[Kim Maengnyeong's Golf English Conversation] "Which Star Did the US Open Overlook?"

The Torrey Pines Golf Course, where this year's US Open is being held, is famous for its challenging course.

The PGA Tour in the United States has four major championships.

They run from the Masters Tournament in April, to the PGA Championship in May, the U.S. Open Championship in June, and The Open Championship in July. The U.S. Open is especially organized by the United States Golf Association (USGA). This year, it is scheduled to open on the night of the 17th at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California. The defending champion is Bryson DeChambeau (USA).

The U.S. Open was established in 1895 and boasts a history of 126 years. It is the second oldest major after The Open, which has a 161-year history. Above all, it is famous for its difficult course setup. The course is long, the fairways are narrow, and the rough is thick. The greens are naturally hard and fast. This setup prevents players' scores from dropping significantly below even par. This is the second time the U.S. Open is held at Torrey Pines, following 2008.

At that time, the "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods (USA) won the title with 1-under par. This gives an idea of how challenging the course is. The U.S. Open was a painful setback for Phil Mickelson (USA), who became the "oldest major champion" at last month's PGA Championship. He is one of the greatest stars of his era, with 45 career wins including six majors. However, in the U.S. Open, he has finished runner-up six times, which has hindered his pursuit of the "career Grand Slam."

Sam Snead (USA), who holds the record for the most PGA Tour wins (82), was also overlooked by the U.S. Open. He entered the tournament 37 times but only finished as runner-up four times. The record for most U.S. Open wins is four, held by Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones (all USA), and Willie Anderson (Scotland). Anderson set a remarkable record by winning three consecutive titles from 1903 to 1905. It will be interesting to see what new drama unfolds at this year’s U.S. Open.

A: When and where was the first U.S. Open held?

B: It was held at Newport Country Club, Rhode Island, in 1895.

A: Who won the first U.S. Open?

B: Horace Rawlins won the championship at the age of 21.

A: Who was the most outstanding champion in U.S. Open history?

B: His name is Willie Anderson. He won the championship four times, including three consecutive years.

Written by Kim Maengnyeong, Golf Columnist