Ryo Hisatsune Making His Mark on the PGA Tour
Ryo Hisatsune is vying for his sixth top-25 finish of 2025, and compatriot Hideki Matsuyama missed the PGA Championship cut for the first time in his career.
Ryo Hisatsune hits a bunker shot in the first round of the 2025 PGA Championship on May 15, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (©KYODO)
Ryo Hisatsune has had a steady start to the 2025 PGA Tour season.
Before swinging his golf clubs at the PGA Championship (May 15-18) in Charlotte, North Carolina, Hisatsune had participated in 14 tournaments, finishing in the top 25 on five occasions. This included three top-10 finishes ― tied for fourth at March's Valspar Championship, tied for fifth at April's Valero Texas Open, and a share of 10th place in the Mexico Open in February.
He's also missed the cut five times, but only once in the past seven tournaments.
Now he's aiming to climb into the top 25 or the top 10 once again.
After the third round, in which he shot a 1-over 72, on Saturday, May 17, Hisatsune was nine strokes off the pace at 2-under 211. That put Hisatsune in a tie for 23rd place.
World number one Scottie Scheffler leads the field at 11-under 202 (69-68-65).
The 22-year-old Hisatsune began his second appearance in the PGA Championship on Thursday at Quail Hollow Club with a 3-under 68 in the opening round. He had four birdies and a bogey ― all on the back nine.
After the opening round, Hisatsune assessed his performance, describing it as a pleasant surprise.
"My round went better than I expected," Hisatsune said, according to Kyodo News. "It's big that I was able to get birdies when I went aggressive."
In Friday's second round, Hisatsune recorded a trio of birdies and a bogey on the front nine. Then he made par on seven holes and bogeyed the other two. That gave him an even-par 71 for the round. Hideki Matsuyama hits a tee shot in the second round of the PGA Championship. (KYODO)
Meanwhile, Hideki Matsuyama, who shot a 1-over 72 in the first round, struggled on Friday and missed the cut for the first time at the PGA Championship. It was Matsuyama's 13th appearance in the golf major.
Matsuyama had a 2-over 73 in round two. That put him at 3-over 145, two strokes more than the cutoff point.
"Everything was bad," Matsuyama told reporters.
As a result, his streak of making the cut at majors ended at 19, which had been the longest active streak on the PGA Tour.
The 2021 Masters champion said he'll shift his focus to getting ready for the US Open, which will be held June 12-15 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.
"There was this mood of nothing going well, whatever I tried," said Matsuyama, who had three bogeys, including the par-4 18th, on Friday, according to Kyodo News. "I'll prepare well for the next major." Ryo Hisatsune putts during the second round of the PGA Championship. (KYODO)
In 2024, Hisatsune competed in the Masters, the PGA Championship and the British Open, only making the cut in the PGA Championship (he tied for 18th). He debuted in all three events last year.
Now, Hisatsune finds himself in a unique position in Charlotte: the lone remaining Japanese golfer in the year's second major.
The Okayama Prefecture native said he's comfortable with the course.
"I think the setting is good for me," he was quoted as saying by Kyodo News before adding, "I can still hit the rough and there are several factors that make it easy to play." Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza jubilate after winning the 2024-25 WE League title on May 17 in Tokyo. (KYODO)
Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza captured the 2024-25 WE League title on Saturday, May 17.
Beleza completed the season with 16 wins, three defeats and three draws (51 points). And they earned a 3-0 triumph over JEF United Chiba on the season's final day at Ajinomoto Stadium Nishigaoka.
Yuzuki Yamamoto led Beleza with two goals in the title-clinching win. Teammate Shino Matsuda also scored.
INAC Kobe Leonesa also had a 16-3-3 record and the same total of points.
But Beleza secured the title with a better goal difference (plus 34 ― 50 goals scored, 16 allowed). INAC finished with 43 goals and surrendered 14 (plus-29 goal difference).
Beleza manager Takeo Matsuda described the team's title quest in the euphoria that followed the match.
"I am relieved that we were able to carry the match to the end as I had envisioned," Matsuda was quoted as saying by NHK. "We have been playing the last few matches as if they were finals, and the players showed their strength in today's match as well."
Beleza captain Tomoko Muramatsu, a defender, was thrilled with the outcome.
"Winning the league championship has always been my goal," Muramatsu said, according to NHK. "Finally, we were able to win this title. I am so happy. This is an unforgettable day in my soccer career."
In the 2023-24 season, Beleza finished third out of 12 teams.
The Urawa Reds Ladies, who entered the 2024-25 campaign as two-time defending champions, placed third overall this season. Leonesa standout Carlota Suarez scored a league-best 13 goals, followed by Miyu Yakata of Cerezo Osaka Yanmar Ladies with 11. Kashima Antlers' Yuma Suzuki (left) competes against Shimizu S-Pulse's Sen Takagi in the first half on May 17 in Kashima, Ibaraki Prefecture. (KYODO)
The Kashima Antlers defeated visiting Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 on Saturday, May 17. Yuma Suzuki scored the lone goal in the seventh minute.
At Ibaraki Prefecture's Kashima Soccer Stadium, the Antlers collected their seventh straight J.League victory. In five of those matches, the opponent was held scoreless.
Kashima improved to 12-1-4 (37 points) under first-year manager Toru Oniki, the celebrated former Kawasaki Frontale boss.
After the match, Suzuki spoke about the victory-deciding play.
"A good ball came from Chucky (Serbian forward Aleksandar Cavric), and I was able to score it by just making sure to meet the ball," Suzuki said, according to goal.com. "I hadn't been able to score like that since last year, but I had a good feeling from yesterday, so I'm glad I was able to score."
Whenever they step onto the pitch, the Antlers are focused on winning, according to Suzuki.
"Whether it's seven, eight, or nine consecutive wins, we won't be satisfied until we win the championship," Suzuki told reporters after the match.
Also Saturday, FC Machida Zelvia beat second-place Kashiwa Reysol 3-0. Reysol have 33 points and a 9-6-2 record. ODDS and EVENS | J.League Season is Providing Compelling Competition Ozeki Onosato defeats fourth-ranked maegashira Takerufuji on Day 7 of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on May 17. (©SANKEI)
At the end of the first week of the 15-day Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, only two makuuchi division wrestlers remained unbeaten. Ozeki Onosato and seventh-ranked maegashira Hakuoho owned identical 7-0 records through the end of competition on Saturday, May 17.
The second week of the Summer Basho starts on Sunday, May 18 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Heading into Day 8 of the tourney, lone yokozuna Hoshoryu (5-2) was two wins off the pace.
Title contenders also include ninth-ranked maegashira Aonishiki (6-1) and komusubi Wakatakakage (6-1).
Onosato, who has won three Emperor's Cups, including in a playoff at March's Spring Basho, is seeking promotion to yokozuna. And a title in this tournament would secure it ― and be the ideal early birthday present (Onosato turns 25 on June 7).
Teaming up with Emmy-award-winning founders of StudioNaginami, WorldWide Sumo will stage a series of upcoming events called "Super Power Show!" in the United States in the summer of 2025.
WorldWide Sumo made the announcement on Thursday, May 15.
According to a press release, the tour will kick off at Petco Park's Gallagher Square (July 25-26) in San Diego. After that, the sports, entertainment and cultural spectacle has a total of five scheduled performances from August 1-3 at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
"This isn't just a sporting event," said Todd Yasui, co-founder of WorldWide Sumo. "It's a dynamic celebration of Japanese heritage, artistry, and athleticism — and an invitation to a new generation of fans."
Retired pro wrestlers from Japan, Mongolia and Brazil will participate in sumo exhibition matches.
For more information, check out WWSumo.com. Tickets are now available for purchase on the website. Shoki Murakami (©SANKEI) Hiromi Itoh (KYODO)
Shoki Murakami of the Hanshin Tigers is No 1 in strikeouts (43) among Central League pitchers through May 16. And Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters starter Hiromi Itoh leads the Pacific League with 56 Ks.
Murakami is 6-1 with a 1.87 ERA in 57⅔ innings.
Itoh is 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 52 frames. He is one of three PL pitchers with 50 or more strikeouts.
In other baseball news, former NPB and MLB pitcher Kenta Maeda has signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs, it was announced on Friday. The Detroit Tigers released the 37-year-old in early May.
Maeda was not effective in seven relief appearances this season, posting a 7.88 ERA for Detroit.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell hopes the team can help Maeda revive his career.
"He has had success, he's struggled," Counsell said. "[And] he's on a minor league contract. I think it's a player that we've got to have constant conversations with and see where we can maybe make some adjustments and see where he's at." Shohei Ohtani Hammers 2 Homers in Dodgers' 19-2 Rout of A's
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
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Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
US Open '25: Oakmont's par-3 8th hole requires removing a head cover
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Maybe no one would complain about the eighth hole at Oakmont Country Club if the term 'par' had never been created in championship golf. But there it sits in the middle of the this tough U.S. course, the longest par 3 in major championship history, 289 yards on the scorecard and certain to top 300 yards in actual distance for one round, just as it did in 2007 at Oakmont. 'I couldn't tell you a par 3 over 250 yards that's good, architecturally,' said Justin Thomas, who took a scouting trip to Oakmont two weeks before it hosts the U.S. Open for a 10th time. 'That's not my favorite hole in the world,' he said. 'I think you could do some other things with that. But everyone's going to have to play the same hole and going to have to execute the same shots, and I would love four 3s on it right now if I could take it.' Jack Nicklaus, who won the first of his 18 professional majors at Oakmont in the 1962 U.S. Open, was asked what he thought about the par-3 eighth. 'I haven't played it since they lengthened it to be a short par 5,' Nicklaus said with a smile. Viktor Hovland speaks for the majority when he said the best par 3s in golf are under 200 yards. But the topic on this day was 300 yards — more or less, depending on how the USGA sets it up each round. Hovland was not a fan. 'As soon as you start to take head covers off on par 3s, I just think it gets a little silly,' he said. This is nothing new in major championship golf. The PGA Championship at Quail Hollow last month featured the 252-yard sixth hole that required a fairway metal for some. The toughest par 3 at the Masters is the 240-yard fourth. And last summer at Royal Troon in the wind and rain, Scottie Scheffler hit his best 3-wood of the year into the par-3 17th on Saturday. There's no doubting No. 8 is a tough hole. A bunker named 'Sahara' juts out some 80 yards before the green. That's easy enough to carry, and then the ball runs onto a putting surfaces that is not as contoured as the others at Oakmont. It's just long. And the numbers indicate it is hard. It ranked No. 8 in difficulty in 2016, with 36% of the field hitting the green in regulation. Go back to 2007 and it ranked No. 4 in difficulty, with 33% of the field finding the green. 'The psychology of par is amazing, which goes to the point of long par 3s,' said Geoff Ogilvy, a U.S. Open champion and now highly regarded in golf course design. 'If it's a par 5 and you're coming in with a fairway metal, you're thinking there's a chance you can make 3,' he said. 'But if it's a par 3, you hope you don't make 4 or 5. And you've got it off a tee! … No one likes to get a wood out on a par 3. There's a bit of ego involved. But sometimes you have to.' Ogilvy presented one other observation about the par-3 eighth at Oakmont that at least should give critics pause. 'Eight at Oakmont almost is the easiest of the four par 3s, even though it's so long,' he said. 'It has a wide fairway and probably is the only flat green on the course so you can run it up. I think it's too much at 300 yards. But like at 250, it's a really good hole.' John Bodenhamer, the USGA officer in charge of setting up the course, has said the tee and the pin will be adjusted enough to make it play 301 yards for one round — not 300, but 301. That's part of the fun the USGA likes to have, but not always. The distance for the par-3 11th at Los Angeles Country Club was 299 yards in the 2023 U.S. Open (there is a 40-foot drop in elevation), and the seventh hole at LACC also measured one yard short of a perfect game in bowling. Both of those were in the second round. Phil Mickelson was fuming over the 274-yard third hole in the final round of the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, where he made double bogey. He was overheard telling an official, 'That's terrible — 274, we can't even reach it.' As for Oakmont, it's worth noting when Johnny Miller had his historic 63 in the final round to win the U.S. Open, his only bogey came at the par-3 eighth. Given the modern game, maybe the value of a super long par 3 is for players to show they can hit a long iron or fairway metal. Ludvig Aberg was asked how often he hits a 3-iron. 'I don't carry one,' the big-hitting Swede said. He has a 4-iron and then swaps out the 3-iron with a 7-wood. But he brings his 3-iron with him in case it makes sense. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'You don't get a lot of long irons into par 4s,' Aberg said. 'It would be a second shot into a par 5. I've never had anything against a long par 3. I guess I'm different.' Harris English played Oakmont in the 2016 U.S. Open and had no beef with No. 8 because 'it gives you room to play.' But when asked for some of the other long par 3s he likes, English struggled to come up with even a short list. 'The long ones aren't as memorable,' he said. ___ AP golf:
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
US Open '25: What happened at previous Opens at Oakmont
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — A capsule look at the previous nine U.S. Open golf championships held at Oakmont Country Club: Year: 1927 Winner: Tommy Armour Score: 301 Margin: Playoff (76-79) Runner-up: Harry Cooper Prize: $500. Summary: Oakmont lived up to its reputation while hosting its first U.S. Open, with no one capable of breaking 300. Tommy Armour opened with a 78, and no U.S. Open champion since then has posted a higher score in the first round. It also was the last time a U.S. Open champion failed to break 300 over four rounds. Harry 'Lighthorse' Cooper appeared to be the winner, even after a three-putt on the 71st hole. Armour, however, holed a 10-foot birdie on the final hole to force a playoff. Armour shot his third straight round of 76 in the playoff to win by three. The Ryder Cup was held for the first time in 1927, and the British team played in the U.S. Open. ___ Year: 1935 Winner: Sam Parks Jr. Score: 299 Margin: 2 shots Runner-up: Jimmy Thomson Prize: $1,000 Summary: Oakmont again showed its brute strength when Sam Parks Jr., a professional at nearby South Hills Country Club, was the only player to break 300. He was tied with Jimmy Thomson going into the final round, but scoring was so difficult that none of the top 20 players on the leaderboard broke 75, and the low score of the final round was a 73. Parks prepared by playing Oakmont nearly every day for a month, and he had only two three-putts over 72 holes. Among those in the gallery was Harvard graduate Ed Stimpson, who was convinced the greens were too fast. He eventually created a device now called the Stimpmeter. ___ Year: 1953 Winner: Ben Hogan Score: 283 Margin: 6 shots Runner-up: Sam Snead Prize: $5,000 Summary: Two years after Sam Snead won the PGA Championship at Oakmont, he was no match for Ben Hogan, who won the last of his record-tying four U.S. Open titles. Hogan opened with a 67, but Snead whittled away at the lead until he trailed by one shot going into the final 18 holes. Hogan went 3-3-3 to close with a 71 for a six-shot victory over his fiercest rival. Snead never seriously challenged again in the U.S. Open, the only major he failed to win. Hogan became the first wire-to-wire winner of the Open since Jim Barnes in 1921, and the six-shot margin was the largest in 15 years. ___ Year: 1962 Winner: Jack Nicklaus Score: 283 Margin: Playoff (71-74) Runner-up: Arnold Palmer Prize: $17,500 Summary: In the most memorable major at Oakmont, 22-year-old rookie Jack Nicklaus heralded his arrival by beating Arnold Palmer in his own backyard. Nicklaus, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, was two shots behind going into the final 18 holes. Palmer was ahead by three until flubbing a chip on the ninth hole and taking bogey, and a bogey from the bunker on the 13th left him tied with Nicklaus. That's how they stayed, Nicklaus closing with a 69 to Palmer's 71, setting up an 18-hole playoff. Nicklaus built a four-shot lead through six holes and withstood Arnie's charge that pulled him within one. Palmer three-putted the 13th to stay two shots behind and never made up any more ground. Nicklaus shot 71 in the playoff to win by three, capturing the first of 18 professional majors. ___ Year: 1973 Winner: Johnny Miller Score: 279 Margin: 1 shot Runner-up: John Schlee Prize: $35,000. Summary: Johnny Miller is the only player to shoot 63 in the final round of a U.S. Open and win, and it remains what many believe is the best round ever played in the U.S. Open. He was six shots out of the lead going into the final round, held by Arnold Palmer, John Schlee, Julius Boros and Jerry Heard. Oakmont was never more vulnerable, although its soft conditions remain subject to debate. Some say the sprinklers were left on; others say lightning made the sprinklers come on overnight. Miller teed off an hour before the leaders and made nine birdies. His putt for a 62 on the 18th spun out of the cup. ___ Year: 1983 Winner: Larry Nelson Score: 280 Margin: 1 shot Runner-up: Tom Watson Prize: $72,000 Summary: Larry Nelson opened with 75-73 and was seven shots behind John Mahaffey and rookie Joe Rassett going into the weekend. He played the final 36 holes in 132, which remains a U.S. Open record. A 65 in the third round left the 35-year-old Nelson one shot behind Seve Ballesteros and Tom Watson. Nelson and Watson were tied when the final round was suspended by thunderstorms. When play resumed Monday morning, Nelson holed a 60-foot birdie putt on the 16th to take a one-shot lead. Nelson three-putted the final hole for a 67, but Watson missed a 5-foot par putt on the 17th and failed to catch him on the final hole. ___ Year: 1994 Winner: Ernie Els Score: 279 Margin: Playoff (Els 74-4-4, Roberts 74-4-5, Montgomerie 78) Runners-up: Loren Roberts, Colin Montgomerie Prize: $320,000 Summary: It was the first three-man playoff at the U.S. Open in 31 years, but it didn't have to be that way. Loren Roberts had a 4 1/2-foot par putt to win the tournament on the 72nd hole, but missed it badly for a 70. Ernie Els didn't look at the scoreboard to see that he had a one-shot lead, played aggressively and had to make a 5-foot bogey putt for 73. Colin Montgomerie was the only player to never have a chance to win, shooting his 70 earlier and waiting in the clubhouse. Montgomerie, dressed in dark clothing on a sweltering day, shot 78 in the playoff. Els opened bogey-triple bogey, but played the rest of his round at 1 under for a 74 to match Roberts. Els won on the 20th hole when Roberts' approach on the 11th caught a bunker and he blasted out to 30 feet and made bogey. Els became the first foreign-born winner of the U.S. Open since David Graham in 1981. ___ Year: 2007 Winner: Angel Cabrera Score: 285 Margin: 1 shot Runners-up: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk Prize: $1.26 million Summary: Angel Cabrera became the first Argentine in 40 years to win a major. He became the champion sitting in the locker room as Jim Furyk faltered late and Tiger Woods couldn't buy a birdie. Cabrera made two birdies on the back nine, the last one on the 15th, and closed with a 69 to finish at 5-over 285. It was the highest winning score at Oakmont since 1935. Furyk was tied for the lead until he tried to drive the 17th green and made bogey. Woods, playing in the final group for the second straight major without winning, made only one birdie over the final 32 holes. ___ Year: 2016 Winner: Dustin Johnson Score: 276 Margin: 3 shots Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Runners-up: Jim Furyk, Scott Piercy, Shane Lowry Prize: $1.8 million Summary: Dustin Johnson finally won his first major after so many self-inflicted mishaps, and even with his best golf it wasn't easy. His ball moved as he prepared for a par putt on the fifth hole. The USGA decided it was worth a closer look and notified Johnson on the 12th tee that he may — or may not — face a one-shot penalty. Johnson played the last seven holes not knowing the score, and played like it didn't matter. The USGA penalized him, turning his 68 into a 69. No matter. His 276 was the lowest score posted in nine U.S. Opens at Oakmont and he won by three shots. Jim Furyk, who grew up in Pennsylvania, was a U.S. Open runner-up at Oakmont for the second time. ___ AP golf:
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
US Open '25: Oakmont is the name that stands out in golf's toughest test
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Never mind that Rory McIlroy is finally a Masters champion and the first player in 25 years to join the exclusive list of players with the career Grand Slam. Or that Scottie Scheffler won the PGA Championship and reasserted himself as golf's best player. They are biggest stars in the game heading into the third major of the year. They might not be the main attraction. The one name that gets everyone's attention at this U.S. Open: Oakmont. The course Henry Fownes built in 1903 is tough as Pittsburgh steel. Geoff Ogilvy, a former U.S. Open champion, once said playing Oakmont 'was like the hardest hole you've ever played on every hole.' The USGA doesn't have to do much to achieve what it always wants: the toughest test in golf. Oakmont hosts the U.S. Open for the 10th time on June 12-15, more than any other course in the championship's 130-year history. There's a reason it keeps going back. 'There are certain places in our game where you stand on the first tee and you look out over the landscape, and it's just meant to play the U.S. Open. Oakmont is that place,' John Bodenhamer, the USGA's chief championships officer, said in an interview with Golf Channel. 'It was built for a U.S. Open.' Adding to the hype are players who have gone to Oakmont in the weeks leading up to the U.S. Open and sharing tales of deep rough and greens that make it feel they are putting on linoleum. There have been videos of golf balls in the thick grass with only a few dimples visible. 'I would say all of the rumors and everything are pretty on point,' said Justin Thomas, who toured Oakmont before heading to the Memorial. Xander Schauffele has finished out of the top 10 only once in his eight U.S. Opens. He has yet to see Oakmont, but its reputation is enough for him to realize what to expect. 'It's just a battle. It really is,' Schauffele said. 'It can be extremely rewarding if you are able to stay disciplined for 72 holes. The cliche statement of golf is a marathon — it seems to be the most true feeling when you play at U.S. Opens. You just feel like you're going to war every day.' Bryson DeChambeau is the defending champion, one of eight players who broke par at Pinehurst No. 2 last year. That was a stern test of a different variety, more about domed Donald Ross greens and fairways framed by sand dunes. Before that was the experiment at Los Angeles Country Club, where Schauffele and Rickie Fowler made U.S. Open history, each with a record 62 about 10 minutes apart. In the eyes of Jordan Spieth, what Oakmont provides is a chance to reset what the U.S. Open is all about — narrow fairways, deep rough, tough greens. And at Oakmont, the famous 'Church Pew' bunkers that separate the third and fourth fairways. 'If you miss the fairway, it's really hard to make par. And if you hit the fairway, the job's not done,' Spieth said. 'I think it's a good test. The way I've always talked about Oakmont is the USGA needs one year to be able for people to forget about something they did in a different one. It sets the slate straight. 'It's the easiest Open for the USGA,' he said. 'They don't have to do a lot to it, and it makes it really good for the tournament.' Scheffler made his U.S. Open debut as a 19-year-old at the University of Texas. He shot 69 in the first round and then missed the cut. Now he is a three-time major champion, fresh off his five-shot victory in the PGA Championship. Perhaps more telling was a four-shot victory at the Memorial, where players felt they were getting a preview of the U.S. Open with rough so thick that just getting back to the fairway could be a challenge. The freak injury Scheffler suffered — he tried cutting ravioli with a wine glass on Christmas Day and punctured his right hand — might have set him back at the start of the year. He is in full stride now, winning three of his last four tournaments. Not to be overlooked is DeChambeau. For all the talk about Oakmont's toughness, Winged Foot in New York is another brute of a U.S. Open test. That's where DeChambeau blasted away off the tee and powered wedges out of the rough. He set the scoring record at Winged Foot (274) and won by six. Now he is the defending U.S. Open champion and ready to match muscles with Oakmont. Only five players in the last 100 years have won the U.S. Open back-to-back. 'I think I'm always chasing history. Everybody is. We're all trying to accomplish feats that haven't been done in a long time, and going back-to-back would be great. Three in a row would be an even better accomplishment,' DeChambeau said. 'So it is in the back of my head. 'How am I preparing for it? Just like I would any other tournament. Just like I did last year with Pinehurst, focusing on executing the right shots, hitting the fairways, not three-putting — that's going to be a big deal — and keeping it out of the rough. I try to keep it simple.' That's a recipe for a traditional U.S. Open. Avoiding three-putts is always mentioned at Augusta National. That comes into focus at Oakmont because of its reputation for fast greens. Sam Snead once famously (and jokingly) said of Oakmont, 'I put a dime down to mark my ball and the dime slid away.' One only has to look back at the last time at Oakmont, in 2016, when Dustin Johnson's ball moved ever so slightly as he was stepping in for a par putt on the fifth hole. He didn't think he caused it to move. The USGA didn't tell him until the 12th tee that it was being reviewed, and he was penalized after the fourth round was over. By then, he didn't care — he won by three shots instead of four. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Johnson is bound of the World Golf Hall of Fame, and so is practically every U.S. Open champion at Oakmont, a testament to its stature. Missing is Phil Mickelson, who takes on Oakmont for the fourth time. He missed the cut the last two times at Oakmont, and shot 297 — 18 shots behind — in 1994. The U.S. Open remains the only major keeping him from the career Grand Slam, and this likely will be his last one. Mickelson won the 2021 PGA Championship at age 50. His five-year exemption to the U.S. Open runs out this year, and he already accepted one special exemption (which he didn't need when he won the PGA). Only once has the USGA awarded a second exemption to a player who had not won the U.S. Open. That was the late Seve Ballesteros. ___ AP golf:
