The Masters may have the pageantry and the title of a “Tradition unlike any other,” the British Open course may be unique, and the PGA Championship …
The Masters may have the pageantry and the title of a “Tradition unlike any other,” the British Open course may be unique, and the PGA Championship… well, it’s just the PGA Championship. But of the four majors in golf, the U.S. Open holds a particularly special place in our hearts. It challenges golfers in ways other tournaments can’t, causing low scores and visible frustration on the greens. The 2021 U.S. Open is currently underway at Torrey Pines Golf Course in beautiful San Diego, CA. Phil Mickelson is coming off his improbable PGA Championship win, and Bryson Dechambeau and Brooks Koepka will attempt to keep it friendly after their disdain for each other went public this month. There have been some countless special moments in the long and storied history of the U.S. Open. Let’s take a look at the top five. 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach: Tiger Woods Runs Away From the Field Woods was just a young pup as he entered the tournament at Pebble in 2000, but by the time he left, he’d dominated the entire field. He entered Sunday with a 10-stroke lead over Ernie Els, and ended the day with a 15-stroke win. Els said afterward, “Anything I say is probably going to be an understatement. It seems like we’re not playing in the same ballpark right now.” He birdied holes 10,12,13 and 14, finishing the final round with a 67 — the low score of the day. It was the beginning of the conversation on whether Woods’ domination was actually good for the game. We had never seen a golfer completely dismantle the field in the manner in which Woods’ did. Amidst his domination is a fun story that could have ended in disaster for Woods. On Saturday morning, Woods was completing his second round, which he didn’t finish the day before. On the 18th tee, Woods hooked his tee shot into the ocean. As he waited for caddie Steve Williams to hand him another ball, Woods didn’t realize the danger he was in — he was down to his last ball in the bag. “I don’t want to sound negative, but he hooks it into the ocean and now we’re down to our last ball,” Williams said.
