Former Jayhawk Gary Woodland wins U.S. Open

Former Kansas Jayhawk g2olfer Gary Woodland won the 119th U.S. Open Golf Tournament on Sunday.

Standing at the 17th tee on the final day of the U.S. Open, Gary Woodland was 12 under par and 2 strokes ahead of Brooks Kopeka as the current tournament leader. Kopeka, the number one golfer in the world and back-to-back U.S. Open Champion, was about to tee off on the 18th.

All of the pressure in the world was on Woodland. He’s had a very long and successful career on the PGA Tour, but he’s never been in a situation like this.

And on one of the most famous holes in golf, with the entire sports world watching, Woodland would go on to hit arguably his worst shot of the weekend.

Stronger golfers could have easily folded in that moment. Especially with the game’s best player in striking distance, and considering Woodland losing history while holding the lead after 54 holes.

But there’s an old Ben Hogan quote that states, “The most important shot is the next one.” That sentiment perfectly personifies what Woodland would do next:

What may end up being considered as one of the greatest shots in U.S. Open history sealed the deal for Gary Woodland.

He tapped in for his par, and Brooks Kopeka finished with a par of his own over on the 18th green.

Pending a catastrophic final hole, Gary Woodland was going to win the 119th U.S. Open.

That chip on the 17th green was one of his many great recovery shots of the weekend. Woodland was 169th on the PGA Tour in Scrambling coming into the tournament but was number one in that statistic this weekend.

Each time he found himself in a difficult scenario on the course, he delivered with shots that seemed almost miraculous at times.

And while it was a foregone conclusion that Woodland would win the tournament after the 17th hole, that doesn’t mean the fireworks were over. He finished the tournament off in style:

This is his fourth win on the PGA Tour and his first win in a major tournament. Woodland is also the first Jayhawk alumn to win the U.S. Open.

For years, dedicated golf fans and native Kansans were likely the only people who were well aware of Woodland’s game. This win, however, will elevate him from a third tier golfer to one of the top names in the sport.

What’s next for Gary Woodland? Not to be cliche, but the sky is the limit. He will take a huge leap in the world golf rankings and will move into fifth place in the FedExCup Standings.

These kinds of wins will likely lead to more top 10 finishes, wins, Ryder Cups and a ton of money for the 35-year-old Woodland.

But regardless of what he does next, it’s always special to see great people doing great things in front of the people they love.