With Canadian Brennan Little on his bag, Gary Woodland celebrated Father’s Day by holding off a charging Brooks Koepka to win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
The win was Woodland’s first major championship. He finished in dramatic fashion, holing out a long birdie putt on the iconic 18th hole at Pebble Beach, a course that was one of the big stars of the week. Woodland finished at 13-under after shooting 69 in the final round.
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“I never let myself get ahead and never thought the tournament was over,” Woodland said. “It was special to finish it off here at Pebble Beach.”
The win on Father’s Day was extra special. The win comes two years after the golfer and his wife, Gabby, experienced a devastating miscarriage. The Woodlands have a son—Jaxson—and are expecting twins later this year. Woodland’s dad was in attendance and hugged his son as he came off the final green.
Woodland managed to hold off Koepka, who was trying to become the first American to win his third consecutive U.S. Open. Koepka made four birdies in his first five holes to close in on Woodland. But he could only make one birdie against two bogeys coming in, despite trying for the 18th hole, a par five, in two. Koepka would finish at 3-under 68 for the final round, three shots behind Woodland.
Koepka, who has found a way to peak for major championships similar to Tiger Woods at his peak, said he took some time to think about how close he got after walking off the 18th hole.
“You realize I was just that close to accomplishing something that hasn’t been done in 110 years,” he said.
Woodland, one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, has often been an overlooked star, despite hitting massive drives. His previous best finish in a major championship was a tie for sixth last year at the PGA Championship.
This year, Woodland was found extensively on social media alongside Special Olympics golfers Amy Bockerstette. Bockerstette played the famed par 3 16th hole at the TPC at Scottsdale with Woodland cheering her on, and rolled in a long putt as the cameras captured it all. The video, which shows an enthusiastic Woodland embracing Bockerstette after she made the putt, is the most viral golf video ever.
Woods said he battled his swing and the course all week, but took away some positives from the experiences.
Nick Taylor was one of only two Canadians in the field this week, and he played well enough to make it to the weekend. After a strong third round that saw the Abbotsford, BC native climb up the leaderboard, Sunday wasn’t as kind to Taylor, who, despite making a birdie on the 18th hole, finished 1-over on the day, and 2-over for the championship. Mike Weir, the only other Canadian in the field, failed to make the cut.
What’s In The Winner’s Bag
Woodland, a long-time Callaway player, switched to Wilson and signed a 10-club deal earlier this year. That means Woodland, who had the best short game at this year’s U.S. Open, plays Wilson irons, but a mix of PING, TaylorMade and Titleist gear. There’s a Wilson headcover on his driver, for instance, but a PING G410 is what he used all week.
Driver: PING G410 Plus, 9 degrees
3-wood: PING G410 LST, 14.5 degrees
Irons (3-PW): Wilson Staff Blade
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 (52, 58 degrees); TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe (64 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist GSS putter
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
What a inspiration Brooke is to all young golfers. Way to go on your wins. Love to watch you play