John Wood takes notes ahead of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)
JW: I thought it was a really good chance but I mean to be confident you’re going to win one, it’s so hard to win any event much less a major. But there was a four- or five-year stretch where I really thought the U.S. Open, that fit his game best, I think. He was such a good driver of the ball and he had a couple of really good chances and I thought he would come through with one but it’s like I said it’s just so hard to get everything to go right; it had to be your week, you know, he had his chances and you know he put himself in position enough it just didn’t happen.
GWK: How long did it take you to get over the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale when Jordan won and Kuchar finished second?
JW: I don’t know if that is something that you ever really get over. The fact that Kuch played well. You know, it made it easier. It wasn’t like we gave it away. Kuch played well, and Jordan did Jordan things at the end to take it away. That made it probably a little bit easier that you know, it wasn’t given away. We did almost everything we could. But yeah, I’m fine with it. I don’t think about it every night. But you know, to this day it’s a disappointment, sure. That was a great chance for Kuch to win a major and for me and it made it easier that it was Jordan and Michael, who were both really good friends and great people. You look back and think that we had a good chance, a really good chance.
GWK: Did you think there was any chance Jordan was going to make bogey after blocking his drive right of right on the 13th?
JW: We didn’t know what was going on for a good portion of the time. We were sitting in the fairway and I didn’t think it was going to be found. It was on that big hill in the weeds and, you know, once they found it, I had no idea what they were going to do and then we’re watching on the big screen. But yeah, when I saw that he was gonna be able to drop it on the fairway and get it up near the green with his short game I thought there was a chance. I still thought most likely he was going to make six but certainly did not think it was out of the realm of possibility for him to make five.
GWK: Anything you wish you had done differently in that 30-minute stretch?
JW: No, Kuch took it all pretty well. He was easygoing. We were just sitting in the fairway talking and laughing and he didn’t get tight. He hit a good drive on that hole and a great second shot. Hit a great putt that crawled right over the edge. And then he played the next four holes in 2 under. You got a one-shot lead, you play the next four holes in 2 under you’d think you’d have the lead still, but you know, we didn’t. It was just a case of we got blitzed. But I don’t think it would change anything we would have done. I mean, it is what happened. And it was unfortunate. And Jordan was apologetic about it. It wasn’t like he was doing sort of gamesmanship. It’s just that’s what happened. So, no, I don’t think there’s anything different we could have really done.
GWK: Hunter Mahan vs. Matt Kuchar at their peaks, who wins?
JW: Well, I’ll say this, at the (WGC) Match Play they played each other back-to-back years. Hunter beat him the first year, Kuch beat him the next. That’s a great question. Man, I don’t know that I can pick because when they were both on their game they were both so good. Hunter was probably a little bit longer and a little bit better ball striker but Kuch’s putting and short game were better. I can’t go out on a limb. It would go extra holes.
