122nd Open Championship: Round Two

Nicholas defends Open crown

LANCASTER, Pa.–Milestone moments continue to follow Drue Nicholas. The smooth-swinging savant became the 12th repeat Open Championship winner and just the fourth amateur to successfully defend the title.

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Nicholas defeated fellow amateur Josh Ryan of The 1912 Club in a four-hole aggregate playoff. Nicholas completed the playoff in 16 strokes to Ryan’s 18. The playoff was contested on holes Nos. 15-18 after the two finished regulation tied at 3-under-par 137. Amateur Hunter Stetson of Aronimink Golf Club, who defeated Nicholas in a playoff for the Joseph H. Patterson Cup last August, finished third at 2 under. Braden Shattuck, Rolling Green Golf Club’s Director of Instruction, fired a tournament-best, final-round 65 to finish in fourth place at 1 under and claim the $8,000 low professional prize.

“I didn’t have high expectations (coming in here). Not because I didn’t think I could do it, but defending is really hard,” said Nicholas, 24, of Philadelphia, Pa. “It’s a big sigh of relief being able to defend. I don’t know why, but I felt getting this fourth major really puts me in a pretty elite class.”

Nicholas joined William Hyndman, III (1968-69), R. Jay Sigel (1977-78, 1986-87) and Andrew Mason (2011-12) as the only amateurs to successfully defend the Open Championship. The eight professionals to win consecutive Open titles are Jack Campbell (1903-04), Johnny J. McDermott (1910-11), Tom McNamara (1914-15), Clarence Hackney (1930-31), George Fazio (1958-59), Dick Hendrickson (1972-73), Pete Oakley (1989-90) and Frank Dobbs (1991-92).

The current Open Championship trophy is named in honor of McDermott.

Nicholas started the day a stroke back of Ryan, 22, of King of Prussia, Pa., and amateur John Keba of the USGA/GAP GC. The three teed off together in the final group.

Ryan made the early statement. He surged ahead with two opening red figures. He exchanged a birdie and bogey on the next two holes and stood 4 under on No. 7 (par 5, 513 yards) when catastrophe struck.

“I pulled a wedge that one-hopped off the back. I had a rough lie. I completely misjudged it. I bounced it. It popped up and rolled into the water,” said Ryan, who made double bogey. “It was a tough momentum hole.”

Nicholas found his momentum late in the second round. He went from a shot back to a shot in front with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 (par 4, 320 yards) and 17 (par 3, 176 yards).

Using some swashbuckling swagger, on No. 16 he knocked a 50-degree wedge from 96 yards to 15 feet before draining the birdie putt with five foot of left-to-right break. On No. 17 (par 3, 176 yards), Nicholas rifled a 6-iron to 10 feet and posted another circle of goodness.

“I told myself this is my moment before that putt,” said Nicholas.

It was. Until it wasn’t.

Nicholas found the fairway bunker and had to lay up. His third shot, a 50-degree wedge from 108 yards, stopped five feet from the cup. Ryan’s long birdie try from 60 feet dried up four-feet short. A Nicholas’ par putt to seal the victory stunningly missed low.

Ryan rolled his par putt in to force extra time (yes, World Cup reference).

The four-hole aggregate playoff started on No. 15 (par 4, 453 yards). Ryan made a ho-hum par; Nicholas a three-putt bogey.

No. 16 once again proved pivotal. A Ryan miscalculation and a Nicholas tabulation. Ryan flew a 46-degree wedge from 123 yards into the wind long and into the rough. His ensuing chip shot, basically straight down grain, rolled across the green and trundled 30 yards down the fairway. Another aggressive chip back up the slope left him with 10 feet for bogey. It missed to make six.

Nicholas carbon copied his regulation execution. His 50-degree wedge from 110 yards nestled six feet right of the cup. The right-to-left slider with two feet of break rattled the bottom of the jar. Strokes: Nicholas 8, Ryan 10.

Two pars on No. 17 and two bogeys on No. 18 (par 4, 469 yards) followed. Nicholas went fairway bunker and then greenside bunker again to add some drama on the closer, but his third shot found the collar of the putting green 30-feet from the cup to settle the situation. Ryan found the fairway, but watched his 9-iron from 154 yards spin off the front. His chip, knowing he needed to make it to possibly force a Nicholas mistake, ran 15 feet past. A handshake soon followed.

“That’s the reason why I love Philly golf. I think these traditions that we have, it’s like, everyone knows everyone. And so everyone knows who’s someone, like, the all-time greats are,” said Nicholas. “To be in a conversation with them, as far as this goes is incredible. They’ve done a lot more than me.”

At least for now.

Open Championship
The Philadelphia Open is the third oldest championship of its kind in the country, behind only the U.S. Open and Western Open. It formed at the behest of the best – professionals that is. “Professional golfers in and around Philadelphia have some cause for satisfaction in that their claims to official recognition have at last been acknowledged. The Golf Association of Philadelphia announces a tournament for the pros to be held over the links of the Philadelphia Cricket Club at Wissahickon Heights Oct. 23-24,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 1903. GAP Magazine profiled the Philadelphia Open in its Summer 2024 issue.

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 140,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.