120 TH U.S. OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW OPEN SEASON JOHNSON LOOKS TO SECURE MAJOR VICTORY AS U.S. OPEN HEADS TO WINGED FOOT GOLF CLUB By DOUG FERGUSON | AP GOLF WRITER for a practice round a month ahead of time and de- MICKELSON MEMORIES clared it ready to host the U.S. Open that day. Along Mickelson holds the wrong kind of U.S. Open ustin Johnson capped o a torrid stretch for the ride was Justin omas, who declared it his record with six silver medals for nishing second. of golf and ended the PGA Tour season favorite aer one look. “It is probably the most U.S. None was more spectacular than Winged Foot in by winning the FedEx Cup, a feat worthy Open venue that I’ve seen,” omas said. 2006, when he took a one-shot lead into the nal Dof celebration and then a nice break. Except But this won’t be a typical U.S. Open. hole. He sliced his drive o a hospitality tent and there was no time for that. e U.S. Open was By moving from June to September, the eld then made a decision that should haunt him. In- right around the corner. has been reduced from 156 players to 144 players stead of playing to the fairway and leaving a wedge “is is weird for every one of us,” Tiger because of about three fewer hours of daylight. into the green, he opted for 3-iron. It hit a tree and Woods said. Most painful to the USGA is it had to do away came back toward him. His next shot plugged in Evidence of a year gone amok from the with qualifying, the hallmark of its championship. a bunker. His fourth shot went through the green. COVID-19 pandemic brings golf to Sep- It began the year by rolling out a new marketing His chip raced by the hole. He made double bogey tember for the toughest test in golf. at’s campaign called, “From Many, One.” e idea was and nished one behind Geo Ogilvy. “I am such a big change considering the U.S. Open that some 9,000 players could sign up for the U.S. an idiot,” Mickelson said. was last held in September in 1913, the Open, go through various stages of qualifying and year amateur Francis Ouimet beat Harry eventually one champion emerges. e spread of QUALIFYING Vardon and Ted Ray in a playo and put the coronavirus made it impossible to hold 18-hole e U.S. Open prides itself on being the most golf on front pages of U.S. newspapers and 36-hole qualiers. Instead, the USGA had to open of all majors. Roughly half of the eld for the rst time. e toughest test? make this an all-exempt eld. typically has to go through a qualier. e pan- at’s no change at all, especially at It still has Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world, demic didn’t allow for that, so the USGA had an Winged Foot Golf Club. along with Woods and Phil Mickelson, now 50 and all-exempt eld to try to get the same mix of tour e storied A.W. Tillinghast course in facing another chance to end a quarter-century of professionals, amateurs, and players from the Korn Mamaroneck, New York, has held the U.S. Open heartache and get the nal piece of the Ferry Tour. is is the rst time since 1924. U.S. Open ve times, and only two of career Grand Slam. the 750 players who have competed TIGER TALES in them broke par — Fuzzy Zoeller A QUIET U.S. OPEN Winged Foot in 2006 is where Woods missed and Greg Norman in 1984, with e USGA wasn’t even sure it could stage a U.S. his rst cut in a major as a professional, his rst Zoeller winning in a playo. It was Open because Winged Foot was so close to one tournament since the death of his father. What to at Winged Foot in 1974 when Sandy of the hot spots of the coronavirus. It proceeded expect this year? Because of his limited schedule, Tatum of the USGA so famously without spectators, just like the rest of golf for what and the three-month shutdown brought on by said, “Our intention is not to embar- likely will be the rest of the year, including the the coronavirus, Woods has played only six times rass the greatest players in the world, Masters. e PGA Championship at Harding Park in 2020. He has only one top 10, and that was at but to identify them.” Hale Irwin in August raised two questions about the lack of Torrey Pines in January, the only tournament he won at 7-over par. noise. Did it ease the pressure on contenders? Did broke par all four rounds. Even if he pulls this Expect no dierent, even in it take the advantage away from those who have o, he would tie the U.S. Open record with four September. Woods stopped by experience handling the pressure? victories. June 18-21 until golf was shut down for three January has he broken par all four rounds. months because of the COVID-19 pandemic and Noteworthy: Only two players in ve U.S. FACTS&FIGURES the majors were rescheduled. It will be the rst Opens at Winged Foot have nished under par. time since 1974 the U.S. Open was not held on Fuzzy Zoeller and Greg Norman were at 276, and Dates: Sept. 17-20 Father’s Day. Zoeller won the playo. Site: Winged Foot GC (West) Length: 7,477 Par: 70 Quoteworthy: “If it gets rm like some of the The course: The West Course at Cut: Top 60 and ties USGA guys told me they want it to be, I don’t see Winged Foot was built in 1923 by A.W. Playo (if necessary): Two-hole aggregate how any of us shoot under par. Of if we shoot Tillinghast, who was told by club found- immediately after 72 holes are completed. under par, it would be somebody winning by a ers to “give us a man-sized course.” It Field: 144 players lot.” -- Jon Rahm. Purse: $12.5 million. Winner’s share: $2.16 million. Streaming: (all times EDT): Thursday, 5 p.m. has been a man-sized test for the Defending champion: Gary Woodland to 7 p.m. (Peacock); Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. U.S. Open ve times and the PGA DUSTIN JOHNSON U.S. Open champions at Winged Foot: Bob- (Peacock); Saturday, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Peacock); Championship in 1997. Winged celebrates on the 18th green by Jones (1929), Billy Casper (1959), Hale Irwin Sunday, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. (Peacock). after winning the FedEx Cup Foot is best known for the (1974), Fuzzy Zoeller (1984), Geo Ogilvy (2006). Television (all times EDT): Thursday, 7:30 a.m. severe slopes on the greens Grand Slam, Part VI: Phil Mickelson gets his to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (NBC); in the Tour Championship golf and the deep, penalizing tournament on Sept. 7 at East sixth attempt at trying to complete the career Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Golf Channel), 4 p.m. to bunkers. Grand Slam. His six runner-up nishes are a record. 7 p.m. (NBC); Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (NBC); Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The date: The U.S. Tiger tales: Tiger Woods has played only six Sunday, 10 a.m. to noon (Golf Channel), noon to 6 Open was to be played tournaments this year, and only at Torrey Pines in p.m. (NBC). 2020 U.S. OPEN | PLAYER CAPSULES DUSTIN JOHNSON Worldwide Best of 2020: Winning in his PGA Tour Champions COLLIN victories: 4 Breakfast, lunch and debut. MORIKAWA Age: 36 Best of 2020: Having dinner. Along with his Majors: Masters (2004, 2006, Rank: 1 the low score at the 6,000-calorie intake, 2010), British Open (2013), PGA Age: 23 Country: Tour Championship. He winning the Rocket Championship (2005). Country: United States didn’t get a trophy. He Mortgage Classic and U.S. Open memory: Six silver United States World ranking: 1 did get $4.5 million. making 350-yard drives medals as runner-up. The most World ranking: 5 Worldwide victories: 24 Majors: None routine. shocking loss was at Winged Foot Worldwide victories: 3 Best of 2020: Winning three times U.S. Open memory: Finishing Majors: None when he lost a one-shot lead on the Best of 2020: Winning a playo at in three months and nally capturing double digits under par (10 under) to U.S. Open memory: Giving up his nal hole with a double bogey. Worse Muireld Village, winning a major at the FedEx Cup. tie for fth in his U.S. Open debut in exemption as U.S. Amateur champion might have been Merion, when he Harding Park. Majors: US Open (2016) 2017 at Erin Hills. and qualifying for 2016 U.S. Open at twice turned birdie chances into a Majors: PGA Championship U.S. Open memory: Having a Backspin: He began the year by Oakmont, and then tying for 15th. bogey with a wedge in his hand on (2020) 12-foot eagle putt to win in 2015 at three-putting the 18th at Kapalua to Backspin: He has become must-see the back nine.