Inspiring qualifier Chi feeling support at Valspar
Andre Chi achieved a lifelong goal -- that came with sacrifice -- by qualifying Monday for his first PGA Tour event. He spoke after his opening round at the Valspar Championship about all the support he's felt this week.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
He's just a high school junior, and he just qualified for the 2025 US Open
Mason Howell may not be done with high school, but he'll be headed to the 2025 U.S. Open. The 17-year-old high school junior from Georgia punched his ticket to the 125th edition of the PGA Tour major after magnificent play in the qualifiers. Advertisement "That was one of the greatest moments of my life," Howell said after the event. Howell competed in the U.S. Open final qualifying at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta and breezed through the course Monday. The day is dubbed "Golf's Longest Day," as players have to play two rounds of golf in one day, although that was hardly an issue for Howell. He shot 18-under-par for the day to finish tied for first with Jackson Buchanan in the qualifying event, shooting a 63 in both rounds. Even more impressive was Howell didn't have a single bogey during the day. He birdied on the par-5 18th to cap off the day in front of several amateur and PGA Tour players older than him, including 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson. Advertisement Only the top five finishers in the event in Atlanta moved onto the U.S. Open, and Howell now rides high momentum into playing at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. Who is Mason Howell? A 17-year-old from Thomasville, Georgia, Howell has become one of the top rising young golfers. He currently is a junior at Brookwood High School, scheduled to graduate in 2026. Even though his graduation is a year away, he's already committed to play at the University of Georgia in college. The Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported in July 2022 Howell first picked up a golf club at age three and has played in tournaments since he was six-years-old. Advertisement "Tournament golf has been a big part of my life," Howell said at the time. "I would encourage kids to start playing golf and get it into it because it's one of the greatest sports you can play." Last month, he was part of the boy's golf team that won the Georgia state championship, the program's fourth title in five years. Even more impressive, Howell won the low medalist at the state championship, winning the honor in a playoff. Howell is currently ranked eighth in the boys American Junior Golf Association rankings, but he entered Monday as the 496th ranked amateur. In his amateur career, he won the 2023 Billy Horschel Junior Championship and has 11 top-10 finishes in his young career. He also won the Future Masters Tournament in Alabama in 2023. The 2025 U.S. Open will be Howell's first major event. It takes place June 12-15. Advertisement Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High school junior, Mason Howell, qualifies for 2025 US Open
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Tiger Woods Gives Stern U.S. Open Advice to Players at Oakmont
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. When we talk about the U.S. Open, it has only 8 players who have won the title more than twice. The elite list also includes Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, who transformed the golf world with their dominance. Woods secured his first U.S. Open win in 2000 and backed it up with two more in 2002 and 2008. This ultimately earned him a lifetime exemption to play at the major. PINEHURST, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 11: Tiger Woods of the United States speaks to the media during a practice round prior to the U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort on June 11, 2024 in Pinehurst, North... PINEHURST, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 11: Tiger Woods of the United States speaks to the media during a practice round prior to the U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort on June 11, 2024 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. (Photo by) More Getty Images Unfortunately, this year, the 15-time major winner won't be teeing it up at Oakmont. His left Achilles injury has kept him out, forcing him to watch players from the outside. Tiger Woods warns about the brutal US Open course Okamont is already proving to be a monster. Players have openly voiced their struggles with its deep rough, lightning-fast greens, and merciless bunkers. On Tuesday, Woods weighed in too: "There is no faking about Oakmont," he said, posting on Instagram. "The golf course is big, yes, but it's just—there is no way around it," he added while shrugging his shoulders. "You just have to hit the golf ball well, and it favor longer hitters, just because of the degrees, the complexes." Big Cat advised, "It just helps so much to be coming with shorter iron, to be able to sock the ball." "It's about missing the ball on correct spots... because if you don't, it's horrible!" Woods' reference to "complexes" helping with short play ties back to Oakmont's tricky layout, he learned firsthand during the 2007 U.S. Open. That year, Woods had a painful finish (+6), just one stroke behind Angel Cabrera, who won with a final score of 285. Woods' rounds - 71, 74, 69, and 72 showcased the patience and precision needed to grind through the punishing course conditions. His final round with a bogey at the 11th hole proved that even the best golfers in the world aren't spared by Oakmont's difficulty. Players have echoed Woods' concerns on Oakmont Several big PGA Tour and LIV Golf players have already admitted the brutality of the course. After the RBC Canadian Open, Ludvig Aberg, preparing for his first U.S. Open, admitted, "Obviously, Oakmont is one of the hardest places in the world. It's going to be hard to simulate that." Ben Griffin, who is having a breakout season with two wins and seven top-10 finishes, also gave fans a preview of the challenge awaiting them. In his TikTok post, he dropped a ball into the rough, only to watch it vanish instantly. His video made it clear—the rough isn't just thick, it's wild! Even Bryson DeChambeau, the defending champion, acknowledged Oakmont's treacherous conditions. His latest YouTube video captured just how unforgiving the setup is. At the par-3 6th hole, he hit his tee shot over the green and into the thick rough, where his ball disappeared completely. His cameraman struggled to find it. "That is cooked beyond belief," DeChambeau said. "That's more than half-baked there. That's burnt to a crisp." After weeks of complaints, Oakmont officials finally took action. In a crucial last-minute decision, they trimmed the rough, making slight adjustments to ensure players had a fighting chance. The scene looked like a force of groundskeepers working tirelessly, ensuring the course was brutal, but fair for the world's best golfers come 12th June. Here's a clip of the view, looking straight out of a movie: Wait for the maintenance staff member at 23 seconds. Shout out to those getting Oakmont in mint condition. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 9, 2025 What do you think about the course? Let us know in the comment section below! More Golf: US Open Makes Major Last-Minute Oakmont Change to Help Golfers
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rory McIlroy Shares Troubling Message Ahead of U.S. Open
Rory McIlroy Shares Troubling Message Ahead of U.S. Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After a two-week hiatus from the PGA Tour following the PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy returned to action this week at the RBC Canadian Open—but his time in the tournament was short-lived. Advertisement McIlroy struggled mightily over both rounds, never finding a consistent rhythm across the 36 holes he played. He ultimately missed the cut—and by a wide margin. The 2025 Masters champion shot a 71 on Thursday followed by a disappointing 78 on Friday, finishing at nine-over par. The cut line stood at two-under. Now, with a chance to regroup ahead of the third major of the year—the U.S. Open at Oakmont—McIlroy offered a concerning message about his performance in Canada. "Of course it concerns me," McIlroy said on Friday after his round. "You don't want to shoot high scores like the one I did today. Still, I felt like I came here obviously with a new driver thinking that that sort of was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn't."He continued, "Obviously, going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways. Still sort of searching for the sort of missing piece off the tee." Rory McIlroy lines up his tee shot on the 14th tee during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Doster-Imagn Images Rory McIlroy has had an outstanding year by any measure. His most significant achievement came at Augusta National, where he captured his first Masters title and completed the career Grand Slam. He also added victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship to round out an impressive season. Advertisement However, in comments this week, McIlroy admitted that maintaining motivation has been a challenge since his win at Augusta. After chasing the Masters for more than a decade, he said it's been difficult to find that extra edge and drive to compete at the same level. "I would certainly say that the last few weeks—I've had a couple of weeks off—and going and grinding on the range for three or four hours everyday is maybe a little tougher than it used to be," he told reporters. "You have this event in your life that you've worked towards and it happens, sometimes it's hard to find the motivation to get back on the horse and go again." Related: Fans Appalled By Rory McIlroy's Latest U.S. Open Blunders This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
