US Open: Long-Driving Gary Woodland lays his way to victory

PEBBLE BEACH, California – Gary Woodland, a college basketball player who became a professional golfer, won the 119th Open of the United States in Pebble on Sunday Beach. Woodland, who participated 30 in the tournament 0 for the four largest golf events, retained three major winners – Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose and Adam Scott – who spent 37 weeks together at the top of the men's world ranking.

Woodland finished 13 under par and defeated Koepka with three hits.

Koepka, the dual title defender and world number 1, tried to become the first because William Anderson won three consecutive victories in 1905. US Opens. 29-year-old Koepka had four of his previous eight majors, including the P.G.A. Championship last month. He started the day with four strokes behind Woodland, the pace-maker with 54 holes, and played the first 11 holes in four par – assisted by eight greens with one putt, to pull to a single lead.

But Woodland, who played basketball at Division II Washburn before moving to Kansas for golf, was never submerged. He said he learned how to control his adrenaline, control his emotions and play in himself while in the final round of the P.G.A. from last year was combined with Tiger Woods. Championship. Woods finished second at Koepka that day, four strokes for Woodland, whose draw for the sixth was his best show in a major until Sunday.

Woodland, a native Kansan, confessed Saturday that he never hit the ball on practice greens like a young pigeon pretending to win his national championship.

"I don't know if I was sitting on a putting green when I was a kid," he said laughing. "I was too busy hitting the driver."

Woodland, who had three PGA Tour victories in his first 10 years as a pro, was known as one of the longest hitters of the game. In the past five seasons, he has been in a row from seventh to thirteenth in a row. But the key to his success this week was his game on the greens, where he was among the leaders in the least putts per hole.

"I now have a short game that I can trust," said Woodland. "I don't have to focus on hitting balls."

Woodland viewed instructional video videos as a toddler and started hitting balls on the range next to his father, Dan, who was also a multi-sports school star. At the time, Gary Woodland was not much older than his own son, Jaxson, who turns 2 this week. Woodland's wife, Gabby, expects double daughters in August, so Father's Day took on a whole new meaning for the family before Woodland achieved the biggest win in his career. "It's special," he said.