SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Shinnecock Hills is widely considered one of golf’s cathedrals.
For Matt Robles, it’s his dojang.
When Robles wasn’t cutting his teeth at the local muni in Downey, California, a blue-collar city in south Los Angeles, just miles from Compton, he was sharpening his mind at the taekwondo training hall. One of the five tenants of the Korean martial art is to respect one’s instructor; if not, physical punishment is warranted, usually in the form of duck walks or frog jumps.
This week, Robles’ grandmaster is William Flynn, whose beautiful-yet-punishing design will host this week’s 126th U.S. Open. Robles, a 20-year-old rising junior at Santa Clara, is one of 62 open qualifiers, 34 first-timers and a record-tying 20 amateurs in the 156-man field, each competitor hoping to not just solve this intricate test but survive the exposed, undulating layout that will surely be pummeled by up-to-40-mph gusts over the next few days.
Robles will hit the first shot of major career at 2:42 p.m. ET Thursday, part of the last threesome off the 10th tee that won’t finish until at least dusk.
For Matt Robles, it’s his dojang.
When Robles wasn’t cutting his teeth at the local muni in Downey, California, a blue-collar city in south Los Angeles, just miles from Compton, he was sharpening his mind at the taekwondo training hall. One of the five tenants of the Korean martial art is to respect one’s instructor; if not, physical punishment is warranted, usually in the form of duck walks or frog jumps.
This week, Robles’ grandmaster is William Flynn, whose beautiful-yet-punishing design will host this week’s 126th U.S. Open. Robles, a 20-year-old rising junior at Santa Clara, is one of 62 open qualifiers, 34 first-timers and a record-tying 20 amateurs in the 156-man field, each competitor hoping to not just solve this intricate test but survive the exposed, undulating layout that will surely be pummeled by up-to-40-mph gusts over the next few days.
Robles will hit the first shot of major career at 2:42 p.m. ET Thursday, part of the last threesome off the 10th tee that won’t finish until at least dusk.
4 months ago
