Working the weekend:
He makes cut in his first U.S. Open
A shot from the bunker on his final hole helps Mequon native Jordan NIebrugge make the cut.
TOWN OF ERIN - Jordan Niebrugge smiled as he lifted his cap on the green of the par-3 ninth hole, his final hole in second round of the U.S. Open. The reaction said it all. Making the cut at Erin Hills was the goal for the Mequon native and Homestead High School alum since qualifying last week in Tacoma, Wash. It took a big-time bogey-save on the final hole in his second round to do so, but he did so nonetheless.
“I was looking forward to playing well here. Obviously, making the cut, it’s great,” Niebrugge said afterward in his bright orange Oklahoma State polo. “Saturday is moving day, and I’m looking for a great couple of rounds and looking forward to getting things rolling tomorrow and the next day.”
Rod Niebrugge, Jordan’s dad, was relieved to see his son finish the way he did, especially after Jordan shot a 73 in the opening round. Specifically, Rod was happy after Jordan shot up to the right of the pin from a bunker behind the No. 9 green in the closing moments.
“He made the smart play,” Rod said.
Much of Jordan’s even-par round was played smart, especially his first nine which began at 12:30 p.m. on No. 10.
Playing with fellow Cowboy alums Talor Gooch (74-71145) and Kevin Dougherty (7171-143), who both made the cut, Jordan attacked pins that were accessible and played it safe to those that weren’t.
Then, on Nos. 16 and 17, he made a move.
After opening with six stressful pars, including a 20foot save on No. 12 and a 6-foot save on No. 14, Niebrugge stepped to the par-3 16th hole with confidence.
Niebrugge held his finish after striking the ball, which was hit pin-high to about 13 feet. He poured in the putt. Then, on No. 17, he striped one down the fairway, lasered an iron to about eight feet and canned another putt.
“It was good to get in red numbers for a little bit there,” Niebrugge said, but then laughed. “I wish I could’ve stayed there longer.”
After an errant tee shot on No. 1 into the famed fescue, Jordan hacked his ball into the middle of the fairway. An iron shot to 20-feet followed, but Jordan then three-putted and missed a 4-footer to card his first bogey of the day.
Austin Gaugert, Jordan’s longtime friend and caddie this week, said that’s where the grind started.
That’s also around the time the group was put on the clock for slow play for the second time on Friday. Jordan referenced that, as well as the heat, when talking about what made the back-nine difficult.
“We kind of started scrambling a little,” Jordan said, in reference to the clock.
After a bogey at the fifth, Jordan responded with a couple of pars and then a pinseeking iron onto the green at No. 8. That led him to nine, though, and Niebrugge cringed when his tee shot touched down from the elevated tee box because he knew.
He knew the ball would roll off of the green, he knew the ball would roll into a back bunker and he knew what was on the line.
At the time, Niebrugge was even par for the tournament and just two strokes below the cut line. Anything more than bogey would not suffice.
Niebrugge struggled to get a stance above his ball in the back bunker, but he elected to place it in the back of his stance, use his imagination and hit it hard, he said. The ball landed 20 feet from the pin and he two-putted for bogey, which secured a spot to play the weekend.
“That was pretty unreal given the circumstances,” Gaugert said. “I thought that was really impressive, but it seems like every round I go out with him I’m impressed by something he does.”
Rod was and is often impressed, too. He’s also proud.
“Jordan’s given our family a lot of good memories, and it’s a blast getting everybody together like we have this week,” Rod said. “It’s special.”
“Saturday is moving day, and I’m looking for a great couple of rounds.” JORDAN NIEBRUGGE