Chansky's Notebook: A Jayhawk Wins!

Did Roy Williams unwittingly steer Gary Woodland toward golf?

The 35-year-old winner of the U.S. Open, who held off two-time champion Brooks Koepka, claims that his two favorite sports growing up were baseball and basketball. In fact, Woodland dreamt of going to Kansas to play hoops; had he, his coach for at least one season would have been Roy Williams.

A scrappy guard with an accurate outside shot, Woodland got no Division I scholarship offers after helping his high school team win the Kansas state title. I’m sure Williams knew of him because after one year of small-college ball Woodland wound up on the KU golf team, and Ol’ Roy knew most of the Jayhawk athletes just as he does other Tar Heel varsity teams.

What a story Woodland’s win at Pebble Beach was for a number of reasons. He was a journey man golfer for years, competing in eight prior U.S. Opens and finishing in the top ten in several majors. But few expected him to hold onto his 54-hole lead Saturday night, with prior national champs Koepka and Justin Rose breathing down his neck.

Basketball’s loss is definitely golf’s gain. Woodland is no longer an unknown, and with the confidence from beating such a star-studded field he will surely contend for other majors. The long putts he drained and daring shots he attempted to hold his lead will go down in professional golf history.

After his poor tee shot on the par 3, 17th hole left him on the back on the pare-shaped green with no clear roll to the flagstick, he chipped the ball off the putting surface to within three feet of the cup. He sank the putt to essentially wrap up the U.S. Open.

Woodland has a great human-interest story, as well. His wife was pregnant with twin boys, and during a late miscarriage one of the sons died and the other barely lived. Now, with the surviving boy healthy, the Woodlands are pregnant again, this time with twin girls.

Thirty-five is normally the cut-off age to win a first major championship. Older golfers have done it, but usually for a second or third time. Woodland worked at his craft diligently with swing coaches and took home a check for $2,250,000 from the $12.5 million purse.

Chances are, he will wind up making more money this year than any basketball player not named LeBron or Durant.