Teeing Off: Big picture preview

Well, so this a little awkward ... but this is actually my final column of the semester. Since I talked last time about some big picture ideas including a list of the remaining majors and dates, I will stick with that theme.

The next major on the schedule is the U.S. Open. This year the tournament will be hosted at Erin Hills, Wis. The U.S. Open is always a fun tournament to watch.

First, it is an open. This means that literally anyone can attempt to qualify for the Open. The process goes that you play in local, section and regional qualifiers, with outstanding play earning you a spot in the next event, until finally a select few qualify for the actual Open. The top players in the world and many PGA Tour members will have exemptions into the tournament, however others won’t, and they will have to qualify just like Joe Six Pack would if he wanted to get in. Probably the most famous player who will go through the qualifying legs is Ian Poulter.

Second, the U.S. Open is notoriously the toughest test in golf. The winning score is usually very close to even par, which in this day and age is some 15 shots harder than normal. Erin Hills will have deep rough and wicked fast greens that would make the weekend golfer cry with despair.

Next, in July there is the Open Championship, or the British Open as it is colloquially known in the United States. Another open, this tournament is the oldest major in golf. The Open Championship has even more ways to qualify than the U.S. Open and therefore boasts the largest field in major golf.

The British Open is the ultimate test of the golfer’s ability to adapt. Given the volatile weather in the British Isles, the players must be able to navigate 30-mph winds, hail, rain and even ... balmy sunshine, sometimes all in the same round.

This year’s British Open is at Royal Birkdale, just north of Liverpool. Though it is not all the way in the north of Scotland, it isn’t quite next to London and therefore could still be chilly. I expect weather to play a major role in the tournament as it always does.

Last comes “Glory’s Last Shot,” the PGA Championship. This year the PGA Championship will be hosted at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. The track is familiar to most PGA Tour players as it normally hosts a regular event.

So who should we watch for the rest of the season? Well, you can’t go wrong with Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Thomas Pieters. The three young studs have all the game in the world and maybe even represent the next big three, but I am afraid that’s a flaming hot take so don’t fixate on it too much. Also, look out for Ian Poulter. Poulter apparently lost his tour card after the Valero Texas Open for failing to make enough money, however the Tour simply did the math wrong, and it turns out Poulter kept his card after apparent heartbreak.

And as always, keep an eye on my man Wes Bryan. You heard it here first folks. No one else saw that win coming, except for good ol’ Wicks. God bless. And thanks again for reading!