Sez Me …
San Diego has become the golfing capital of the civilized world, which, granted, is shrinking.
Of course, Atlanta has Bobby Jones. Columbus, Ohio has Jack Nicklaus. Fort Worth/Dublin, Texas has Ben Hogan. Cypress/Anaheim has Tiger Woods.
But San Diego has the numbers. And I have heard, perhaps from War College, there is great strength in numbers.
I don’t know what it is or why it is. But for whatever reason, we have been excellent at producing great individual athletes, just not so much when it comes to spawning outstanding teams.
We saw it again last week, when J.J. Spaun, in the most dramatic fashion imaginable — a 65-foot walk-off putt — won the U.S. Open at foul-weather Oakmont, which played like the golfing equivalent of Omaha Beach.
J.J., the only finisher in the black, played his collegiate golf at San Diego State.
This means that three of the last six majors have been won by Aztecs. In 2024, alum Xander Schauffele, a San Diego native, won the British Open and PGA Championship. He also has an Olympic gold medal.
Another Aztecs alum, and native, Gene Littler, won the U.S. Open in 1961. San Diego’s Billy Casper won the Open in 1959 and 1967. Scott Simpson took it in 1987.
Casper also won the 1970 Masters, followed by Craig Stadler at Augusta in 1982.
Phil Mickelson never won the U.S. Open, but he took the Masters three times, the PGA once, when he was 50, and the British Open.
Mickey Wright, the greatest female golfer, won 15 majors — including four U.S. Opens — and is the only player in LPGA history to hold all four major titles at once.
That’s an awful lot of San Diegans winning an awful lot of major championships.
When we had NFL and NBA teams here, there were no titles. The Padres got to two World Series and lost to superior teams. The Aztecs reached the NCAA Tournament final in men’s basketball.
But we do have four Heisman Trophy winners. Ted Williams. Bill Walton. Mo Connolly, Gail Devers, and too many others to mention in such a brief space.
But this city is golf’s major player. And I don’t think it’s over. …
Oh, by the way, the Aztecs’ Justin Hastings was low amateur at the U.S. Open.
I don’t know if Rob Manfred’s fig tree bears enough fruit to stop the nonsense among grown men — maybe in two weeks — but somebody in MLB has to bring the sledge down on Padres-Dodgers throwing at one another as if it were a carny game. I don’t want to watch it anymore. It’s disgusting. It’s dangerous. …
Dodgers fans cheer Fernando Tatis Jr. getting hit by a pitch. They have just enough time to act like jackasses before leaving by the seventh inning and stretching in traffic. …
Is Tatis getting gun-shy? Just asking, but who can blame him? They’re sending in minor leaguers to throw at him. …
Which is why it made no sense for Mike Shildt to use closer Robert Suarez to throw at Shohei Ohtani. Could have gotten him beat. …
Dave Roberts was the instigator and deserved to be suspended. Shildt didn’t do anything but get shoved by Roberts. …
The Dodgers, banged up, remain a lake that never dries up. The Padres wade in very shallow water. And, sad but true, this San Diego team simply plays too much bad, untimely, inconsistent baseball to compete with them. …
Typical Pads. Xander Bogaerts gets hot while everybody else runs cold. …
If Jackson Merrill didn’t go into second base head-first, he wouldn’t be out with a concussion. I’ll never understand how managers allow it. …
In 2021, 67% of MLB games took more than 3 hours to play. In 2024, 15%. The pitch clock is the best thing to happen to baseball since the Giants beat the Dodgers in 1951. …
Boston gave Rafael Devers to the Giants. Bowie Kuhn would have nixed the “trade.” Red Sox fans should throw beans — or what comes from eating beans — at that organization. …
Did you catch the video of the pitcher checking the inside of his cap for a scouting report during an at-bat? Maybe today’s pitchers should throw fewer innings so they can have more time to study the opposition. Crib notes? …
Murray State made the College World Series without a player on full scholarship. New San Diego State baseball coach Kevin Vance should go to school on that. He’s taking on a job that shouldn’t be as difficult as it’s been made out to be. …
Did anyone ask Vance if he’s related to Vivian? …
In last Sunday’s U.S. Open play, Rory McIlroy hit the green on the 301-yard par 3 eighth hole with a 3-iron. This is not golf. It should be a test of skill, not strength. …
Why has Rory suddenly become such a jerk? It is terribly unbecoming. And dissing Jack Nicklaus is a monstrous no-no. Rory can win another 50 majors and he’s not going to be Nicklaus. …
I can’t be bothered by an athlete who didn’t speak to the media. Somebody else will talk. But golf, in its current state, needs its stars to come out. …
Travis Kelce reportedly made $17.5 million from the Chiefs in 2024, while Pfizer pharmaceutical gave him $20 million. I may not go over the middle to catch a football, but I’d tell people to get their COVID-19 and flu shots for free. Hey, I am. …
I would not go to a Taylor Swift concert for free. …
Faster Than His Dad: Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of Deion, was caught driving 101 mph after Ohio cops nabbed him at 91 earlier in the month, prompting the Chiefs to seek a trade for him. …
Shadeur: “I’m just a little boy.” He’s 23. …
Jim Nantz was asked what advice he would give to a young golfer. “Patience.” My advice? “Tennis.” …
LeBron would like to protest the “No Kings” thing. And, if he still were with us, so would Nat Cole. …
Where were you during the O.J. slow-speed chase? I was searching for Bobby Pinkus. Poor little Pinkus. …
Jerry Buss was a giant among all sports owners. He even owned the mansion Pickfair. Now that his family has sold the Lakers for $10 billion to the same corporation that owns the stinking Dodgers, an era has ended. But the Lakers still aren’t winning anything. …
Unlike hopeless baseball, the NBA, hopeless anyway, has a salary cap. Can’t give a player $700 million. …
Congratulations to Dr. Richard Gilbert, who turns 98 Monday. He was the NFL Team That Used To Be Here’s podiatrist for many years. One of the best men I’ve known. And … wait for it … a friend of Sinatra, who called him Little Dickie Gilbert. …
The soldiers at The D.C. Party were not trained in precision marching. To make fun of them is stupid. Not their job. …
Congratulations, Ribbon Cutter Mayor and his Ham & Eggers. Lots of driving last week. Saw two people on motorbikes, two joggers and one walker in bike lanes. …
OK. Admittedly, I’ve fallen asleep at my last 10 birthday parties. They were expensive, but at least well-attended.
Originally Published: June 21, 2025 at 3:46 PM PDT
