Savana DunningNewport Daily News
NEWPORT – Clouds left over from a wave of severe thunderstorms the night before started to clear around mid-morning on Thursday, bathing Newport Country Club’s sprawling 18-hole golf course in sunlight as competitors made their way through the first round of the U.S. Senior Open.
“Being able to bring the Senior Open here is great because not only is it here (at Newport Country Club), but this is the first time the Senior Open has been in Rhode Island,” said Hank Thompson, senior director for the U.S. Senior Open Championship. “The history of the club is obviously important to us, and then you get into Newport itself, and you guys are no strangers to large events, whether it’s on the water or celebrating seafood or jazz or whatever the case may be, so it’s a nice opportunity to bring our championship here to be able to experience the hospitality of your city and region.”
Despite being one of the five founding members of the United States Golf Association, Newport Country Club hasn’t hosted a championship since the U.S. Women’s Open in 2006. It had announced plans to host the 41st annual Senior Open at the historic club in 2020, but that event was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and deferred to 2024. As a result, the club, city and association have been planning for this competition for the better part of five years, Thompson said.
“For me personally and for a number of our select staff members who were a part of that team leading up to 2020, we’re happy that we’re finally opening the doors and the gates and to finally stop talking about it and execute it,” Thompson said.
The course was quiet, save for light polite clapping scattered throughout the morning as golfers teed off. Spectators and competitors alike dressed the quintessential picture of golf culture, sporting brimmed hats, athletic wear and polos as they walked the muddy, grassy grounds. Starting at 7 a.m., the first set of 78 players teed off in two groups of three golfers a piece, with one group starting at the first hole and the other starting at the 10h hole. The competition flipped what is usually considered the “In” and “Out” courses for members, meaning Hole 1 is usually Hole 10. At 595 yards, Hole 16 was the longest portion of the course players had to contend with, playing as a par 5.
By noon, the ground had dried up and more spectators showed as the first wave of players completed their last few holes. Hiroyuki Fujita from Japan led the pack, completing the 18 holes seven strokes under the course’s 70 par. The 2023 U.S. Senior Open Champion, Bernard Langer of Germany, scored two strokes under par, represented on his scorecard as E, for Eagle. He is defending his title despite recovering from a torn Achilles heel he incurred playing pickleball in February.
Golfers get a taste of Newport
Some of the golfers have been taking the U.S. Senior Open as an opportunity to explore the city for the first time. Joe Durant of Florida lamented that he couldn’t spend more time in Newport after the competition was over.
“We’re having a blast,” Durant told The Newport Daily News after finishing the first round on Thursday. “The downtown is fantastic, the restaurants are great, it’s an awesome spot. I’ve got to get back here.”
Others, such as Jerry Kelly of Wisconsin, had been to Newport before.
“Obviously it’s an awesome town,” Kelly said. “I went to school in Hartford, so I’ve been down here before, and I know what it’s about. I think it’s a pretty cool place, I love the history and have eaten some good food.”
The course itself received good reviews, as well.
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“The golf course is a great golf course,” Bob May of Nevada said. “Honestly it feels more like a British Open than a U.S. Open, you know, it’s very links-y. I love it here. It’s a great place. A great little town.”
Of the 156 competitors that participated in this year’s U.S. Senior Open, six had competed at Newport Country Club before, during the U.S. Amateur Open in 1995: Craig Barlow, Notah Begay III, Trip Kuehne, Chris Riley, Matthew Goggin and Christian Raynor.
Not everyone is traveling far to watch
Many spectators traveled from all over to witness the competition in person, but some had the benefit of having the event in their own backyards. Newporter Lilly Bestoso, her mother, and Meg Cobb of Middletown were all excited to attend the major sports event taking place just minutes from their homes.
“I brought my son because he likes golf and it’s a beautiful day,” Cobb said. “Even though I’m not into golf, I thought this sounded really exciting, so I decided to come over and check it out.”
Bestoso said she golfs a little herself and watches the sport on the TV, although her brother and father are more into the sport. Her mother mentioned her brother also worked for Newport Country Club and helped put the event together, adding an extra layer of interest in the event for the two.
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“Living in Newport, we wanted to come check it out, it’s been the big talk of the town,” Bestoso said. “We’re very excited that we got to come, it’s been great so far.”
Could the USGA return to Newport County Club
This competition marked the 1,001st Open USGA has hosted, the first of which was also held at Newport Country Club back in 1895. As for whether USGA plans to return to Newport for another competition in a period of time shorter than roughly two decades, Thompson said it depends. The association first has to be invited by the host club and make sure the course, and surrounding area, is big enough to accommodate the competition’s size, including the crowds.
“The main thing is being invited by the club,” Thompson said. “Obviously, with Newport Country Club being one of our five founding clubs, we’d love to come back here any time they would allow us, we just have to make sure the championship is right for it.”
