What Golfers Can Learn from Dustin Johnson at the U.S. Open #golf

Dustin Johnson and the U.S. Open - two names that will be forever paired on tongues whenever there is a mention of winning golf majors in dramatic fashion, do you agree? D.J. left nothing to chance, topping his finish with an 18th hole birdie, in spite of a questionable USGA ruling.

It is because of this exciting win that Golf for Beginners has written this blog about what the average golfer can learn from Dustin Johnson and his conquest over Oakmont Golf Course.

What positive mental thoughts can you take away from Dustin Johnson's win at the U.S. Open?

1. Persevere in spite of obstacles and surrounding drama.
2. Don't carry the monkey on your back. Put whatever negative thoughts you may have out of your mind until the end of your round -stay focused on each shot.
3. Look forward. Learn how to scramble when you're in trouble because when you hit those inevitable bad shots, you need to know how to advance the ball.
4. Know the Rules of Golf: Stay aware and be cautious where you may commit a penalty - in 2010 for example, DJ grounded his club in a bunker.
5. Putting IS Everything: You can be "Really proud of the way you hit the ball," as DJ stated at the 2015 U.S. Open but if the putts are not dropping into the hole, your score won't reflect it. Make sure that, when you are playing golf with your foursome, you take the time to learn how to get within that three-foot circle of trust with long putts and to drop those two and three-footers instead of taking an easy "gimmee".

Also, Try these 3 golf swing thoughts...

"If I rolled the putter halfway decent today, which I did roll it well, just any putts go in the hole, I win this thing by a few shots, it's not even close. It's just how it goes," said Dustin.Johnson at Chambers Bay. This year, DJ putted beautifully, finishing on 18 with a putt for birdie...so putting determines everything, as confirmed by the PGA!

What did YOU learn from the Dustin Johnson and players at the U.S. Open? Share your thoughts in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter using our handle @Golf4Beginners.

Seven Ways Technology Can Improve Your #Golf Game

So, come on...who knew that finish was going to happen at the U.S. Open?
We've seen some real doozies at the majors but this blowup is going into the reels of "The Agony of Defeat".

Not ideal for our Myrtle Beach friend Dustin Johnson (shades of 2010 Pebble Beach?), but it goes to show that even the best of us three putt...and it's not dependent on the amount of pressure. The next time the choke happens to you, don't beat yourself up about it. These things can’t be helped.

Rather than dwell on things we can’t control, we’re looking today at things that we can improve.

We’ve been surveying a couple of golf apps of late, Mobitee and Hole19 to name a few, and have come up with a quick rundown of ways in which today’s technology can help improve your game.

1. Course and Hole Management: We’ve all done it. Stood on the tee box, driver in hand, knowing that if we hit the ball correctly, it’s going to sail into the bunker that’s been inconveniently put in our way. Do we change clubs...do we plot a different course of action? No. We take on the driver hoping it sails over the sand...and the inevitable happens. If you are one of those people, you should stop reading this and visit the app store right now.

2. Tracking and Game Improvement: This is a biggie . How many wedges do you take, on average, per round...7-irons, 5-woods? What are your GIR's? What was your score last time you played this course? Are you getting better? Like the advert says, there’s an app for that, complete with statistics and game analysis.

By monitoring your strokes, what club you use and how far it goes (GPS), golf apps are essential course tools for helping serious golfers improve their game.

3. Performance: I mean on the course. Golf apps are just waiting on iTunes and Android ready to help you avoid under or over-clubbing to shave a few shots off your round and make you feel good about golf and life itself.

4. Comfort: Does this count as technology? I think so. There’s some amazing golf gear available today. From lightweight bags and waterproof shoes to hybrid/iron combo sets and moisture-wicking gloves, what we wear, how it fits and breathes is just so much better than it used to be. Worst case, if you’re still carding over 100, at least you look better doing it.

5. Round Length: If, with all the advances in the game, a round still takes approximately four hours, imagine what it would be like without apps!

Quicker buggies, lighter clubs and even robotic trollies have helped, but, maybe golf apps are the final piece of the puzzle to help get the average time of a round down even further.

6. Course Planning: You know those expensive course planners, which guide you hole-by-hole? Well, now they’re pretty much obsolete. You can get a great aerial view of each hole from your phone from golf apps that are free. You can put that five dollars into a beer after the round.

7. Enjoyment: Let’s be honest, anything that can help us avoid tanking the ball into the lake or watching it dribble five feet from the tee is going to help us enjoy the round a bit more. Of course, when your friend does it, it will still remain highly enjoyable.


Do you use a golf app to improve your game? Tell us on this Golf for Beginners blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

What Makes The U.S. Open Golf Trophy a Major Achievement

A trophy is a reward for a significant achievement. Although there are many events played during the season, in the game of golf, there are several standout trophies which every professional player wishes to add to his viewing cabinet - the four Majors and the FedEx Cup. 

Although all wins are accompanied by a large check, it is the trophy which is raised high above the head which proudly displays the victory which preceded the struggle.

This golf blog was sent in by Dennis Phoenix, who asked if Golf for Beginners readers would be interested in a short history lesson on the U.S. Open Golf Trophy. The answer was, of course, we're always learning! Enjoy.

Dennis Phoenix is an avid sports fanatic and human resource specialist. He enjoys writing on the topics of business and sports history for AbleTrophies. For Dennis, the perfect weekend includes watching sports and mountain biking.

Two professional golf trophies have namesakes. For example, there is the Wanamaker Trophy that is awarded to the winner of the PGA Championship and the Claret Jug for the British Open. The Masters Trophy is just that but it accompanies the famous Green Jacket. But this is not the case with the U.S. Open Trophy even though it has been in existence since 1895. This makes it the oldest trophy of the four handed out during golf’s Grand Slam.

Design

The trophy is a rather simple design. It is a silver jug set on top of a matching base. From each side extends an ear shaped handle. At the top of trophy stands a small winged female figure on the cup’s lid. From the top, the trophy tapers until it meets the wide base. On the barrel of the trophy the name of the winner is engraved in block type. The opposite side displays an engraved golf scene.

History

The first US Open trophy was awarded in 1895 at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island. The first golfer to claim the prize was Horace Rawlins from Britain. Along with the trophy, he took home a prize purse totaling a whopping $150. As was the custom at the time, Rawlins had the honor of displaying the trophy at his local club for one year and returning it for the next U.S. Open.

In the opening years of the golf tournament, the trophy was regularly won by the more experienced British golfers. But that changed in 1911 when native born John McDermott took home the trophy. Since that time, the trophy has been claimed by Americans on a regular basis.

In 1946 the original trophy was destroyed in a fire while on display at the Tam O’Shanter country Club near Chicago. The current trophy, which is closely modeled after the original, is no longer kept by the winner until the following tournament.  Since then, the US Golf Association has taken steps to ensure the trophy’s continued safety.

In 1986, The U.S. Open Trophy was ‘retired’ and is currently housed permanently in the USGA museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History in Far Hills, N.J. It is brought out for promotional events and displayed at the US Open.

Instead of getting possession of the original for a year, the US Open winner is awarded a replica of the trophy which they get to keep. As an odd 'aside', the winner is then responsible for having his own name engraved on the trophy.

Facts

2002 U.S. Open Winner Tiger Woods

Three players have won the U.S. Open four times each. They Include Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and Bobby Jones. The last of these was Jack Nicklaus in 1980. More recently, golf’s most prominent player ever, Tiger Woods, has claimed the trophy three times. His most recent US Open victory was back in 2008.

The youngest champion was John McDermott who won the trophy in 1911 at the age of 19. You may remember his name from earlier. He was also the first American to win the US Open.

The oldest champion is Hale Irwin who took the prize in 1990 at the tender age of 45.

The most consecutive U.S. Open Championship starts was forty-four, by Jack Nicklaus - he competed in every Open from 1957 to 2000.

This year marked the U.S. Open’s 113^th tournament. The tournament has been cancelled a total of five times in its history, twice for World War I and three times for World War II.

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