Woodland wins at Pebble Beach… US PGA star Gary Woodland held off all comers last week and came of age at Pebble Beach to win his first Major Championship. The Kansas native, who walks just like one of those old wild west gunslingers, cool calm and calculated, "shot down" everyone who edged just a little too close on Sunday. Even with World No 1 Brooks Koepka making a dream start, "G Dub" just kept playing his own game. With the course set up fairly (just go back to the last three Opens) it would become a battle of nerve come the last day on the back nine. Woodland gave the chasers every chance to catch him with a couple of dropped shots but they found Pebble too difficult to capitalise on these errors. Many thought Justin Rose would get the job done but it showed that a US Open needs all parts of the game to work. It was going to be a tough gig to maintain holing out from 10 -15 feet to save par for 4 days and so it proved for the Englishman. Koepka mounted his challenge and reeled off 4 birdies in 7 holes but Woodland hung in there, he made a cheeky 3 at the par 3 17th by chipping from the green to the back flag to maintain his two shot lead. Now if there was a time that he was going to be tested that was it. He then calmly played the 18th conservatively and holed from 30 feet for a closing birdie just to put the icing on the win.A very big win and another first time winner. I just wonder if he will smile at all for the rest of the year? The Open is just a few weeks away, it’s the last one of the year with the USPGA being brought forward, it seems we have just watched Major golf events one after the other. Northern Ireland is looking forward to hosting again after such a long period. Unsurprisingly it`s a sell out as all the Irish love a sporting occasion. Let’s hope the course is set up fairly, the weather and golf matches the hospitality everyone will receive.
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