From TheEditor
Kansas City’ s Longest Running Monthly Golf Magazine
Bill Cromwell, Editor-in-Chief TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE™ Magazine
U. S. Open & Father’ s Day Month
Yep, it’ s June already, and I hope you’ re getting plenty of golf rounds in as we soon enter the warmer prime golf season. June also signals that one of my favorite championships, the U. S. Open Championship, has arrived. In fact, it’ s the 125th U. S. Open Championship, which will be contested June 12 to 15 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, PA.
I had to look this up, but a 125th anniversary is called a quasquicentennial. This word is pronounced“ kwos-kwi-sen-ten-ee-uhl.” That’ s a big word!
Did you know the very first U. S. Open was played in October 1895? It took place on a nine-hole course at the Newport Country Club in Newport, RI. It was played in a single day as a 36-hole competition. Only 10 professional golfers and one amateur entered the event. According to usopen. com, the winner was Horace Rawlins, a 21-year-old Englishman, who arrived in the U. S. earlier that year to take a position at the host club. For the win, Rawlins received a $ 150 cash prize from the event purse of $ 335, plus a $ 50 gold medal, and his club received the Open Championship Cup trophy for one year, which was presented by the USGA.
Fast-forward 125 years, and the quasquicentennial U. S. Open Championship purse is expected to be around $ 21.5 million. The exact figures will be released closer to the tournament date. Bryson DeChambeau, the 2024 champion at Pinehurst Resort, won $ 4,300,000 and $ 2,250,000 for his 2020 win at Winged Foot. With the quasquicentennial U. S. Open payday at about 4.5 million, I sure wish I had spent more time on the range in my younger days!
In the beginning, the U. S. Open was dominated by British players until 1911, when John J. McDermott became the first American winner. American golfers soon began to win regularly, and the tournament evolved to become one of the four majors. Since 1911, the title has been won mostly by players from the United States. After watching Scottie Scheffler dominate at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in May, this might be the year he seals the deal for his first U. S. Open Championship and a cool 4.5 million payday. Wow!
You can warm up your golf viewing skills at the event that determines the best golfers within the Kansas City region— the 18th annual Watson Challenge held June 5-7 at Hallbrook Country Club in Leawood, KS. The champion will bank a $ 10,000 prize. Unfortunately, Tom Watson will not be playing. Our May issue featured an article about Watson and the Challenge, where the 75-year-old Golf Hall of Famer stated,“ I just can’ t play competitively anymore, but I will be there. Honestly, I’ m not a valid competitor anymore. I just can’ t hit the ball as far.”
Watson’ s competitive end came when he turned over a go-kart on his farm near Bucyrus, KS, in 2022, although he says his downward slide had started before that. Learn more about the 2025 Watson Challenge and get tickets at www. centrallinksgolf. org.
Lastly, remember Father’ s Day on June 15. Take your dad, son, or daughter golfing. Remember, don’ t let ego get the best of you— Tee It Forward, have fun, and find your perfect day on a golf course.
“ Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots— but you have to play the ball where it lies.” ~ Bobby Jones
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6 June 2025 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE