Hadwin "I've never been in that situation" T7th.. Matt Fitzpatrick wins US Open.. final results

 US Open: final results here 

I thought a very reflective Adam Hadwin summed up his Sunday at the US Open when he spoke with my old colleague Bob Weeks in the media scrums after Matt Fitzpatrick became a European Tour legend, just like Tony Jacklin before him winning by a shot with rounds of 68 70 68 68 -6 274

" I've never been in that position before. I just wasn't ready for it early on before I settled down"

' Some of the places I hit it early...a couple of snap hooks" led to 2 bogey's in his first 6 holes, but to his credit a brilliant birdie between them at the 4th kept him in touch, as he had been all week

He settled into some steady golf after confirming he was kind of "'scrappy" on Saturday, making 8 straight pars from  #7 - #14 before a bogey, birdie, birdie, bogey finish for +1 71 and a very good T7 -1 279 just 5 shots behind a jubilant Fitzpatrick who is currently counting the $3.1 million his agent carried off for him.

Adam was in the top 10 all week, actually lead after 66 on Thursday and the consensus is that although he never really contended on Sunday, he stayed right around the leaders which will do his confidence the world of good.

He told Weeksy, " I've been playing some really good golf this year and this week was a great learning experience, holding my own at this level, with these players is really going to help my game"

He played with #1 Scottie Scheffler who was in the clubhouse at -5 which is where Will Zalatoris ended up after shaving the hole with his own birdie putt on the 72nd hole, leaving the ball striking machine from England that is Matt Fitzpatrick, who I think made all the difference with a 65 footer birdie putt on the 13th.

You will see that one in all the 122nd US Open highlight reels, along with his epic bunker shot from the fairway to 12 feet at the last. 

Mac Hughes T24 72 69 73 70 +4.

It was an exciting week on the Country Club at Brookline, right down to the finish. The wind blew enough to make it a stern test. The early kerfuffle over the players from the LIV was dispelled in the pre tournament interviews and soon died all together when Phil shot 73 73 before flying out of town, presumably to his wife and kids, apparently the renewed focus in his life.

Matt Fitzpatrick had the week of his life when he won the US Amateur on this course in 2013, until last evening when he did it in spectacular style as a pro. His caddy Billy Foster is a European legend with a dry wit that continues to entertain us who had never won a major in 40 years as a caddy including 10 with Lee Westwood who had nine top 3's including 3 as the bridesmaid.

caddie Billy Foster 

"I've got the monkey off my back, and it felt like a gorilla"

It's been quite a fortnight on the PGA Tour with Rory winning the Canadian Open in front of record crowds, then finishing T5 -2 this week, and Scheffler, Rahm, Matsuyama, Morikawa, all in contention.

Tony Jacklin won the US Open in 1970 and no other Brit joined him until Graeme McDowell at Pebble Beach in 2010. Now it's Matt Fitzpatrick who's on the front page of all the British tabloids, and this win as King of the Country Club will be in their hearts forever. 

Bryan Angus 

Hadwin and Henderson in contention on Sunday.. both leaderboards/tee times

Both Adam Hadwin and Brooke Henderson will begin Sunday just shots off the lead in their respective events. Hadwin at the US Open is T4 -2 with the lead at -4 and Henderson 3rd at Meijer LPGA Classic at -15, 3 shots behind and in the penultimate pairing after winning last week.

US Open: TEE TIMES

Scoring has been at a premium at this US Open at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass.. Only 9 players are under par, with the field incredibly bunched.

A couple of birdies can shoot you up the leaderboard. One of them is Adam Hadwin 66 72 70 -2 who is having a career best major. I have't checked but his opening -4 66 was the low round of the tournament.

Having gone out in +1 36, he was all pars on the back until he chipped in for birdie 4 at the par 5 14th, got unlucky with his approach at 15 into the thick rough only 20 feet from the pin resulting in bogey, but he bounced right back with a 3 at the tough par 4 17th for an E 70.

He will be paired with world #1 Scottie Scheffler in the 3rd last pairing on Sunday. Scheffler, Rahm -3, McIlroy -1 will share the spotlight with the 2 leaders Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick both at -4, all vying to make history and win the US Open.

Mac Hughes 72 69 73 +4 T33.

LPGA. Meijer LPGA Classic leaderboard here 

Coming off her 11th LPGA win last week Brooke Henderson has continued her hot streak heading into Sunday 68 66 67 -15 just 3 shots off the lead held by defending champion Nelly Korda -18 then Jennifer Kupcho -17 who will be in the last pairing.

Brooke will be in the penultimate pairing with Lexi Thompson -14. 

The 2 time winner was bogey free with 5 birdies and only 26 putts which was the difference, as she only hit 7 \13 fairways and 13/18 greens in regulation. 

Maude Aimee Leblanc 70 72 68 -6 T34

Bryan Angus 

Hadwin, Hughes battle to stay in contention at US Open.. Saturday leaderboard TEE TIMES

 US Open TEE TIMES

While all the putts fell for Adam Hadwin in his opening -4 66 as is often the case, especially in as tough scoring conditions that windy tough Country Club is providing,  Friday was a different story.

I watched him battling all day, +3 on his front nine, then another bogey up to +4 which was E for the tournament, still well within the cut, which fell at +3. However all those pars were keeping him in it, then came two late back to back birdies at 8 and 9, for a 72 and right back in contention T13 -2.

The field is incredibly bunched with the lead at -5 held by Colin Morikawa and qualifier Joel Dahman.

Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm are right behind at -4.

Mac Hughes got off to a terrible double bogey 6 start, then bogey at the 13th but he recovered with 3 birdies mixed in to go out E 35, then 1 birdie and all pars coming home - 1 34 for a timely 69 which has  him T31 +1 for this weekend.

Sadly the other Canadians, Corey Connors +4, Nick Taylor and Ben Silverman +5 and Roger Sloan +6 are out of the tournament.

Bryan Angus

Henderson chasing down the leaders at Meijer LPGA Classic... Final Friday leaderboard..

 LPGA: Meijer LPGA Classic...Friday leaderboard here 

She's won this event twice and after a 68 66 -10 opening Brooke Henderson who won her 11th LPGA title last weekend is right back in contention going into this weekend..T4, four shots behind the American front runner Jenifer Kupcho 63 67 -14.

She had a terrific 6 birdies and an eagle 3 at the 18th along with 2 bogey's and used only 27 putts today, her achilles...

Maude Aimee Leblanc T67 70 72 -2...

The cut is projected -2

Bryan Angus

Brooke Henderson T15 at Meijer LPGA Classic

 LPGA: Meijer LPGA Classic leaderboard here

She says she loves this Blythefield course, this tournament where she is a two time champion so no surprise to see Brooke Henderson open with a bogey free -4 68 which has her T15 going into today's 2nd round in Belmont, Michigan at the Meijer LPGA Classic.

Her numbers, 11/13 fairways, 16/18 greens in regulation, but 32 putts stopped her from being further up the leaderboard.

Maude Aimee LeBlanc shot a -2 70, good for T45.

Jennifer Kupcho tops the field with a brilliant -9 63 a shot ahead of 37 year old Gina Mendoza -8 64, who had missed 4 cuts in her previous 8 starts. She has struggled combining pro golf with motherhood since 2017.

There are 27 players with 5 shots of the lead. 

Bryan Angus

Adam Hadwin leads the US Open.. full Friday leaderboard

 US Open : full leaderboard TEE TIMES

It's not every morning a guy can wake up and say "I'm leading the US Open" but that's the case in the Hadwin household this morning.

Adam played some great golf earlier this year, he was in contention several times, just never put all 4 rounds together.

I watched all of his fine -4 66 on Thursday. He drove it straight, hit some distinguished irons, and yes a few monster putts fell as well as all those par savers. A superb day all around with 5 birdies in 6 holes from the 4th-9th and he gets to do it all over again early this morning 8.24am, this time beginning on the 10th tee. 

I didn't think anyone would beat Rory's 67, he did the same thing as Adam, except for a drive in the rough at the 9th and the resulting bogey.

With the lead only -4 the field is bunched at this difficult Country Club in Brookline, only 25 players under par 70 and they include defending champion Jon Rahm at -1 along with Justin Thomas. Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson are all -2, 

Canadians: 

Apart from Roger Sloan +6 76, (2.31 10th tee) the other 4 Canucks are right in the mix. Corey Connors was in the late wave beginning off the 10th tee had 2 early bogey's but recovered immediately with 2 birdies, and after a bogey and a birdie coming in he made a 3 putt at the 9th for +1 71 T42. He begins at #1 this morning at 7.51.

Mac Hughes saved his front nine after 3 bogey's with an eagle 3 at the 8th out in +1 36, but was steady with 8 straight pars coming in and will be annoyed at his bogey 5 at the 18th for +2 72 T57. He is off the 10th at 2.09 today.

Ben Silverman is also +2 72, (2,42 10th tee) while Nick Taylor 6 bogey's 3 birdies is +3 73 T124. (8.13 10th tee)

Weather:

Warm, windy day 20kph -27kph SW - W with 36% chance of rain around 2pm. With the wind on these small greens and penal rough  expect scoring to be at a premium.

Bryan Angus

 

 

Thursday morning at the US Open in Brookline, Mass.,

 US Open : TEE TIMES/Leaderboard TEE TIMES

While there were scattered T'Storms forecast overnight, round 1 at the old Country Club in Brookline Massachusetts's will be partly cloudy, with a breeze from the SW up to 25kph as the day progresses, rain will not be an issue.

Play gets underway at 6.45 EST with 57 year old qualifier Fran Quinn hitting the first tee shot off the 10th, and 2018 US Amateur champion from Boston, Micheal Thorbjornsen off the 1st. It's the 122 edition of the US national men's championship.

It's the 4th time TCC as it's known, has hosted and the first since 1988. The controversial 1999 Ryder Cup was here as was the 2013 US Amateur.

Jon Rahm has had a mediocre year at best so far, is the defending champion. Rory McIlroy got hot last weekend to defend his RBC Canadian Open title, and will be a hot favourite amongst the many local fans of Irish descent. He was 2nd at the Masters in April and his last major was 11 years ago when he won this championship at the Congressional CC.

Matt Fitzpatrick who is in great form won the US Amateur here in 2013. 

Corey Connors who is ranked 2nd to Jon Rahm in "ball striking" was in the semi finals that year and the finals in 2014. He is one of the 6 Canadians, the others as I mentioned yesterday, Mac Hughes, Adam Hadwin, Roger Sloan, Nick Taylor and Ben Silverman.

Remember Tony Jacklin? He won the US Open 52 years ago at Hazeltine. His 30 year old son Sean has Monday qualified at Jupiter in Florida, Tony has lived in Bradenton for years. It's Sean's 2nd PGA Tour start and his first professional major. He was named after the late great Sean Connery, who played in many pro-ams with Tony in their hey days.

He is just one of the many storylines. The questions surrounding the suspended players, non more so than Phil Mickelson have all been asked and answered.. so far... with the players less concerned than the media about their status. Brooks Koepka, more forthright than most scolded the media room for "throwing the US Open under a black cloud" with their constant obsession with LIV and less about play that starts in 45 minutes..

The total purse for the 156 who have made it is $17,500,000.

Bryan Angus