Tuesday At The 126th U.S. Open
Tee Times announced, Quotables, Course Close-Ups, Weather, and Today in Entourages.
Tuesday By The Numbers
1st and last out: Laurie Canter (7:19 am) and Jimmy Stanger (4:10 pm)
70: Afternoon temperature with winds WSW 5-10 m.p.h., gusts to 15 (NW to 20 in the morning)
4: Press conferences (Scott, McIlroy, Scheffler, Koepka)
1: Press conference cancellation (Cameron Young)
12: U.S. Open champions in the field
31: Former USA Walker Cup Team members
12: Former GB&I Walker Cup Team members
25: Most U.S. Open appearances (Adam Scott)
25: Most Active Consecutive U.S. Open Appearances (Adam Scott)
49: First-Time U.S. Open Competitors
31: Countries Represented
Bright sun, low humidity, and multiple wind directions gave practicing players everything they needed to prepare for Shinnecock Hills. The course conditions remain far from the dangerously fast conditions that have induced past issues. A good thing given Thursday’s forecast.
Today’s edition includes a look at the key groupings, the best lines from four press conferences, a video look at Nos. 2, 10, and 11, the forecast calling for high winds during round one, and a historic day in Entourage history.
Tee Times Announced
With strong winds forecast to kick up midday Thursday, the morning wave may be at a huge advantage in round one. Notably, pre-championship favorites Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler each drew morning tee times in round one.
The full tee list can be seen here.
A few that caught my eye…
Thursday (June 18), Hole #1/ Friday (June 19), Hole #10
6:35 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. — James Nicholas, Scarsdale, N.Y.; Taylor Montgomery, Las Vegas, Nev.; Caleb Surratt, Charlotte, N.C.
7:19 a.m. / 1:14 p.m. — Padraig Harrington, Ireland; (a) Miles Russell, Jacksonville Beach, Fla.; Cameron Smith, Australia
7:30 a.m. / 1:25 p.m. — Brooks Koepka, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Cameron Young, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Chris Gotterup, Little Silver, N.J.
8:03 a.m. / 1:58 p.m. — Harris English, Sea Island, Ga.; Adam Scott, Australia; Nick Taylor, Canada
8:14 a.m. / 2:09 p.m. — (a) Mason Howell, Thomasville, Ga.; Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, Texas; J.J. Spaun, Los Angeles, Calif.
8:25 a.m. / 2:20 p.m. — Sahith Theegala, Jupiter, Fla.; (a) Jackson Koivun, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Michael Kim, Dallas, Texas
1:47 p.m. / 7:52 a.m. — Justin Thomas, Louisville, Ky.; Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Xander Schauffele, San Diego, Calif.
Thursday (June 18), Hole #10/ Friday (June 19), Hole #1
1:14 p.m. / 7:19 a.m. — Aaron Rai, England; Collin Morikawa, La Canada, Calif.; Jason Day, Australia
1:25 p.m. / 7:30 a.m. — Bryson DeChambeau, Grapevine, Texas; Viktor Hovland, Norway; Matt Fitzpatrick, England
1:36 p.m. / 7:41 a.m. — Dustin Johnson, Jupiter, Fla.; Wyndham Clark, Denver, Colo.; Gary Woodland, Topeka, Kan.
1:47 p.m. / 7:52 a.m. — Joaquin Niemann, Chile; Alex Smalley, Greensboro, N.C.; Shane Lowry, Ireland
2:09 p.m. / 8:14 a.m. — Justin Rose, England; Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas; Jon Rahm, Spain
Quotable
Adam Scott on playing his 100th straight major this week. “Earlier this year, as I wasn’t automatically qualified for this event, it became a bit of a weight on my shoulders making sure I got here. It’s been fun. I had a photograph with Jack Nicklaus a couple of weeks ago at his Memorial Tournament, and he’s the other guy who made it to a hundred in a row. He, in fact, made it way past that, and I can’t even think about playing another 11 or 12 years straight of these, but I’m really excited for this week.”
Scott on loving Shinnecock Hills. “I know they have wide fairways, and they think you create angles having to hit it down the right half of the fairway, but to be honest, I just take the middle of the fairway, because if it gets near any rough on the side, it’s not going to be good.”
J.J. Spaun on learning Shinnecock Hills. “I watched of a hole-by-hole tour of it. I think before I ever came out here, that was the only time I’ve seen it, virtually, I guess, and the one thing you don’t realize is how much more undulation and rolling hills and perched greens there are around Shinnecock. It’s nice to get on property and see it in real life.”
Wyndham Clark on bashing in an Oakmont locker last year. “That was a really challenging time and something I’ve deeply regretted and feel awful that I did that. But there were so many good lessons in that that really taught me a bunch. I’ve really come a long way, and I’m excited for this year’s Open for some redemption and to move forward and enjoy the challenges of Shinnecock and how great this place is and how amazing this championship is.”
Jackson Koivun on “what kind of hardships” he’s expecting now that he’s a professional golfer. “I wouldn’t say hardships. It’s just adjusting. Adjusting to being on your own a little more. Adjusting to traveling week in and week out to different places, time zones, different golf courses, different grass. Just all that adjustment is going to take time. I’m just really looking forward to it.”
Rory McIlroy on the possibility of light watering of greens between tee time waves. “I think, when I first heard of it, my first reaction was, that’s stupid, why are they doing that? Then once you actually listen and you’ve let them break it down to you, you’re, like, yeah, that makes sense.”
McIlroy on the PGA Tour’s proposed two-track concept. “As they’ve done all this work, you start to realize that the way the Tour was before LIV came along was actually pretty good. It was a pretty good structure, and everything sort of worked pretty well. LIV created this false economy where we had to up prize funds and had to cut fields and try to support the top players and all that stuff, which I think needed to happen because that was the only way to retain talent at the time, but now that LIV looks like it’s less of a threat, I think, as I said, the old ways of the PGA Tour weren’t actually that bad.”
Scottie Scheffler on monitoring the wind forecast. “I think most golfers are kind of weather nerds. I always joke, if you ever want to know what the weather is, ask a golfer just because we’re always looking at it. Especially I think where we live, Jordan and I, I feel like, are constantly checking the weather. When you play an outdoor sport, you just like to know what’s coming.”
Brooks Koepka on monitoring the wind forecast. “I don’t look at anything. I don’t look at the pin sheets. I don’t look at the wind map, the weather, anything. I just kind of wake up that day and go.”
Koepka on the hand numbness that forced his RBC Canadian WD last week. “So excited to be able to hold a golf club again.”
Course Close-Ups
A tour of No. 2 green:
A nice viewing spot above 10, 11 and 12: