USA 250: Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones was born on March 17, 1902, in Atlanta, Georgia, and he became one of the greatest amateur golfers ever. He showed his talent early on, reaching the third round of the U.S. Amateur at just 14. Remarkably, he won 13 major tournaments—all as an amateur—a record still unbroken. In 1930, he achieved multiple milestones.
The first round of the 126th U.S. Open kicked off Thursday at Sinek Hills Golf Club on Long Island, featuring several compelling stories ahead of the tournament.
If world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler emerges victorious, he’d clinch a career Grand Slam on his 30th birthday, which is quite a milestone. Rory McIlroy, who achieved a Grand Slam in 2025, won another Masters in 2026. If he captures his second major this year, he’d reach seven majors, joining legends like Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen, and Harry Vardon—all of whom have seven majors. He’d trail only Tom Watson, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, Walter Hagen, Tiger Woods, and Jack Nicklaus.
The competition includes a noteworthy group of amateur golfers, with NCAA Men’s Division I champion Preston Stout, 17-year-old Myles Russell, and Auburn standout Jackson Koibun.
Sinek Hills is known for being a challenging course, and with strong winds anticipated, the USGA plans to add water to the greens to maintain conditions.
However, amid all these narratives and high-profile players, the wildest round belonged to…Keith Mitchell?
Mitchell started his day from the 10th hole, hitting his drive into the rough and quickly accruing a double bogey. Following that, he had more bogeys on the 11th, 13th, and 14th holes, and even the 16th. By the time he finished the first nine holes, he shot a 6-over 41. Certainly not an encouraging start.
But upon returning to the front nine, Mitchell transformed his game. He birdied the first hole, then went on to birdie the third and fourth holes. On the par-5 fifth hole, he made one of only two eagles of the day and finished the front nine strong. In contrast to his back nine, where he took six strokes over par, he ended up six strokes under on the front nine, resulting in a final score of even par 70.
This marked one of the most extraordinary rounds in U.S. Open history. Out of countless rounds throughout the tournament’s history, only seven have seen a player shoot nine holes under 29, making this event quite unique.
Mitchell’s wild round showcased the unpredictability of golf, especially at such a prestigious event.
As for Scheffler, his round was, well, rollercoaster-like—posting four birdies with a finishing score of 2-over 72. McIlroy navigated the tough conditions with 18 bogeys, wrapping up at 1 under, placing him in the lead.
Windham Clark, a former U.S. Open champion, unexpectedly missed qualifying for the PGA Championship, yet rebounded to take an impressive four-shot lead, going 6-under through 16 holes, a notable feat given the course’s challenges.
In major championship golf, change is always on the horizon. Keith Mitchell’s experience on Thursday serves as a testament to that unpredictability.
