Triplett shoots 62, leads at U.S. Senior Open

BLAINE, Minn. – Matthew Wolff was a very interested spectator, waiting back in the 18th fairway on Sunday afternoon, as Bryson DeChambeau stood over an eagle putt that would give him the lead in the 3M Open. He saw the 7-footer drop and watched DeChambeau celebrate, clenching his fists and posing like the Incredible Hulk. Then Wolff, who was playing in the day’s final group, had to compose himself and hit across that gaping lake to the same green. He needed a birdie to tie and an eagle to win. Heady stuff, to be sure. Particularly for a 20-year-old with that unique, herky-jerky swing who was making just his third PGA TOUR as a professional, and fourth overall. Related: What’s in Wolff’s bag? | George Gankas breaks down Wolff’s unique swing | How Wolff is a ‘disruptor’ on TOUR “It was kind of a delay actually from the crowd roar to when I saw him throw the fist pump,â€� Wolff recalled later. “So, it was great playing by Bryson. He’s obviously one of the best players in the world and he’s proven himself.  To be able to have a chance against him is awesome. “But my mindset was kind of the same with that shot. I knew I was going to go for it… And when he did that, I kind of told myself … it would be pretty special to roll in an eagle and finish this deal off on 18. Kind of that little adrenaline boost, I guess kind of motivated me.â€� And Steve Lohmeyer, the caddie who just started working for Wolff this week, knew just what to say to his new boss. “You’re the best long iron player here this week,â€� Lohmeyer told Wolff. “Let’s show these people what you can do. We could see everything. It was actually really cool – we could see (DeChambeau) make it, and then I said, let’s just hit this golf shot.â€� Now, the 5-iron wasn’t perfect. It didn’t cut quite like Wolff had hoped. But it settled up against the collar off the green, and there was just 26 feet of real estate standing between him and what would be a life-changing victory. Wolff later admitted he was shaking a little as he surveyed the putt. Lohmeyer liked the read, though, and stepped away as Wolff took several deep breaths. Finally, he hit the ball and watched intently until it got about a foot from the hole. He knew it was in. Wolff stepped forward, pumped his fist and yelled “come on,â€� just like he had when he won the NCAA’s individual title in May. It was his time.  “I’ve been told so many times before that I was born for moments like these, I live for moments like these,â€� Wolff said. “It doesn’t get better than this. “I had a blast out there, and to make that putt was everything. You know, for me it was just kind of staying calm, doing what I do. And not a lot of putts were dropping today. I kind of told myself, you know, this wouldn’t be a bad time for one to go my way. … “It was the most excited I’ve ever been. I’m usually not an emotional guy at all, but tears definitely came to my eyes when I stepped off and picked that ball up out of the hole.â€� Tears flowed again after Collin Morikawa, Wolff’s long-time friend and Sunday’s playing partner, missed a 25-footer for an eagle of his own that could have forced a playoff. Wolff hugged Lohmeyer, burying his face in his caddie’s shoulder, and both men cried. “He was just telling me how proud of me he was,â€� Wolff said. “And it’s something that we talked about since the beginning of the week just being myself and I didn’t really say much because I was crying. “But just all the work that he’s done has been really helpful and I really appreciate everything … and I’m looking to a great future with him.â€� And that future has changed dramatically for Wolff, who now has his PGA TOUR card until the end of the 2020-21 season and a ticket to the FedExCup Playoffs. As recently as last week when he missed the cut at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the Californian remembers sitting in his hotel room wondering if he’d made the right decision leaving Oklahoma State after his sophomore season to turn pro. He didn’t feel comfortable with his game. Everyone was shooting 20, 25-under and he wondered if he was good enough. Wolff even saw a tweet earlier this week where someone had taken a picture of his TOUR finishes, implying he was overrated. Tied for 50th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open when he was still an amateur. Tied for 80th at the Travelers Championship in his pro debut and last week’s missed cut. Instead of getting mad, though, Wolff used the slight to his advantage. “There’s always people who are going to go out there and put you down a notch,â€� he said. “There’s always people who will go out there and tell you you’re the best player in the world. “I think that kind of motivated me a little bit, but at the end of the day it’s all talk and what you believe is the most important thing and who you have around you is the most important.â€� One of those people is OSU assistant coach Donnie Darr, who texted Wolff on Saturday night after he seized a share of the lead with Morikawa and DeChambeau. Darr reminded Wolff that he won six tournaments last year – more than anyone in the field at the 3M Open — and to draw on that experience in the final round. “He was pretty much telling me, he goes, ‘You can do it.  Your winning is no different at any level, it’s about being in that moment, it’s about handling it, staying calm, staying present,’â€� Wolff remembered. “That kind of hit with me.  You know, I know how to win, I know how to seal the deal and I live for moments like that putt or those clutch moments where you have to step up to the stage.  And that’s what I did. “It was awesome.â€�

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Detroit is Motown, Hockeytown and now for four years running, Rocket Mortgage Classic-Town. This week, the PGA TOUR makes its penultimate regular season stop at Detroit Golf Club. While the event’s history might not yet span a half-decade, the golf course’s lifespan is spread across three centuries. When Donald Ross designed the track over 100 years ago, he might not have considered the likes of Cameron Davis and Joaquin Niemann attacking the flat terrain. 1. Technically a composite course Detroit Golf Club opened in 1899 during the William McKinley administration. The initial course had six holes and annual dues were $10. Three more holes were added in 1900. In 1913, after the club purchased some more property, it requested the presence of Donald Ross, just a few years removed from designing Pinehurst Nos. 1, 2 and 3. In Detroit, Ross felt he had enough room for two 18-hole courses. The North Course, a par 72, would ultimately become more daunting than the South Course, a par 68, with the North Course now roughly 870 yards longer. In 1914, Ross’ brother Alec was made head club professional, a post he maintained for 31 years. Alec, an accomplished player, won the 1907 U.S. Open. The Rocket Mortgage Classic layout is comprised of 17 holes from the North Course and one from the South Course. The PGA TOUR layout begins with holes 8 and 9 serving as Nos. 1 and 2, followed by hole 1 from the South Course serving as No. 3. The course then plays holes 2-7 of the North Course as Nos. 4-9 before the standard North Course back nine makes up the championship final nine. 2. Who’s who of Detroit Detroit Golf Club established itself roughly four years before the Ford Motor Company became incorporated. The Ross renovations were apparently enough to convince Henry Ford himself to join, as he became a member in 1915. His son Edsel, who served as Ford’s president from 1919-1943, was also a member. Since its start, Detroit Golf Club has brought together a who’s who of Detroit. Original Ford Motor Company stockholder and philanthropist Horace Rackham funded the initial $100,000 to pay for Ross’ 36 holes. U.S. Senator James Couzens, who sold his Ford Motor Company stock to Henry Ford for $30 million in 1919, was a common presence on the course, as was Fred Wardell, the founder of the Eureka Vacuum Cleaner Company, based in Detroit. In more modern terms, athletes have made up much of Detroit Golf Club’s celebrity base. Justin Verlander, Jerome Bettis, Jim Leyland, Jim Schwartz and Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson have been among those to call Detroit Golf Club their golf home. On the arts side, famed poet Edgar Guest was an early member, while Kid Rock is a more modern member. Aretha Franklin owned a home near the seventh hole in which she is believed to have recorded her 1998 album “A Rose is Still a Rose.” Of course, prominent golfers have called Detroit Golf Club home. After Alec Ross stepped aside from his post as head club pro, he was replaced by another major champion, Horton Smith (1934 and 1936 Masters winner), who held the job from 1946 until his death in 1963. Adding to this club pro legacy was Walter Burkemo, who had won the 1953 PGA Championship at nearby Birmingham Country Club. Meanwhile, in 1986, Detroit mayor Coleman Young made history when he became the club’s first African-American member. While not a golfer, Young applied for a non-golfing membership and hoped his admittance would open the door for more African-Americans in the city. Dennis Archer, an associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, who would serve as Young’s mayoral successor, followed as a member. Since 2003, Detroit Golf Club has had three different African-American presidents. 3. A flat challenge Two weeks removed from a trip to Scotland, the PGA TOUR is far from the contours of St. Andrews and now visiting the plains of the Midwest. When Detroit Golf Club entered the PGA TOUR rotation in 2019, its standard deviation of terrain change stood at 2.18 feet, edging TPC Louisiana (2.23) for the lowest mark. In other words, Detroit Golf Club is the flattest course on the PGA TOUR. For reference, the highest point at Augusta National Golf Club is 318 feet (No. 1 green) and the lowest point is 170 feet (No. 11 green). That’s a change of 210 feet. The elevation change at Detroit Golf Club from highest point to lowest point is roughly 43 feet. While Donald Ross did apply some undulation to the fairways, the greens do not present the same runoff as Pinehurst No. 2. A century later, Detroit Golf Club holds up as a beautiful piece of property, but it has had its challenges holding up against the best PGA TOUR players in the world. The 2019 event’s cut line of 5-under was the PGA TOUR’s lowest since 2016. Nate Lashley won that year at 25-under. Golf course superintendent Jake Mendoza, who had stints on the staff at Winged Foot and Medinah before taking the Detroit Golf Club gig in 2018, mentioned in 2020 the green speeds might have been conservative in 2019 and expressed an interest in speeding up the surfaces in 2020. The winner’s score dropped to 23-under in 2020 and 18-under in 2021. 4. Traditional test Many old-time American golf courses present some easier holes on the front nine to help guide players into the round. Detroit Golf Club provides scoring opportunities early but also requires players to execute with precision when choosing to be aggressive. The first side of the card is marked by a heavier tree line, with Nos. 6, 7 and 8 representing a trademark stretch on the course. These holes (4, 5 and 6 on the member layout) demand tee shots into tight fairways with undulation running balls off the sides of the short grass. Two-tiered greens await by the flagstick, setting a fine line between one-putt opportunities and three-putt fits. “We don’t have a lot of elevation change out here,” Mendoza told The Detroit News in 2019. “But there’s no flat lie anywhere on those three holes.” No. 4 should also present some theatrics, as the par 5 is listed at a whopping 635 yards. Two precise woods are needed for a chance at reaching the green in two, and an errant tee shot into the trees could have even the longest hitters scrambling for par. Nos. 17 and 18 represent a tale of two mindsets, as the 577-yard, par-5 17th played as Detroit Golf Club’s easiest hole in 2021 (4.589), while the 455-yard, par-4 18th ranked as the second most difficult at 4.135. In total, the front nine played to a 35.04 average last season, with the back nine playing to 35.51. Both nines play to par-36 for the TOUR field. 5. A forgotten Cinderella Ryder Cup In 1937, the U.S. Ryder Cup Team, led by non-playing captain Walter Hagen, went to Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club in England and defeated Great Britain, 8-4, winning the final four singles matches behind Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Ed Dudley and Henry Picard. Two years later, World War II began in Europe and the Ryder Cup would not return until 1947. At least, not officially. Teams on both sides had actually been selected for the 1939 Ryder Cup, with Great Britain canceling two months before the competition. As the story goes, Hagen, who had been captain for all six Ryder Cups and was slated to be captain a seventh time, was bragging at an exhibition in Toledo about how his team would have defeated Great Britain again. Gene Sarazen, who at age 37 was slated to miss the Ryder Cup team for the first time, called out Hagen, saying he could put together a team that could knock off Hagen’s roster. Hagen accepted the challenge and in 1940, Sarazen brought a team of challengers to Oakland Hills, near Detroit. With Ben Hogan, Jimmy Demaret and Craig Wood on his roster, Sarazen’s team fought gamely but ultimately lost, 7-5. In 1941, this time at Detroit Golf Club, Sarazen bulked up his team, convincing Bobby Jones, who notably never gave up his amateur status, to play. Jones ultimately served as a difference-maker, propelling the challengers to a stunning 8.5-6.5 win. In his highly anticipated singles match, Jones, who retired from all non-Masters majors after 1930, battled Picard, who had recently won the 1938 U.S. Open and 1939 PGA Championship. Jones won, 2 and 1, essentially adding one final legend to his name. Remember D3: The Mighty Ducks, when Gordon Bombay and Ted Orion led the Eden Hall JV hockey team to a win over the varsity team? That’s basically what this was like. This adjusted Ryder Cup format continued in 1942 at Oakland Hills and 1943 at Plum Hollow Country Club, also in the Detroit area, with the U.S. Team defeating the challengers on both occasions. Hagen, who missed out on the reselected team in 1942, actually played with the challengers those two years.

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Justin Thomas and Adam Scott were each at 10 under par and shared the lead when the Genesis Open was halted by darkness Friday night at Riviera.

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