Torrey’s Story Impresses Where It Counts

As pedigrees go, Torrey Pines South is major championship golf’s version of a rescue dog, at least to many of the course architecture high brows who do their best to sound like Ivy League literature professors discussing motifs that run through Faulkner’s works.

Torrey Pines is a muni, for goodness’ sake.

It has some plain par-4s, a couple of which are difficult to separate in your mind. Maybe that’s because the scenery is so distracting.

The second green at Torrey Pines South, during a practice round before the 2021 U.S. Open Kohjiro Kinno, USGA

But Torrey Pines puts on a heckuva U.S. Open show.

If it never gets another chance to host the national championship, Torrey Pines is 2-for-2.

Think of it as the U.S. Open version of Valhalla, which may not top many best-of lists but has a knack for delivering dynamite tournaments. Maybe it’s the so-called experts who have it wrong.

Tiger Woods at the 2008 U.S. Open John Mummert, USGA

Thirteen years ago, Tiger Woods – the best player in the game – won in legendary styl...