18/06/2026
A U.S. Open at Shinnecock usually guarantees three things: Hamptons scenery, brutal rough, and greens that become the story.
In 2004, the seventh green became so dry that the USGA was watering it between groups. In 2018, conditions got so firm that Phil Mickelson famously hit a moving ball, taking a penalty rather than watching it roll away again.
Brooks Koepka survived the chaos to win at one over par, still the last U.S. Open champion to finish over par.
The challenge for the USGA has always been finding the line. Fans want the U.S. Open to be tough. It's the one week a year the best players in the world can look a little more like the rest of us.
The question is how close to the edge they'll push it this time.
