizing such an incredibly well-run event – I hope we get the chance to do it again.
9. Iron Fluff
Media aren’t supposed to cheer, but we just had to stand an applaud Steve “Fluff” Cowan when he came to the sixth green today carrying the bag of Jim Furyk. At 67 years old, Fluff is probably older than many of your parents, but continues to excel at a physically demanding job. Just think of how tired you are after walking a round at Chambers Bay. Now imagine being 67 years old, throwing a giant staff bag on your bag, and making that haul six straight days – then taking maybe one day off and doing it all again someplace else next week. Fluff’s shoulders are certainly sagging and his back is bowed by more than 40 years carrying bags on the PGA TOUR (including, for his first several years on Tour, Tiger Woods), but he still has the drive and spirit to keep at it. Of all the golf notables we saw this week, Fluff was one of the coolest.
10. Move It, Natalie
Sergio just seems to keep popping up at the center of memorable moments each day. Today’s came on the second green, where Sergio eyed his putt, only to spot LPGA Tour pro (and, this week at least, Fox Sports on-course reporter) Natalie Gulbis in his line of sight, with her back to the green as she called the action of Phil Mickelson at No. 16. Sergio called out to Gulbis multiple times, but she didn’t hear. Finally, he dispatched his caddie to get her attention – when she turned around and realized that she was holding up play, she blushed and quickly ran behind the nearby tower. Sergio missed the putt.
11. A Moment With Lefty
We staked out a spot in the designated media area on the 10th hole, up atop the hillside just left of the green, just in time to see Phil Mickelson’s approach come flying into the long grass down below us. As Phil and Bones arrived and started looking for the ball, we could tell they were looking in the wrong place, so I called down and pointed out where the ball had gone in. “Can you come help me look?” Phil asked. My brain, doing backflips, said, “Sure!” right as my eyes glanced down to the steep, slippery, 30-foot slope between myself and Phil’s position. In the few seconds that I scanned the hillside to figure out the best way down, two marshals walked over to Phil and began scanning the grass. I helped them zero in from above, and was able to contribute without putting myself at risk. The idea of working side-by-side with Lefty to find his ball? Awesome. Dying in the bunker with a broken neck? Not awesome. It was a good enough story without having to climb down the hill, and I survived to give my kids a good Father’s Day hug.
12. Father’s Day
Speaking of Father’s Day, this was a special one for both myself and CG Publisher Dick Stephens, who both lost our fathers in the last year – Dick’s just this week. We had both been looking forward to sharing this U.S. Open with our dads, bringing them out to Chambers Bay in previous years so that when the tourney aired, they could say they’d played the track. As we’ve walked around the grounds this week, I know our dads have been on both of our minds. When mine passed last fall, I brought a few of his ashes to Chambers Bay and scattered them on the upper tee at No. 9, where he’d have the best view in the house. Every time I looked up to that tee box this week (which, sadly, was only used once), I thought about my dad and how much he would have enjoyed watching this tournament. Instead of sharing it with our dads, we shared this Open with our kids, with Dick bringing each of his three children on different days, as we tried to use the Open not to reflect on a life of golf with our fathers, but to plant the seeds of a future life in golf with our kids. I hope you shared this Open with your kids, too – it’s something they’ll never forget.