SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — It’s easy to get caught up in the serious stuff at golf tournaments, especially the U.S. Open, which this week has featured politicized debates on distance, equipment, and the punishment of throwing clubs. But on rare occasion, USGA partner Sentry tabs a junior reporter to remind us that we’re all living a pretty good life out here. Their wide eyes and curious minds always provide some much-needed levity.
Case in point: Tuesday morning, when 12-year-old Paighton interviewed Kristoffer Reitan on the driving range, asking him what superpower he’d like to have to compete better at this week’s tournament.
What a simple, sufficient, inventive question. At finicky and difficult Shinnecock, all these boys would love to have a superpower. Reitan played along and suggested he’d want to be The Flash, with the ability to essentially teleport to wherever his ball ended up, saving the energy he’d normally spend walking. Paighton suggested super strength, to hit the ball as far as can be. Wouldn’t it be nice?
The days at Shinnecock can be long, tough, and grinding for everyone — USGA staffers, media members, even the players who were thrown off schedule by a fog delay that affected the first two rounds. Major weeks are tough! But it was genuinely uplifting to see the pep Paighton brought to the media ranks for a morning. She loves golf. She loves Rory McIlroy. She loves hitting driver. We all loved hitting driver. And she loved preparing questions for her day of interviews.
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It all kicked off with Adam Scott’s press conference, where Paighton asked him for advice he’d give to junior golfers, getting the stoic Scott all smiley.
“Young golfers, I think they need to,” Scott began. “I watch my kids play a little bit, and I think if they can enjoy chipping and putting, then golf becomes really easy for young kids. Of course hitting the ball is hard, and everyone likes to hit it far, but I’ve watched my kids enjoy chipping and putting, and I think it’s easier for kids to play on a shorter golf course or hit shorter shots and just have fun that way. I think it’s more enjoyable.”
Paighton’s curiosity abounded in ways that delivered real journalistic goods. She asked Xander Schauffele what he was most proud of in his career and the answer surprised me:
Schauffele has won a bunch, earned a ton of money, competed on the biggest stages and given plenty to charity. But he’s most proud of the fact that he’s done it with basically the same team over the years. His uncle is his manager. One of his best friends is his longtime caddie. His putting coach has been the same for years. The success feels better when you can deliver it alongside those you care about.
It was a perfect answer for me, who hadn’t heard Schauffele articulate that before. It was a perfect answer for Paighton, too, who was flanked by her family the entire day. They had driven out from New Jersey and Staten Island before dawn, all so she could have an epic golf experience. It ended in a way that tugged at the heart, too.
While we were wrapping up our morning together, a couple dozen of her friends from the local First Tee happened upon us and were so compelled by the parade of cameras flanking her that they figured their pal had gone platinum. Each of them had her sign their U.S. Open gear, sometimes multiple pieces, as if she were competing in the tournament. You couldn’t help but notice the smiles on their faces as Paighton signed their shirts next to the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood, Sam Burns and others.
It was a reminder that there’s a lot more happening at these golf tournaments than we’ll ever truly appreciate.
