Father’s Day 2026 As Bernie Looks Back On Five US Open Winner’s Who Celebrated Success On Father’s Day.

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Father’s Day is an annual USA holiday honouring people’s fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.

It was first introduced in the United States in 1910 and 15 years after the first US Open had been staged in October, 1895.

Though it only took three years for the championship to move to the month of June, and I believe it’s been staged ever since in June barring WW2 and also in 2020 when the COVID virus saw the championship moved that year to September.

In getting back to the US Open/Father’s Day connection, there’s been only three occasions in the past 21 years in dating back to 2005 that Father’s Day in the USA has also also not seen the staging of the final round hosting of the US Open.

A year ago, the 2025 US Open was staged during the second week of June thus missing Father’s Day a week later.

Also in both 2009 and 2008, and due to inclement weather, the final round of the US Open was delayed to a Monday finish.

Golf fans may recall the 2008 US Open was noteworthy as Tiger Woods collected a 14th major championship when he defeated Rocco Mediate at the first extra play-off at Torrey Pines.  As well, Tiger’s victory saw him join Jack Nicklaus to capture golf’s coveted Grand Slam three times.

Being present at a US Open on Father’s Day was a regular occurence for this journalist, since my maiden US Open in 1996 when Steve Jones won by a shot at Oakland Hills in Michigan.

I have selected best best five US Open’s I have been in attendance and that also coincided with Father’s Day and those being 2005, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014.

I was charged with looking after content onto Michael Campbell’s website when he denied a fast-finishing Tiger Woods to capture the 2005 US Open by two shots at Pinehurst No. 2.  Yes, ‘Cambo’s’ victory was on Father’s Day in the US but it was a Monday morning when he brought his beloved New Zealand to an absolute standstill, as the country was glued to TV coverage of the finishing holes.  Suffice to say, a lot of New Zealanders were late for work that Monday.

Graeme McDowell celebrated 2010 Father’s Day at Pebble Beach set against the stunning backdrop of the Pacific Ocean.  McDowell was the first European to win the U.S. Open in forty years, since Tony Jacklin of England won in 1970. McDowell’s win started a period in which four out of five U.S. Open champions between 2010 and 2014 were European.

‘G Mac’ took the lead by two into the weekend but it was Dustin Johnson who seized a three shot ‘Moving Day’ advantage heading to round four while looking to continue his dominance at Pebble Beach having captured the 2009 and Febuary 2010 PGA Tour AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Though it was not to be as ‘DJ’ horribly tripled the second and doubled the third to plummet from any contention whereas McDowell, and while dropping four shots over his closing 10 holes, managed to finish the only player under par and capture his maiden major by a shot at even par.

I shall never forget McDowell’s reaction and also the sight of he and his father, Kenny greeting each other straight after the winning putt had dropped.  It was truly a memorable moment in golf, and made all that more special for this journalist that I was present at Pebble Beach filing copy to two Irish newspapers.

Naturally, I was also delighted in ‘G Mac’ qualifying for this week’s US Open, and for a first time since his 10-year victory exemption expired in missing the cut in the 2020 US Open.

‘G Mac’ spoke of his delight in being back in a US Open championship field this week at Shinnecock Hills.

“I wasn’t sure I was ever going to get to show him me out here playing in it with the sands of time continuing to deplete,” he said.

“There’s a large appreciation for me being here this week at a major. At a point of my career, these were automatic and when they get taken away from you, you realise how much you miss them and appreciate the opportunity to be on golf’s biggest stages.”

And with strong gusts forecast this week, McDowell predicts another severe examination as he bids to make the cut at a major for the first time since the 2019 Open Championship in his hometown at Royal Portrush.

“You must drive it well. The fairways are generous but if you miss them, you’re in trouble,” McDowell said.

“The greens, you have to be very disciplined with some and some will give you chances, so you have to know where to miss and when you do miss, you have to be creative.

“The bunkers are interesting with a lot of stones and shells in them, but there is a little bit of everything in this gold course that will test the patience and every department of the skill-set.”

A year later in 2011, Rory McIlroy sensationally erased memories of his horror Masters final round of 80 by having his father present in capturing a maiden major, thanks to his incredible eight-shot victory on Father’s Day at the 2o11 US Open at Congressional.

McIlroy also had the additional distinction of setting the U.S. Open 72-hole low marks for total shots and shots under par, at 268 and −16, respectively. McIlroy also became only the third golfer ever to shoot all four rounds under 70 at a U.S. Open, after Lee Trevino in 1968 and Lee Janzen in 1993.

“Part of the motivation I had [at the US Open] was trying to prove something to myself, that I wasn’t one of those players who crumbles under the pressure, who folds, or chokes,” McIlroy said at the time.

“I hate using the word choke but that’s exactly what happened at the Masters. I also wanted to prove people wrong, whether it was the media or just critics in general. I wanted to show them that the person they saw on Sunday at Augusta was not the real Rory McIlroy.”

Of course, Rors tees-up this week a double Masters champion and looking to capture a seventh major championship that would see him surpass Nick Faldo as Europe’s winningest major champion.

In conclusion, my other two US Open’s I so much enjoyed being present on a Father’s Day was Justin Rose capturing the 2013 championship at Merion and then being also in attendance a year later in 2014 as Martin Kaymer sensationally celebrated his eight-shot success with his father and family in attendance at famed Pinehurst No. 2.



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