Shinnecock Hills GC sure to challenge field at US Open

When Shinnecock Hills Golf Club hosted the 2004 U.S. Open, only Retief Goosen and Phil Mickelson finished the week under par. When the championship returned in 2018, Brooks Koepka won with a score of 1-over.

As always, the USGA’s balancing act—creating a course that is difficult yet “fair”—will be central to the storylines emerging from this week’s U.S. Open, which begins Thursday in Southampton, New York.

USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer said Wednesday that designing a course with a target winning score in mind is “not the way we think anymore.” The USGA did not lengthen the course or narrow the fairways. Instead, officials believe Shinnecock Hills can stand up to the world’s best players in its natural setup—particularly with steady winds and projected gusts of up to 30 mph off Peconic Bay.

In fact, the USGA adjusted course conditions by preparing slower-than-usual greens in anticipation of the high winds.

“We have pulled every lever that we can to make it fair,” Bodenhamer said. “Ultimately, we believe the forecast will be accurate. If it isn’t, then it will be what it will be.”

Reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy said earlier in the week that there is “a very, very fine line” between a challenging U.S. Open setup and one that becomes unfair.

“It’s a very challenging golf course to begin with,” the Northern Irishman said. “The greens are already pretty soft. The firmer the greens are, it almost makes bump-and-runs a little easier. Sometimes softer greens actually make the short game trickier and tougher. So firm and fast doesn’t always mean more difficult—it depends on the shots you have.”

While McIlroy seeks a seventh major title that would move him alongside legends such as Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead, Scottie Scheffler will have his first opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam—14 months after McIlroy accomplished the same feat.

The world No. 1 secured the third leg of the Grand Slam last July at The Open Championship. In typical Scheffler fashion, he dismissed the idea that completing the Slam changes the stakes or his approach at Shinnecock.

“When it comes to this golf tournament,” Scheffler said, “I’m going to step on the first tee and remind myself I’ve done everything I possibly can to prepare. From there, it’s about going out and executing and enjoying the competition, rather than feeling like I have to win for some reason.”

Koepka, meanwhile, entered the week among the favorites after his 2018 victory, but a nerve issue in his left hand flared up last week. He experienced numbness that affected his grip and withdrew before the final round of the RBC Canadian Open.

On Tuesday, Koepka said his hand had improved enough to compete this week.

“I don’t think the grip strength is at 100%, but it’s good enough,” he said. “It’s fine. There’s no pain.”

Behind Scheffler and McIlroy in the list of favorites are Spain’s Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, and Cameron Young. Notably, six of the last seven U.S. Open champions were first-time major winners, including J.J. Spaun, who entered last year’s tournament with 150-1 odds.

Spaun had two putts to win on the 18th hole and made the first—a 64-foot birdie putt.

“I think the USGA wants you to get every club dirty,” Spaun said. “That’s what they like to live by, and that’s what you’ll see. It’s a course where people aren’t going to run away with it. You can’t win it on the first day, but you can definitely lose it.”

Of the 156 players in the field, 20 are amateurs and 68 qualified through regional and final qualifying events. Among them is 17-year-old Miles Russell, the top-ranked junior golfer in the country and the youngest player in this year’s U.S. Open.

“I was hitting balls next to Jordan Spieth the other day,” Russell said. “I looked up to him when I was younger. That’s really cool. I think it’s probably even cooler for my parents. My dad was standing behind me, and I think it hits them more than it hits me, just seeing their kid hitting balls next to someone they grew up watching.”

— Field Level Media / Reuters