The secret to Sawgrass for The Players Championship: Play well and stay out of trouble
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The 24 newcomers to The Players Championship probably won't take much solace in hearing that only one player — Craig Perks in 2002 — has conquered the diabolical Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass in his debut over the last four decades.
Just as curious is the case of Scottie Scheffler. Last year he became the first player in the history of this championship to win in consecutive years .
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Boston Globe
41 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
J.J. Spaun (4-under 66) grabs early lead at US Open
Related : Only five players from the morning wave managed to break par on an Oakmont course that was still trying to dry out from rain, and still very much holding its own. Thriston Lawrence of South Africa, who contended at Royal Troon last summer, had six birdies in a round of 67. Advertisement Si Woo Kim was at 68, with Ben Griffin and Thomas Detry at 69. The course allowed plenty of birdies, and doled out plenty of punishment. Masters champion Rory McIlroy also was bogey-free, at least on his opening nine. Then he three-putted for bogey on No. 1 and wound up with a 41 on the front nine for a 74. That included a 30-foot putt to save bogey after taking three hacks to get out of the rough on the par-5 fourth. Shane Lowry became the first player to hole out from the fairway for eagle on No. 3. He also had three double bogeys and shot 79. Spaun was not immune from this. He just made everything, particularly five par putts from 7 feet or longer. Advertisement 'I think today was one of my best maybe putting days I've had maybe all year,' Spaun said. 'Converting those putts ... that's huge for momentum and keeping a round going, and that's kind of what happens here at US Opens.' Spaun wouldn't know that from experience. This is only his second US Open, and his ninth major since his first one in 2018. He didn't have to qualify, moving to No. 25 in the world on the strength of his playoff loss to McIlroy at The Players Championship. 'I haven't played in too many,' Spaun said 'I knew it was going to be tough. I did my best just to grind through it all.' It was every bit of a grind, from the rough and on the fast greens. Xander Schauffele had to birdie his last two holes to salvage a 72. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau had four bogeys over his last 10 holes for a 73. On this course, at this major, those weren't bad starts. PGA champion Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player, was among those who played in the afternoon as the breeze got a little stronger, the greens got a little firmer and the rough stayed as thick as ever. The average score already was in the 75 range as the late wave was starting out. Eight players already shot 80 or worse, including Matt Vogt, the Indiana dentist and former caddie at Oakmont. Vogt was selected to hit the opening shot, an appropriate choice for a US Open that prides itself on giving anyone a chance to qualify. He was among 16 players who had to go through two stages, 54 holes, just for a crack at Oakmont. Advertisement 'Oakmont is relentless,' said John Bodenhamer, the chief championships officer at the USGA who sets up the course. 'There's no let-up. It's a grind. That's the US Open.' It was living up to its reputation in the opening round. Spaun managed to avoid any calamity. The chip-in on No. 10 to start his round was a bonus. His best shot was a long iron to 5 feet on the par-3 16th. His longest birdie putt was 12 feet on the short par-4 17th, where he drove to the collar of thick rough around the green. But it was those par putts that saved him — from 8 feet on the par-5 fourth after driving in a grassy 'pew' in the famed Church Pew bunker; from 16 feet after finding a bunker off the tee on the par-3 sixth; and from 8 feet on the par-3 eighth toward the end of his round. McIlroy's biggest putt was 30 feet on the fourth, and that was for bogey. He drove right into rough that came up to his shins. He hammered that shot all of 20 yards into more rough. The next one went 10 yards and stayed in the rough. He finally got out to the fairway, and from there was 30 feet left of the pin. So it could have been worse. There also was the par-3 eighth, with a front pin so that it only played 276 yards. McIlroy went with 3-wood and sent that well right, where it disappeared into the high grass. Two hacks later, he was on his way to another double bogey. Advertisement
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
PGA Tour Winner Makes Shocking U.S. Open Admission Despite Stellar Play
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As expected, the Oakmont Country Club is taking center stage at the 2025 U.S. Open. Even players who performed well during the first round appeared to be almost in disbelief at their results. This was the case for Si Woo Kim, who shot a 2-under for the round yet still seemed far from in control of the situation. "Honestly, I don't even know what I am doing on the course. Hitting good, but feel like this course is too hard for me," Kim shockingly revealed after his round. Si Woo Kim of South Korea plays his shot from the ninth tee during the first round of The PLAYERS Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 14, 2019 in Ponte Vedra... Si Woo Kim of South Korea plays his shot from the ninth tee during the first round of The PLAYERS Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 14, 2019 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. MoreThe South Korean golfer had four birdies and two bogeys, and is currently tied for fifth place, with the round still to finish. "Yeah, it was a good start and then didn't even windy much this morning, so that's why I played, I feel like, more easier because I played the last couple days kind of like hard wind," he said. "It kind of feel helpful for me. I started great, so I drive it great, so I think it helps really, kept the good scoring, this course. Yeah, it was a good round." However, his success in the round did not cause him to lose sight of the course's extraordinary challenges: "It was tough. I played three nine holes, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and I saw the past scores, like 5-over win... So kind of like no expectation, but I played great today." Sure seems like Si Woo knows what he's doing. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025 The "no expectations" philosophy is shared by other players, including clubhouse leader JJ Spaun. "I didn't really feel like I'm going to show a bogey-free round 4-under. I didn't really know what to expect especially since I've never played here. But yeah, maybe sometimes not having expectations is the best thing, so I'll take it," he said. Si Woo Kim had never played at Oakmont before, as his US Open run began in 2017. In his eight appearances at the event, he has only made four cuts and has never finished in the top 10. For Spaun, the 2025 edition is only his second US Open appearance. He failed to make the cut in his previous appearance in 2021. More Golf: Did Bryson DeChambeau get caught cheating at 2025 U.S. Open?
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Scottie Scheffler's U.S. Open Odds Reach Historic Tiger Woods Level
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Scottie Scheffler's extraordinary run since last year has made him the top favorite in almost every tournament he enters. His dominance has become so overwhelming that it has reached levels not seen since Tiger Woods' prime. This is evident in the 2025 US Open, where the sportsbook BetMGM gives Scheffler +275 odds to win. According to renowned analyst Ben Fawkes, these are the highest odds since Woods was +175 for the 2009 edition. "Scottie Scheffler (+275 at @BetMGM) is the biggest favorite to win the U.S. Open since 2009, when Tiger Woods was +175," Fawkes posted on X. Scottie Scheffler (+275 at @BetMGM) is the biggest favorite to win the U.S. Open since 2009, when Tiger Woods was +175, per @SOHistory — Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) June 9, 2025 BetMGM gives Scheffler nearly 500 points over the second-best projected seed, Bryson DeChambeau, who has +750 odds. Other sportsbooks estimate the margin to be slightly smaller, though still significant. For example, FanDuel has Scheffler with the best odds at +280, and DeChambeau second-best at +700. Scheffler is having another extraordinary season. He has played in 12 events and finished in the top 25 in each one. His results include three wins (one of which was at the PGA Championship), one second-place finish, and five other top-10 finishes. His form has improved tremendously over the last five weeks, with three wins and a fourth-place finish in four events. NASSAU, BAHAMAS - DECEMBER 08: Tiger Woods of the United States congratulates Scottie Scheffler of the United States after the final round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 08,... NASSAU, BAHAMAS - DECEMBER 08: Tiger Woods of the United States congratulates Scottie Scheffler of the United States after the final round of the Hero World Challenge 2024 at Albany Golf Course on December 08, 2024 in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) More Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images It's no surprise, then, that his status as a sportsbook favorite for the US Open rivals that of Tiger Woods in 2009. That season, Woods displayed some of his most complete dominance on the PGA Tour. The 15-time major winner entered the 2009 U.S. Open after playing seven events. He won two of them and finished in the top 10 in four others. Over the remainder of the season, he racked up four more wins, three second-place finishes, and three more top-10 finishes. However, the 2009 US Open demonstrated that odds aren't everything in professional golf. At Bethpage Black, Woods couldn't recover from a first-round 74 and finished tied for sixth at even par, four strokes behind the winner, Lucas Glover. That's why fans should keep in mind that the battle at Oakmont Country Club will be fierce and enjoy watching the many players who have a good chance of finishing strong at the US Open. 2025 US Open Betting Odds Here are the top 15 players with better odds to win the US Open, according to BetMGM: Scottie Scheffler +275 Bryson DeChambeau +750 Jon Rahm +1200 Rory McIlroy +1400 Xander Schauffele +2200 Ludvig Aberg +2200 Xander Schauffele +2200 Collin Morikawa +2500 Joaquin Niemann +3000 Shane Lowry +3300 Tommy Fleetwood +3300 Justin Thomas +4000 Patrick Cantlay +4000 Sepp Straka +4000 Tyrrell Hatton +5000 More Golf: Tee It Up for Dad: Father's Day Golf Gifts and U.S. Open Gear
