CROMWELL, Conn. – Last week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont was enjoyable for golf fans who like to imagine professionals in their shoes.

As bogeys were collected and pars were celebrated – the winner, J.J. Spaun, finishing just one shot below par, the week was full of frustration familiar to average golfers. That won’t be the case at the ...Read more

CROMWELL, Conn. — J.J. Spaun had never been one to give in when backed to the wall. His instinct was always to fight back, but a string of rough tournaments to start 2024 and a series of illnesses had him wondering if his pro golf career was still worth fighting for.

He drew sudden inspiration from the 2004 film “Wimbledon,” about an ...Read more

CROMWELL, Conn. – Rory McIlroy seemed to be in good spirits when he addressed reporters at the Travelers Championship on Wednesday.

After a series of skipped press conferences and openly-expressed frustration with the media during last week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, McIlroy appeared excited for his return to TPC River Highlands.

“This is ...Read more

CROMWELL, Conn. — Fresh off his victory at the U.S. Open, J.J. Spaun is making his way to Connecticut and has a date with the No.1 player in the world, Scottie Scheffler.

“J.J. and I communicated and he’ll be here in full force on the course (Wednesday),” said Andy Bessette, executive VP and chief administrative officer at Travelers. �...Read more

Longtime NFL executive Brian Rolapp has been introduced as the PGA Tour's first chief executive officer.

While news of that move had leaked last week, another tidbit emerged on Tuesday from the official announcement, as the tour revealed that Commissioner Jay Monahan will step down at the end of next year after transferring his day-to-day ...Read more

CROMWELL, Conn. — Volatility will be the word of the week for weather at the Travelers Championship, where hundreds of thousands usually come through the TPC River Highlands to watch the world’s best golfers.

The cold, rainier weather of the last few days, more typical of March than June, continued into Tuesday, but temperatures are ...Read more

CROMWELL, Conn. — Still one of the biggest names in golf, Tiger Woods appeared, albeit briefly, at the TPC River Highlands on Tuesday in his role as player director on the PGA Tour policy board. He was in Connecticut to support the naming of Brian Rolapp as the tour’s newly named CEO.

Woods has never played in Connecticut’s PGA event, and...Read more

PITTSBURGH — With one pulsating 64-foot birdie putt at the final hole, J.J. Spaun took what had been a lackluster U.S. Open devoid of star power and turned it into the most thrilling and captivating ending in Oakmont's storied championship history.

Make no mistake, this was different than what the U.S. Open authored just a year ago — a ...Read more

Quite likely you hadn’t heard of J.J. Spaun before his come-out-of-nowhere-and-behind heroics Sunday to win the U.S. Open.

But I’ll tell you this: Everyone who happened to be near a San Dimas High School golfer — past or present — on Sunday likely heard about what Spaun did.

Because the Saints have known about Spaun for years, and they...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Oakmont Country Club is advertised as one of the toughest golf courses in the United States.

The U.S. Open is advertised as the ultimate test for professional golfers.

That’s what made this U.S. Open such an easy fit and a perfect match, as it brought some of the best golfers in the world to their knees. It was won by a ...Read more

OAKMONT, Pa. — Through it all, looming large and nasty and insurmountable, there was the golf course.

Oakmont Country Club hosted its record 10th U.S. Open. As ever, it did not disappoint.

This is the place that, in 1962, gave the first of Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 major wins, and, 11 years later, Johnny Miller’s record 63 to win on ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — There were some ghosts of collapses past going on during the final round at Oakmont Country Club, though it was difficult to distinguish who was being spooked the most.

Sam Burns, the 54-hole leader, got water-logged after a 96-minute weather delay. Adam Scott, trying to set a record for elapsed time between a first and second ...Read more

In addition to his well-earned winnings, the USGA should give J.J. Spaun a massive bonus.

Spaun’s green-mile winning putt to win the U.S. Open on the 18th green at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania on Sunday instantly became the only moment anyone will remember from this tournament.

Because it was the only moment worth remembering.

The ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — J.J. Spaun bounced back from a horrid start and watched while others fell apart in the rain to win the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club for his first major title.

A one-time winner on the PGA Tour, Spaun emerged from a five-way tie on the back nine with birdies on the final two holes to finish at 1-under 279, good for a ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Like Sisyphus with his boulder, Oakmont grounds crew members squeegeed water off the fairway on Hole 8 as the rain kept falling on Oakmont Country Club.

Only two more players needed to tackle the longest par 3 in U.S. Open history after a 96-minute weather delay in the final round Sunday afternoon — the last pairing of Sam ...Read more

OAKMONT, Pa. — The daily drama of Rory McIlroy — Will he talk today? Will he not? — was energy wasted Sunday. McIlroy didn’t boycott the press as he’d done after six of his last seven rounds at major championships, the most prominent battle in the surreal press-vs.-player war being waged on the PGA Tour.

Of course, it probably didn’...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Somewhere around 4 o’clock Saturday, as the final groups teed off during the third round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, we officially reached peak Pittsburgh. Congratulations.

On the walkway between the ninth and 10th fairways, I heard someone scream for Bob Nutting to sell the Pirates. Meanwhile, we had two ...Read more

OAKMONT, Pa. — In February of 2021, Tiger Woods rolled an SUV over a median, down an embankment and into a gully. He nearly killed himself, and, at 46, with a history of other major injuries, he effectively killed his career.

In February of 2022, Phil Mickelson telegraphed his defection to the emerging LIV Tour when controversial comments ...Read more

PITTSBURGH —Rory McIlroy is supposed to be the face of golf.

The unofficial spokesman of the PGA Tour.

The great ambassador to the sport’s fans.

He has taken on that role and embraced it for years.

Suddenly, though, he has forgotten all that and has become one of the most insufferable players on the tour.

And it isn’t just about him ...Read more