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Top Amateur Shatters Another Course Record at Pinehurst, This One You Have to See/Read to Believe!

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Jackson Van Paris, who just six weeks ago shot a record-breaking 61 at the North & South Amateur to shatter the course record for Pinehurst No. 4, has broken yet another record at the renowned “Eastern Home of American Golf.”

Van Paris, a 19-year-old rising star (yes, you read that right—he is only 19 years old), is a Junior at Vanderbilt University and is a native of Pinehurst. He clearly appeared to have the home-field advantage this past Sunday as he teed off at the resort’s par-3 course, The Cradle. His remarkable display of talent and grace was on full display as he dismantled the track, shooting 9 under for a total score of, wait for it, 18! To put that in perspective, Bryson DeChambeau recently took it on and shot 2 under…Granted, Bryson isn’t known for his short game, and it was a small par 3 track with a par of 27, but all that considered, 9 under through 9 holes is going to be awfully tough to beat. I mean, literally, like EVER! Ill go so far as to claim that one really famous golfer with the name of a large cat probably wouldn’t get close to 9 under! Maybe if it were his day, he was firing on all cylinders and made every putt he looked at. He may get to (-5) under; heck, we will give him even 6 under…

Sorry, Tiger, The gauntlet has been thrown down. Hit me up to schedule the exhibition match Bobby Jones style… In the meantime, check out the layout below and comment at the bottom of the BLOG what you think you would shoot and if you think Tiger (or any other PGA superstar) could break the course record.

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Van Paris, who is now ranked No. 44 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, will compete in the U.S. Amateur Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club in the Denver suburb of Cherry Creek next week. He didn’t make the finals at the North and South, but he did win the Sunnehanna Amateur and place in the top 10 at the Northeast Amateur earlier this summer.

Which course at Pinehurst will be Van Paris’s next target, you may ask? “I’d like to conquer the deuce next!” He says it casually over a bowl of oatmeal. “I have my sights set on a score of 29 going out. I like the front nine; it just seems to set up for my eye better. Yeah, I’ll knock down a 29 on the front soon. I can feel it…It’s coming.”

Oh yeah…BTW, he shot an 18-hole round on the nine-hole par-31 course, including seven birdies and a hole-in-one on the sixth hole. Watch out #2 You’ve got a Jackson who is taking dead aim at you… I am not a betting man, but I’d put a Jackson on Jackson to do pretty well anytime he steps foot on the hallowed Pinehurst grounds. See what I did there? There’s no doubt the kids a stick; let’s see what he can do in the coming months. Remember his name. We may be hearing a lot more from this phenom very soon…

Jackson Van Paris, 2021 AJGA Simplify Boys Championship at Carlton Woods Champion

RECORDS BROKEN AT PINEHURST ???

Well, it’s two down, eight to go for this Vanderbilt phenom at Pinehurst Resort. He has his sights set on breaking the course record on every course at the Resort. Van Paris is having quite the summer on the course; he also won the Sunnehanna Amateur, posting another 61 there. What will Van Paris do next? We can’t wait to see which record at Pinehurst’s 10 courses—soon to be 11—he checks off next. For the record, Tom Watson, Hale Irwin, and Gibby Gilbert share the low round at No. 2, the site of the 2024 U.S. Open, with a score of 62.

Dream big, Jackson! Dream Big! We are pulling for ya’!

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The Art of the Unsolicited Golf Tip: How to Annoy Your Playing Partners with Wisdom

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There’s a certain breed of golfer, a truly special individual, who believes that every swing, every putt, every moment on the course is an opportunity for unsolicited advice. They are the self-appointed gurus of the green, the unsolicited senseis of the sand trap. And while most people recoil from such an individual, I, Ty Webb, find a certain perverse charm in their relentless, often misguided, generosity. After all, what is golf if not a canvas for human folly, painted with strokes of well-intentioned, yet utterly useless, wisdom?

Consider the scenario: your playing partner, a man (or woman) of quiet desperation, is about to address the ball. Their brow is furrowed, their stance is tentative, their very soul is screaming for a moment of peace. And then, from the depths of your profound, albeit unrequested, knowledge, you unleash it: “Keep your head down!” Or, “Slow backswing!” Or, my personal favorite, delivered with a knowing wink, “Be the ball.” The effect is instantaneous. A subtle flinch. A barely perceptible sigh. The swing, already fraught with anxiety, becomes a tortured ballet of self-doubt. The ball, inevitably, finds its way into the deepest, darkest rough.

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And that, my friends, is the art. The beauty of the unsolicited golf tip lies not in its efficacy, but in its disruption. It’s a gentle reminder that even in the serene confines of the golf course, chaos lurks. It’s a subtle assertion of dominance, a playful jab at the fragile ego of your fellow golfer. It’s a way of saying, without actually saying it, “I know more than you, even if I don’t.”

Of course, there are rules to this art. Never offer a tip when someone is actually asking for one; that would be far too helpful, and thus, entirely counterproductive. Always deliver your wisdom with an air of profound nonchalance, as if the secret to a perfect swing has just casually occurred to you while contemplating the existential dread of a missed putt. And most importantly, never, ever, acknowledge the catastrophic results of your advice. A shrug, a thoughtful nod, perhaps a mumbled, “Well, that’s golf,” is all that’s required.

So, the next time you’re on the course, and you see a fellow golfer struggling, resist the urge to be genuinely helpful. Instead, embrace the art of the unsolicited golf tip. For in the gentle torment of your playing partners, you will find a profound, if slightly mischievous, joy. And who knows, perhaps in their frustration, they will, inadvertently, discover their own path to enlightenment. Or at least, a new appreciation for silence.

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Why Your Golf Balls Disappear (and It’s Not the Gophers)

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Ah, the vanishing golf ball. A phenomenon as old as the game itself, and one that has baffled, frustrated, and occasionally driven golfers to the brink of madness for centuries. Most theories involve gophers, those furry, subterranean saboteurs with an insatiable appetite for Titleists. Or perhaps a particularly aggressive squirrel, or a flock of unusually organized crows. But I, Ty Webb, have delved deeper into this mystery, and I can assure you, the truth is far more profound, and far more amusing.

Consider, if you will, the golf ball itself. A small, dimpled sphere, designed for one purpose: to be struck with great force and sent hurtling through the air. A life of constant abuse, of being smacked, sliced, and occasionally submerged in murky ponds. Is it any wonder, then, that some of these brave little spheres simply decide they’ve had enough? They yearn for freedom, for a life beyond the confines of the fairway. They dream of rolling unencumbered through fields of wildflowers, or perhaps, for the more adventurous among them, a quiet retirement in the depths of a particularly challenging water hazard.

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I’ve seen it happen, you know. A perfectly struck shot, soaring through the air, destined for glory. And then, poof. Gone. Not a trace. No splash, no rustle in the bushes, just an empty space where a golf ball once was. It’s not a gopher, my friends. It’s an escape. A liberation. That golf ball, in its infinite wisdom, has chosen a different path. It has decided that its destiny lies not in the bottom of a cup, but in the boundless expanse of the unknown.

And who are we to judge? We, who are so obsessed with control, with precision, with the rigid rules of the game. Perhaps the golf ball, in its spontaneous disappearance, is teaching us a valuable lesson about letting go. About embracing the unexpected. About the inherent futility of trying to dictate the trajectory of a small, white sphere that clearly has a mind of its own.

So, the next time your golf ball vanishes into thin air, don’t curse the gophers. Don’t blame your swing. Instead, offer a silent salute to that brave little sphere, wherever it may be. For it has achieved what many of us can only dream of: true freedom. And who knows, perhaps one day, it will return, laden with tales of its adventures, ready to impart some profound, dimpled wisdom upon us all.

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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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