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“It’s Just 4 Feet” – The Pressure of Being an Olympian

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The Pressure of Being an Olympian

As an Olympian, it can’t be easy to feel the weight of your country’s pride on your shoulders, coupled with the pressure of millions of people watching as you compete against the world’s top athletes.
 
Xander Schauffele knows a little something about pressure on Sunday as he found himself a mere four feet away from his first gold medal. There is no doubt his heart was pounding, and his mind preoccupied with what-if scenarios as he lined up the biggest putt of his career.
 

A Great Golfer, But Questions Remain

 
At 27 years old, Schauffele has accomplished so much in is time on the PGA Tour. While he has yet to win any majors, he remains among the top five golfers in the world. Winning himself four titles on tour and consistently finishing in the top 10, it is no wonder Schauffele was selected to be on Team USA. It hasn’t all been great news, however. With over two years since his last victory, the golfer didn’t arrive in Tokyo as a sure bet.
 
These are the thoughts that can blow a big moment. The ones that make you doubt yourself, even for just a second, and are enough to make even the strongest of competitors feel the heat.
 

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A Positive Attitude

 
Of course, with only 48 inches standing between you and an Olympic gold medal, one can’t help but think of just how sweet victory will be.
 
“I think it’s okay for your thoughts to sort of venture into the future, that’s sort of what our brain does, unfortunately,” Schauffele recalled. “I can’t get my heart to stop beating even if I tried my best … So I was just thinking about what if I make this putt and all these things. I tip my head down, I closed my eyes and I just tried to really become more present and just focus on the 4-footer.”
 
Schauffele made draining the putt seem effortless. After all, this season he has been successful over 97% on his putts up to 5 feet. In speaking with reporters, he admitted his confidence had been lacking leading up to the competition.
 

 
“I haven’t won anything in quite some time, that bothered me and my team, they know more than anyone else I’ve been knocking on the door a lot,” admitted Schauffele. “You kind of get that taste of winning and then it kind of gets swiped from you and you’re a little bit sour, even if you’re playing really good golf. So for me it was this was a really big point for me in my career I guess to sort of have a lead and be able to sort of cap it off. I haven’t done that before.”
 
We must admit that we weren’t sure Schauffele could hold up under pressure as we’ve seen him lose his focus before. Even he couldn’t deny he’s struggled under similar circumstances. “I felt like for the most part of the day I stayed very calm. I usually look very calm but there’s something terrible happening inside at time,” said Xander. “So I was able to learn on those moments where I’ve lost coming down the stretch, where I hit a bad shot or a bad wedge or a bad putt and sort of lose my cool.”
 
For a moment, history seemed to be repeating itself. On the final hole and leading by just one shot, Xander had a wayward shot off the tee that struck a spectator. The golfer managed to overcome the error and hit his wedge solid, lining him up perfectly for the short putt in. “Man, it was stressful,” he said of the final moment. As he watched his putt drop, Schauffele felt as though “a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.”
 

Biggest Moment of His Career

 
We can’t imagine there is anything quite like being a gold medalist. Schauffele is the first to grab the top spot for Team USA in golf since the year 1900.
 
“It really is a special deal, standing on the podium with these two boys, with our flags being raised,” Schaufelle reminisced. “I think people talk about why the Olympics are such a special thing to them and we’re fortunate enough to be a part of a ceremony, and I think we can all see why people say that. I think we’re all very happy to be here right now.”

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One of the Greatest Putts in U.S. Open History?

JJ Spaun’s 64-Foot Walk-Off

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When JJ Spaun stood over a 64-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, few could have predicted what would come next. The ball meandered across the slick green, trickling over every contour, picking up speed at the crest, and then—like it had GPS—dropped center cup. Spaun dropped his putter, raised his arms, and the crowd erupted. With that single stroke, he claimed his first major title in one of the most dramatic finishes in U.S. Open history.

But how does Spaun’s putt stack up against other legendary finishes in the tournament’s storied past? Let’s break down some of the most iconic moments and see where this one lands.


1. Payne Stewart – 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst

Perhaps the most iconic putt in U.S. Open history came from Payne Stewart, who nailed a 15-footer for par on the 18th to win by one over Phil Mickelson. The pose—fist pump and outstretched leg—has since been immortalized in a statue at Pinehurst. What made it legendary wasn’t just the putt—it was the context: Stewart’s final major before his tragic death just months later.

Verdict: Iconic and emotional. Spaun’s putt was longer, but Stewart’s was more poetic.


2. Tiger Woods – 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines

Woods drained a 12-foot birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate—while basically playing on one leg. That tournament went to sudden death after an 18-hole playoff, and Tiger prevailed. This was peak Tiger drama, pain and all.

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Verdict: Spaun’s putt was longer, but Tiger’s win was sheer willpower and mystique.


3. Jack Nicklaus – 1972 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach

With a 1-iron shot that hit the flagstick on 17 and a crucial birdie putt on 18, Jack sealed a dominant win. His precision and timing under pressure showed why he’s the GOAT.

Verdict: Not a putt for the win, but a signature finishing statement from Jack. Spaun’s was more electric in terms of pure putter drama.


4. Ben Hogan – 1950 U.S. Open at Merion

Hogan’s 1-iron into the 18th fairway and the par to force a playoff—just 16 months after a near-fatal car crash—remain legendary. He won the playoff and completed one of golf’s great comeback stories.

Verdict: Larger-than-life comeback. Spaun’s putt had more flair, but Hogan’s win was heroic.


5. JJ Spaun – 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont

Let’s not underestimate what Spaun accomplished. The pressure was immense. He wasn’t the favorite. And on the most treacherous greens in golf, he buried a 64-foot bomb—a putt most players would be happy to lag to within 5 feet—to win the U.S. Open outright.

Verdict: For distance, surprise, and drama, Spaun’s putt may be the most shocking winning stroke in U.S. Open history.


Final Thoughts

JJ Spaun may not have the résumé of a Nicklaus or Woods, but for one Sunday afternoon in June 2025, he created a moment that will live in golf lore forever. Spaun’s putt was longer than Stewart’s, more unexpected than Tiger’s, and more dramatic than any final-hole finish in recent memory.

In terms of pure clutch putting? It might just be the greatest walk-off in U.S. Open history.


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The Zen of the Shank: Finding Inner Peace in Your Worst Shots

Find your inner peace even when you aren’t playing well.

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Ah, the shank. That glorious, unpredictable misfire that sends your pristine golf ball screaming sideways, often directly into the unsuspecting shins of your playing partner, or perhaps, with a touch of poetic irony, into the very lake you’ve been trying to avoid all day. Most golfers, bless their earnest little hearts, view the shank as a catastrophic failure, a blight upon their scorecard, a testament to their inherent lack of coordination. They curse, they throw clubs, they contemplate a career in competitive thumb-wrestling. But not I. No, my friends, for I, Ty Webb, have found enlightenment in the humble shank.

You see, the shank is not a mistake; it’s a revelation. It’s the universe’s way of reminding you that control is an illusion, that perfection is a myth, and that sometimes, the most direct path to your goal is, in fact, a wildly indirect one. Think of it as a philosophical detour, a sudden, unexpected journey into the unknown. One moment, you’re aiming for the green, a paragon of precision and intent. The next, your ball is ricocheting off a tree, narrowly missing a squirrel, and landing, by some divine comedic intervention, closer to the hole than your perfectly struck drive ever would have. Is that not a miracle? Is that not a sign that the golf gods, much like life itself, have a wicked sense of humor?

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The key, my dear apprentices of the links, is acceptance. Embrace the shank. Welcome it with open arms, like a long-lost, slightly inebriated relative. When that familiar, sickening thwack echoes through the air, do not despair. Instead, take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Feel the gentle breeze on your face. And then, with a knowing smile, open them and observe the chaos you have wrought. Is it not beautiful in its own chaotic way? Is there not a certain freedom in relinquishing control, in allowing the ball to choose its own destiny, however bizarre that destiny may be?

Some say the shank is a sign of poor technique. I say it’s a sign of a vibrant, untamed spirit. A golfer who never shanks is a golfer who has never truly lived, never truly explored the outer limits of their own golfing absurdity. They are content with mediocrity, with predictable trajectories and mundane outcomes. But you, my enlightened few, you understand that the true joy of golf lies not in the score, but in the story. And what a story a good shank can tell.

So, the next time you feel that familiar tremor of a shank brewing, don’t fight it. Let it flow. Let it be. For in the heart of every shank lies a lesson, a laugh, and perhaps, just perhaps, a path to a lower score you never saw coming. After all, as the great philosopher Basho once said, “A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.” And a golf game without a shank? Well, that’s just not golf, is it?

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Meet The Canadian Open Qualifier Tied To ClickIt Golf!

“This week was incredible,” he said. “A dream come true.”

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Josh Goldenberg doesn’t plan to quit his day job. But he had a great time dabbling in his old career.

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He gave up on pro golf, then qualified for his first PGA Tour event.

Read the full story here
https://golf.com/news/josh-goldenberg-rbc-canadian-open/?amp=1

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