Gary Woodland may have been known as the basketball player turned golfer but after this week at the iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links, he will also be known as an US Open Champion! Heading into the final round, Gary had a slight lead and he had major players breathing down his neck but he was more than up for the challenge.
Justin Rose was in the final pairing with Gary Woodland while Brooks Koepka, who was in the group ahead, was going for his third straight US Open and has also won the last two PGA Championships, burst out of the gates to birdie four of his first five holes. Gary had an answer though as he made birdie himself on hole 2 and 3. Although Rose and Koekpa came close, Woodland was steady the entire day and was able to execute clutch shots under pressure to win his first major title with a final round of 2-under 69.
The most memorable shot may be his second shot on the par 5, 14th. By knocking his shot near the green, Gary Woodland was able to get up and down for birdie and give himself some breathing room heading into the final few holes. We could also argue that his chip on the 17th green was just as memorable. Overall, Gary was as cool as a cucumber down the stretch and he capped it off nicely with a long birdie putt on the 18th green!
