Jets legend’s grandson is surprise star at U.S. Open golf tournament

Billy Heyen

Jets legend’s grandson is surprise star at U.S. Open golf tournament image

Sports rarely disappoints with its ability to connect past generations to the present.

At the U.S. Open golf tournament this week, for example, the New York Jets have some lineage in action.

The golfer's name is James Nicholas.

He's tied for sixth place after the first round of the tournament at Oakmont after shooting a 1-under 69 on Thursday.

The 28-year old made it into the U.S. Open via qualifying and has made an early mark.

Nicholas is the grandson of the former Jets orthopedist of the same name. The elder James Nicholas famously operated on quarterback Joe Namath's knees, with this history coming via ESPN's Rich Cimini.

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The current Nicholas is a member of the Korn Ferry Tour, golf's leading minor league.

Just to qualify for the U.S. Open at all through the grueling process is quite an accomplishment.

For Nicholas to come out on Thursday and shoot 1-under par on the same layout that had world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at 3-over is even more of a feat.

Even if Friday doesn't go as well, Nicholas has already made a lifelong memory.

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And if he can make it to the weekend, man, that'd be pretty awesome.

Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle