US Open Preview

A Subtle Shinnecock Test Awaits

It would appear Shinnecock Hills has been somewhat neutered if reports on the ground are to be believed regarding the course setup this week at the US Open. Fairways at 45 yards wide, slower and softer greens, all in the attempt to “let Shinnecock be Shinnecock.” I wonder how the members feel about that… Professional golfers need to face a “fair” test of course, but it stings somewhat to hear that course preparations have clearly been altered from what of course has historically made this a memorable venue. Its notoriety isn’t in its fairness, it’s in its ability to drive the best players to the point of despair, the kind of despair some fans might feel watching guys play for $20,000,000. It might be easy for me to say this having never played Shinnecock Hills, and after all I am sat at home writing a blog while the guys worth their salt are out there playing, but as a fan of US Open golf and the test it provides, I want to see these courses and subsequently the guys playing, pushed to the brink.

That being said, the forecast looks as though it’ll play its part in providing drama this week. Gusty winds, particularly on Thursday of upwards of 30 MPH, will mean you will truly have to golf your ball to get around this course in par. Mike Davis might be watching imagining what could’ve been. Looking back at past winners of US Opens at Shinnecock Hills, you get a sense that patience and mental toughness ultimately comes to the fore. I can’t say I know much of Ray Floyd, or Corey Pavin, although I know Pavin was a gritty player. But in Retief Goosen and Brooks Koepka, you have two guys who exemplified patience and level headedness in their primes. Given the weather forecast this week then, and even in spite of the “Millenialisation” of the course setup, I still think it’s fair to assume the winner this week will have to keep his head, and his hat on. I’ll run through some players who I think could be worth looking out for…

Tyrell Hatton; (Forgetting what I just wrote) I think Tyrell could be one to watch. In part because I think a perspective shift has inevitably just occurred for Tyrell given the birth of his daughter a few weeks ago. Additionally, he has a terrific game for the test Shinnecock will provide, this was evident back in 2018 when he finished in a tie for 6th place. He is a fantastic iron player, and given the increased width of the fairways, it’ll very much be a second shot golf course. It’s his record at the Dunhill Links Championship that gives me most hope for him though, an event historically played in windy conditions on slower greens. If the greens have been slowed down as reported, then this plays into Tyrell’s hands, as he clearly putts well on slower surfaces. This is in part down to his putting stroke, which has a wonderful pop to it. His short game is also excellent, and above all else, the last time he played he won, at Valderrama on LIV only two weeks ago. I can’t think of many players who have more going for them heading into this week than Tyrell Hatton.

Scottie Scheffler; I discovered a pretty remarkable statistic yesterday on Scottie Scheffler. This year he is 128th in proximity to hole on the PGA Tour. In spite of that, he still leads Strokes Gained Total by over half a shot per round (Ludvig Aberg in 2nd), he still ranks 1st in Strokes Gained Tee to Green (+1.7 Per Round), and he still makes more birdies than any other player despite this significant dip in the quality of his approach play this season compared to previous ones. I’d say given that Shinnecock’s layout will invariably lead to everybody struggling to hit it close, exacerbated by the conditions, this is ominous for the rest of the field. His all round game is phenomenal, and is as close to the all round package as you will get. I would still like to see him improve the iron play, as I do believe that’s the separating factor for him in enabling him to win as frequently as he has done in recent years. I did laugh when during his press conference yesterday after being asked what he thought it meant that golfers from the UK have won the first two majors of the year for the first time in history, he replied; “golf is becoming increasingly a global game.” It must have taken a lot for the British reporter not to remind Scottie that golf did in fact originate in the UK, and not the United States of America. The Bible obviously falls short in more than one way at providing accurate historical accounts.

Tommy Fleetwood; Like Tyrell, The Lancastrian is well accustomed to playing brilliantly in breezy weather. also like Tyrell, he has good history at this venue. This will undoubtedly count for much, and given he got over the line on the PGA Tour for the first time last year in the Tour Championship, Tommy will not be afraid of the big moment should it come his way this week. His ball striking has been very good again this year on the PGA Tour, ranking 5th in Strokes Gained Tee to Green, and although he missed the cut at Aronimink, he has two top 5’s in his last four events and a T-11th from last week in Canada. He’s in form, and Tommy tends to start finding his best form around the summer time into the autumn. Whether that means this week will be his time I’m not sure, but there are many encouraging signs. One thing he certainly has in abundance is a cool head, much like we saw with Goosen and Koepka. His ability to remain patient and keep his head down and trudge along, could act as his greatest attribute this week.

Adam Scott; I’m not picking Adam Scott necessarily as one to watch out for, although of course it would surprise nobody to see his name up there given his game. It’s worth touching though on what a remarkable achievement it is to play 100 straight major championships. To think he’s still over a decade of straight majors away from reaching Jack Nicklaus’ record is utterly mind boggling. The Golden Bear will never be matched. In his press conference Adam talked about how proud he is of the focus he’s been able to maintain over the years, and credits that in reaching this incredible milestone. In addition to that I think he is also one of the best examples of athleticism and good physical health. As golf has modernised, we have seen more injuries as you might expect, so to remain healthy across such a long period of time is quite a feat. I think looking at Adam it’s fair to say he’s blessed with good genetics, but of course you need to take advantage of that and not squander it. I think for Adam Scott, the bigger challenge has probably come more specifically on the golf front, and in particular the swing. I had dinner with him a few years ago and I was taken aback by his tendency to tinker with his swing. He is a golf nerd, as you’d expect, and loves the golf swing, which again you would expect if you swung it the way he does. He reminded me a lot of Justin Rose in his curiosity. Justin is also a tinkerer and you’ll often see him doing something different week to week. Adam spoke about how he thought Tiger Woods got bored during his career, and the massive swing changes he made were reflections of that boredom. I think Adam might have gotten bored at times too, I know I certainly do, and it’s in that boredom where the tinkering originates. In a roundabout way then, I think it’s his athleticism that has been the biggest enabler of his longevity, as that has been his constant companion during his moments of technical wanderlust. In all consistent performers there are constants, hopefully many, and for Adam I think his greatest gift has been his physique. Not an enlightening observation on the face of it I know, but accounting for the nature of time in a career like golf, it’s so easy to lose focus on the things that matter most.

I’m looking forward to watching, I hope you are too. Of course it goes without saying this is NOT betting advice! Simply my silly observations.

Thanks for reading,

Eddie.