Hey Everyone,

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. I hope there’s some golf in your future this weekend. That might mean sitting on the couch and taking in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst or teeing it up at your favorite spot. Or maybe both!

News and Notes:

• James Imai almost broke two droughts at the Mass Open this week. An amateur hasn’t won since 1999 (Kevin Quinn), and a Bay Stater hasn’t won since 2015 (Joe Harney). It took an eagle on the last hole by Virginia’s Brandon Berry to beat Imai by one. Mass Golf’s recap is here.

• Morgan Smith continues to bet on herself. She took a post-graduate year at Exeter after COVID-19 disrupted her recruiting. She won the New England Am and Women’s Mass Am the summer before heading to Exeter and locked up a spot at Georgetown. After winning Big East Freshman of the Year she is heading farther south to Georgia next year.

• While it’s not in Massachusetts, the Northeast Amateur starts next week at Wannamoisett CC in Rumford, Rhode Island. The four day tournament runs from June 19-22. Last year Nick Dunlap won. This week, Dunlap is playing in the U.S. Open. Collin Morikawa is also a past champion. Go watch the future play golf. Here’s the website.

• THEN, go watch the past play golf at Newport CC in the U.S. Senior Open. But seriously, the U.S. Senior Open is sure to be a great week of golf. That gets going on June 24 with practice rounds. Scores start counting on June 27. Newport CC was the site of the first-ever USGA event. The U.S. Senior Open is the 1,001st event. It's kind of cool that they’re going back to where it all began.

• Paul Burke and I did our usual major championship preview. Even though it’s Friday, we discussed Pinehurst No. 2, a course we’ve both played, and then hit on some topics focused on the first two majors and what it might mean for this week at the U.S. Open. Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

• I also recorded a little Payne’s Valley review, my second favorite course on the property.

Pinehurst Thoughts

1. There was a time last year when I was almost ready to put the U.S. Open at the bottom of my major golf power rankings. I was annoyed that the tournament had lost its identity, and the Los Angeles CC was a vapid setting overrun by members of the prestigious club. It felt like the PGA Championship at least had an identity and could have snuck into the third slot of my major preferences. The Open is No. 1 in my book, followed by The Masters. Now though? The U.S. Open has its foot firmly on the PGA Championship’s throat. Pinehurst No. 2 is awesome, and it’s reignited my affinity for this tournament. Who knows, maybe it passes The Masters into second place at some point… probably no

2. These were Thursday’s pin placements. Three holes are more than 10 paces off the left or right edge. If you’re playing this weekend, just pay attention to where your pins are on the green.

3. At 8:15 am on Thursday I received my first Tiger text. He had made birdie on his first hole and then ripped off a bunch of pars. His putter looked good, but his swing looked iffy. A lot of right misses. He ended up shooting a 74. He’ll tee off at 1:14 pm EST today and, fittingly(?), will finish at sunset. I think an even par round will keep him around for the weekend, maybe a 71… either way, he’s not going to be a story this weekend.

4. Tough pars wear you down. If you’re looking for guys who might slip down the leaderboard, keep your eyes peeled for the players who are making tough pars. Xander Schufflee hit 8 greens on Thursday and shot even par. Patrick Cantlay hit 10 greens and shot 65. Another scratchy ball-striking round tomorrow could mean a much higher score.

5. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy was in complete control. The only hole he looked shakey ended with a chip-in birdie on the par-5 fifth. Bogey-free 65 is pretty, prettttttty good. Six-under seemed to be a popular winning score this week. Can Rory play the next 54 holes in one-under par?

6. All week, Johnson Wager was posting up at tee boxes and wandering down the hole with various players. This is exceptional stuff with Cam Smith.

7. Justin Thomas is officially lost in the wilderness without a compass. I have nothing else to offer. Pinehurst No. 2 broke him instead of inspiring his creativity. When you can’t putt, it puts so much pressure on everything else. Trust me…

8. Xander Schauffele has finished among the top-20 in each of the last nine majors. Over the last 30 years, the only other player with a streak that long is Tiger Woods, who had a 10-start streak from 2006-2009 and a 14-start streak from 1998-2001.

   Jack Nicklaus’ record for such a streak is safe for the near future: The Golden Bear appeared in 33 consecutive majors from 1970 to 1978 and finished among the top 20 in all of them! That’s nearly a decade of top-20s.

9. If you make a two at Pinehurst No. 2 you are given a token at the end of the round. I missed a short birdie putt on the par-3 ninth when I was there in 2022. Would have loved a token. The tokens change over time. A cool tradition that they’re honoring this week by handing tokens out to players.

Double Click(s)

1. One more win for the Cs. I was lucky enough to get beat by Bob Cousy in a golf tournament about 20 years ago at Worcester CC. The dude used his handicapped strokes like an ace and was an incredible competitor. I'm proud to be lumped in with the firemen and plumbers who Cousy dominated…

2. I’ve been thinking a lot about this Minnesota Timberwolves press conference after they beat the Denver Nuggets in game 7. They acted like they had won something, when in truth they had made it halfway to an NBA Championship. They were asked about being ahead of schedule and that they hadn’t lost on the big stage yet. It’s an NBA rite of passage; just ask the Boston Celtics. KAT is a clown, and this 30 seconds boils down why the Cs played the Mavs instead of the Timberwolves in the Finals.

3. And then there’s Roger Federer talking about the big and small picture of sports. He won 80% of his professional matches, but he only won 54% of the points in those matches. Incredible stuff from Federer. Feels like Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer are each a different type of sports philosopher.

When I’m not golfing…

I’m reading…

• Michael Campbell won the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. He hadn’t been back in 19 years until this week. Great stuff.

• As a Manchester United fan, does it hurt that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla draws inspiration from Man City coach Pep Guardiola? Yes, yes it does. I do love the way Mazz is learning from other sports and other coaches. Boston.com.

• Dennis Lehane’s newest book is Small Mercies. It’s set in Southie in August 1974 the August before Boston’s busing started. A real page-turner that is supposed to be turned into an Apple TV series.

I’m listening to…

• Really enjoyed this Bill Simmons and Doc Rivers discussion after the Celtics won game 3. Simmons started by talking about Paul Pierce and how gratifying it was to see him grow up as a Celtic and ultimately win a title. It feels the same for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Also, let’s put Al Horford’s number in the rafters.

I’m drinking…

• I nervously drank a few Liquid Death seltzers during the Celtics game on Wednesday—mango flavor. Don’t be fooled by the branding; it’s not an energy drink.

I’m eating…

• This Chopped Salad With Chickpeas, Feta and Avocado was delicious. We skipped the baked pita and just added pita chips, big time saver.

I’m watching…

• Still enjoying Bodkin on Netflix.

• The European Championships start Friday. It feels like soccer never stops. There’s a part of me that enjoys the soccer in this tournament more than the World Cup.

New here? Reached the bottom?

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