This U.S. Open golfer and YouTuber played hockey vs. Auston Matthews and Charlie McAvoy once caddied for him

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Published Jun 18, 2026  •  4 minute read

James Nicholas of the United States plays a shot on the 13th hole during the first round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. Photo by Andrew Redington /Getty Images

SOUTHHAMPTON, N.Y. — James Nicholas once played hockey against Auston Matthews; a few years later he was playing football and golf at Yale. On Thursday, he woke up at 3:55 a.m. and filmed a YouTube video before heading to Shinnecock Hills to shoot a one-over par 71 in the opening round of his second U.S. Open.

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How’s that for a resume?

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“I’m playing in the U.S. Open this week, but that’s not my identity. You hear a lot of guys talk about that more and more,” the 29-year-old Nicholas said after his round. “I think I struggled with that as a kid. I played a lot of sports. I was a hockey player, a football player. I played lacrosse, basketball, kind of you name it. I defined myself as an athlete. That was sort of the only thing I did. I didn’t hang out with friends. I studied, and I played sports.”

“As I get older, you sort of have this perspective change. We’re playing a silly game. I hit some great golf shots out there, and I was not rewarded whatsoever. I missed a one-footer. But the more you can laugh it off, the less you can define yourself as a golfer, the better you become.”

Learning his trade on Korn Ferry Tour

For the past two years, Nicholas’ day job has been playing golf on the Korn Ferry Tour. The year before that he was in Europe playing on the DP World Tour. Along the way he’s been documenting his journey on his YouTube channel and through photography, and he was featured prominently in the USGA’s Longest Day documentary about U.S. Open qualifiers.

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These days, though, the content never stops. On Thursday morning, before heading to Shinnecock for an early tee time, he was thinking of his subscribers, which includes his old hockey pal and good friend NHLer Charlie McAvoy, who once caddied for James on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I actually had my Meta Glasses on, and I made a little video,” Nicholas said of his early morning content creation. “I said, I’m playing Round 1 of the U.S. Open. Let’s just go have a great day. I get to do this. I get to do all the hectic travel to be here. I get to come out here and play in incredibly tough conditions. I get to play one of the best golf courses in the world. Instead of saying, I have to, and sort of setting that perspective.”

“Then looking my family in the face as we are walking through the gates, look at this, guys, we’re playing in the United States Open,” he added. “It was a 4:10 (a.m.) wakeup, but I actually woke up at 3:55, so I was a little bit antsy. Yeah, shower, change at 4:45. Head to the course at 4:40. Got here at 5:00 to have some breakfast. Started our warmup at 5:20. Then 6:35 ball out, and that’s sort of what I always say no matter what the round is.”

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Except on Thursday, just two holes after hitting the very first tee shot to kick off the 2026 U.S. Open, play was stopped for a two-hour fog delay.

“I didn’t put a finish time, but it would have been, like, 11:00 (a.m.). I wasn’t expecting 1:59 (p.m.),” he said. “It’s going to throw a wrench in my afternoon beach plans, but you know, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

No sleeping in this morning

Sports is a family affair for the New Yorker as well as his four siblings, and the group comes by it honestly. Their grandfather Dr. James A. Nicholas was a legendary sports surgeon, working for the New York Jets and performing four career-saving knee surgeries on Joe Namath. Their father Dr. Stephen J. Nicholas took the baton and was the longtime orthopedist for the Jets, working as well with the Knicks, Rangers, and Islanders. He still practices in New York.

“This is New York golf, and this is what I grew up on,” Nicholas said. “A lot of these guys are the best in the world. There’s no ands, ifs, or buts about it. I’m playing with these guys and trying to do my best, and I think that’s more the mindset.”

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“Sometimes you doubt yourself, but out here you almost have like this, ‘Let’s just send it and see what happens.’ You put less pressure on yourself, put less stress.”

When it comes to hockey, James was three-time all-state as a teen and a star forward of the New Jersey Avalanche, a nationally-ranked Tier I AAA travel team. It’s there that he crossed paths with Leafs superstar Matthews who played for the Arizona Bobcats before joining the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Nicholas’ youngest brother Brian plays NCAA Division I for Brown University and was invited to New York Rangers development camp.

His sister Erin won four consecutive field hockey national championships at Middlebury College.

Brother Stephen and twin sister Michaela also kept up the family tradition both at NCAA Division III Franklin & Marshall, with him playing football and golf and her playing field hockey.

“Getting into the U.S. Open is great. Playing well is great. You get a couple more followers on Instagram, but your family still loves you the same. Your friends still think of you the same,” James said. “That’s what I love about my friends and family is that, yeah, I’m a golfer, I’m playing in the U.S. Open this week, but that’s not my identity.”

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