“I never got ahead of myself. I never thought about what would happen if I won, what comes with it. I wanted to execute every shot, stay in the moment.”
– Gary Woodland
Location & Course Information
MAMARONECK, N.Y.
Winged Foot Golf Club
Designed by A.W. Tillinghast and opened in 1923, the West Course at Winged Foot is one of the most challenging courses in the nation. It hosted the U.S. Open in 1929, 1959, 1974, 1984 and 2006 and the PGA Championship in 1997.
Yardage: 7,477; par 70
Notable Course Features
At 450 yards, the 18th hole no longer requires a long iron approach in today’s game, but with its tight fairway and a small green that is difficult to hit, chip to or putt on, it still ranked as the toughest hole in the 2006 U.S. Open where Phil Mickelson double bogeyed to lose by one.
2019 Champion
Gary Woodland, U.S.
Quick Facts
Field: 144 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $12.5 million (2019)
Winner’s Share: $2,250,000
FedExCup Points: 600 to the winner
Charity Benefit
The USGA Foundation provides support for programs that target under-served audiences, junior golfers, women and beginners of all ages to develop a passionate and engaged group that will have a long-term commitment to the game. Additionally, the USGA is committed to making the game more accessible for disabled golfers.
Media Coverage
Golf Channel/NBC
Social Media
HOW GARY WOODLAND WON
Gary Woodland led throughout the final round but needed some clutch shots on the back nine to hold off Brooks Koepka, who was shooting for a third straight U.S. Open title. Starting four strokes back, the two-time defending champion birdied four of the first five holes to pull within two as Woodland scored two birdies of his own. When Woodland bogeyed the ninth and 12th holes, his lead was down to one (Koepka had also bogeyed 12). Woodland boldly went for the green with his second shot on the par-5 14th and made a chip-and-putt birdie. Still up by two, he used a wedge for a 90-foot shot on the 17th green because there was too much fringe to putt through, and hit it to within inches to save par. A birdie on 18 gave Woodland a 69 and a three-stroke victory over Koepka as both recorded four rounds in the 60s.
Woodland made only four bogeys all week, none in a second-round 65. He ranked first in scrambling, saving par on 16 of the 20 greens he missed.
Woodland ranked second in Greens in Regulation (52 of 72) and third in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green (2.097 per round).
Woodland ranked fourth in Strokes Gained: Putting (1.791 per round.)
CHECK THIS OUT
Gary Woodland’s 271 total was the best in six U.S. Opens at Pebble Beach, topping Tiger Woods’ 272 in 2000, and matched the second best in U.S. Open history. The record is 268 by Rory McIlroy in 2011; Martin Kaymer had 271 in 2014.
Woodland was the seventh first-time major winner in the last 10 years at the U.S. Open.
Woodland was previously 0-for-7 at converting
a 54-hole lead or co-lead into a victory on the PGA TOUR. The U.S. Open was his fourth career win.
Brooks Koepka came up just short in his bid to become only the second player to win three straight U.S. Opens (Willie Anderson, 1903-05).
The runner-up finish gave Koepka four straight top-two results in major championships: 1-T2-1-2.
