USGA gets another chance to do Shinnecock right
The U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills for the sixth time this week. Brooks Koepka won the last edition in Southampton, New York, in 2018. Global Golf Post’s Ron Green Jr., John Hopkins, Scott Michaux and John Steinbreder gather once again for a virtual roundtable to discuss topics on tap this week on Long Island.
Brooks Koepka after the 2018 U.S. Open
Darren Carroll, USGA
The USGA has rather famously lost control of its U.S. Open course setup each of the last two times Shinnecock played host, in 2004 and 2018. They’ve promised that won’t happen again in 2026. Thoughts?
Green: It’s critically important that the USGA gets it right this year at Shinnecock, though Phil Mickelson won’t be there to point out any perceived setup mistakes. Early word is the fairways are wide enough for players to be aggressive but the so-called first cut is five inches deep. As always at Shinnecock, Mother Nature may have the final word.
Hopkins: It won’t happen again. A third mistake by the USGA is unthinkable, isn’t it? John Bodenhamer has done a good job with recent U.S. Open courses. He won’t let the side down this year (I hope).
Michaux: The fairways this time at Shinnecock will be shockingly wide compared to the past and the rough needs to be brutal to offset it. The trick is always getting the greens close enough to the edge without going over, and they’ve lost that battle too often. Please play it safe this time and let the score fall wherever it falls without worrying about protecting par.
Steinbreder: What has happened at Shinnecock the past two U.S. Opens there is an abomination. And the best thing the USGA can do is to stand down and let the club’s head professional and course superintendent set the pins with select members of its golf and green committees. They know the layout as well as the vagaries of the wind and weather that time of year better than anyone and would be sure not to muck things up.
The practice of eradicating trees from classic golf courses reared its head again at Aronimink for the PGA Championship. There is not a speck of tree shade to be found anywhere on the course at Shinnecock. Has the Oakmont trend gone too far?
Green: There does seem to be a growing sense of the pendulum swinging back in favor of keeping more trees. The clear-cutting at some classic layouts was jarring in some cases but allowing trees to grow for a century can profoundly change the original design concept. Prudent tree removal remains the best approach.
Hopkins: There aren’t meant to be trees on links courses. None at my club, Royal Porthcawl. None at Sand Hills, a faux links in Nebraska. None at Royal St George’s. None at Turnberry. As far as other courses are concerned, it is startling to look across some of the courses that have seen serious tree felling such as Walton Heath, for example, and see how open they are.
No. 16 at Shinnecock Hills
Fred vuich, USGA
Michaux: Courses are often healthier without trees, letting the sun do its thing and the wind play a greater role in the testing. Aronimink struck a nice balance of taking trees out of play without making the course look like an exposed nude. Great links courses often fill in the gaps with dunes and gorse that add definition and challenges and make it interesting. But Shinnecock is a beauty in its own way and doesn’t need anything to dress it up.
Steinbreder: Golf courses are living, breathing things and need to be managed accordingly. Which means that trees must often be cut down to preserve architectural integrity. That is especially so at Shinnecock, as it is meant to look and play like a traditional links.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp plans to raise the curtain higher next week on the future two-tiered tour model. “Track 1” events get congested from March through August. What is the best cadence for the majors?
Green: I like it the way it is. Moving the PGA Championship to May is better for the event rather than playing it in the sweaty summer heat of August. Yes, it makes the majors go by in a hurry but new PGA of America CEO Terry Clark made it clear last month that moving back to August isn’t on his agenda.
Hopkins: I think the major championships work best in the traditional routing of the non-major Players Championship in March, the Masters in April, U.S. Open in June, Open Championship in July and the PGA in August when its old “Glory’s Last Shot” slogan is more applicable and understandable. I know the PGA of America faces a formidable four-year conflict with the Olympics and the August heat, but intimidating as these issues are, they are not unbeatable.
Michaux: Jack Nicklaus was right two weeks ago. The Track 1 schedule is leaning toward too crowded. Players seem to like playing the week ahead of Players in March (should be Bay Hill and not Doral), PGA in May (Truist) and the Open in July (Scottish Open), but after the Masters (RBC Heritage) and U.S. Open (Travelers). The other sides of those majors need to be left for Track 2. Ideally there should never be more than three top-tier tournaments in a month and sometimes two is enough. Hard decisions to move some events from traditional windows should be made.
Steinbreder: I’d like the schedule between the Players and the Open Championship to be a little less frantic as far as Track 1 events are concerned, so the best players in the world are not compelled to play so often during that stretch.
U.S. Open venues are mostly booked out through 2051, with Pebble Beach (4), Pinehurst (4), Oakmont (3), Merion (3) and Oakland Hills (2) hosting multiple times in the next 25 years and one-offs currently at Winged Foot (2028), Riviera (2031), Brookline (2038), LACC (2039) and Inverness (2045). Assuming Shinnecock (2036) picks up one of the three available dates in 2043, ’46 and ’48, where else should the U.S. Open go?
Green: From a romantic perspective, the idea of a U.S. Open at Sand Hills or Bandon Dunes would be great. Realistically, giving Riviera and The Country Club another one would please me.
Hopkins: I like Chambers Bay. I like Oak Hill. I like Southern Hills. Oh, and I don’t suppose I’m allowed to be mischievous and suggest Sand Hills in remote Mullen, Nebraska, am I?
Michaux: The new Andrew Green remodeled Blue Course at Congressional would be my top choice. It’s a completely different test than it presented last time in 2011, and it would be fascinating to see how players handle it. Southern Hills, Cherry Hills and Chambers Bay are worthy of returns.
Steinbreder: It would be nice to see the U.S. Open go back to Baltusrol now that Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner have revamped both the Upper and Lower Courses so adroitly. I would also enjoy a return to Congressional, due to Andrew Green’s brilliantly reimagining of the Blue Course as well as the idea that having the national open in the nation’s capital on occasion feels right to me. And Chicago certainly deserves another shot, maybe at Medinah No. 3 if that shows well during this year’s Presidents Cup.
Scottie Scheffler after winning the 2025 PGA Championship
Darren Carroll, PGA of America via Getty Images
Scottie Scheffler gets his first crack at completing the career Grand Slam this week. Who wins?
Green: Rory McIlroy. It’s not exactly a daring pick but he’s finished top 10 in six of his last seven U.S. Open starts.
Hopkins: Based on recent contact with him I have a sneaking feeling for – and you won’t be surprised to hear me write this – Justin Rose. And a second choice, given his startling performance last time at Shinnecock (a 63 Sunday in 2018), is Tommy Fleetwood.
Justin Rose
Dylan Buell, Getty Images
Michaux: While foolish to discount Scheffler’s chances any week, his recent form (especially on tricky greens) suggests he might disappoint at Shinny. I feel like Jon Rahm is poised to make noise after his strong showing in the PGA at Aronimink.
Steinbreder: Shinnecock Hills is home cooking for Met Area native Cameron Young, and as such, I like his chances this week.
