SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- The wind whipped off of Long Island Sound, rattling corporate tents, flagsticks and nerves at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club -- a course that needs no such help.
It already has a reputation as one of the game's most difficult major championship venues, and Thursday's opening round of the 118th U.S. Open saw the venerable, old venue at its fiercest.
EDITOR'S PICKS
Everything you need to know for Friday's second round of the U.S. Open
The odds might not be in Dustin Johnson's favor, but at least he's in a good spot. The rest of the top 10? They are going to have to work on Friday to secure a spot for the weekend.
Rory, Jordan, Phil and the pain of the U.S. Open
Three of the biggest names in the sport walked off Shinnecock Hills looking dazed and confused. On the first day of this U.S. Open, they weren't alone.
Tiger struggles at U.S. Open, shoots 8-over 78
A triple-bogey and two double-bogeys marred Tiger Woods' opening round at the U.S. Open, putting him in a precarious position in his first appearance at the tournament since 2015.
A year after players beat up Erin Hills in Wisconsin with multiple sub-par scores, Shinnecock stood up to remind the world's best that the U.S. Open can be an exercise in misery.
The course yielded the highest U.S. Open scoring average in 25 years as 29 players failed to break 80, and for the first time in 16 years there was a player who shot in the 90s. The first-round scoring average was 76.149 on the par-70 course.
Jordan Spieth was among the many who struggled, shooting a 78, his worst score in a major.
"There were certainly some dicey pins,'' Spieth said. "But at the same time, there was guys that shot under par. So I could have played better.''
Charles Howell III, who shot a 71, was one of those who did play better than Spieth. That said, he knows why Shinnecock proved so challenging for so many.
"It takes every mistake you make, and just makes it all worse,'' Howell said. "And with these corner hole locations, just off of crowns, it's really difficult to get the ball close. So you find yourself playing defensive golf quite a lot.
"With these U.S. Open setups, it's hard to recover. You never really play aggressively out here. It's all about save yourself.''
It already has a reputation as one of the game's most difficult major championship venues, and Thursday's opening round of the 118th U.S. Open saw the venerable, old venue at its fiercest.
EDITOR'S PICKS
Everything you need to know for Friday's second round of the U.S. Open
The odds might not be in Dustin Johnson's favor, but at least he's in a good spot. The rest of the top 10? They are going to have to work on Friday to secure a spot for the weekend.
Rory, Jordan, Phil and the pain of the U.S. Open
Three of the biggest names in the sport walked off Shinnecock Hills looking dazed and confused. On the first day of this U.S. Open, they weren't alone.
Tiger struggles at U.S. Open, shoots 8-over 78
A triple-bogey and two double-bogeys marred Tiger Woods' opening round at the U.S. Open, putting him in a precarious position in his first appearance at the tournament since 2015.
A year after players beat up Erin Hills in Wisconsin with multiple sub-par scores, Shinnecock stood up to remind the world's best that the U.S. Open can be an exercise in misery.
The course yielded the highest U.S. Open scoring average in 25 years as 29 players failed to break 80, and for the first time in 16 years there was a player who shot in the 90s. The first-round scoring average was 76.149 on the par-70 course.
Jordan Spieth was among the many who struggled, shooting a 78, his worst score in a major.
"There were certainly some dicey pins,'' Spieth said. "But at the same time, there was guys that shot under par. So I could have played better.''
Charles Howell III, who shot a 71, was one of those who did play better than Spieth. That said, he knows why Shinnecock proved so challenging for so many.
"It takes every mistake you make, and just makes it all worse,'' Howell said. "And with these corner hole locations, just off of crowns, it's really difficult to get the ball close. So you find yourself playing defensive golf quite a lot.
"With these U.S. Open setups, it's hard to recover. You never really play aggressively out here. It's all about save yourself.''
