I’m not a LIV guy. But I love that this week doesn’t care about that. The U.S. Open is one of the only weeks all year where it doesn’t matter what tour you play. Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Aaron Rai, thirteen LIV players in total, are all at Shinnecock Hills this week because the Open is genuinely open. That’s rare in pro golf right now, and it’s a big part of why majors hit different than a regular tour stop.
How Hard Is Shinnecock Going to Play
This year’s setup is 7,434 yards at par 70. That number alone tells you this isn’t going to be a birdiefest. Shinnecock has both a reputation and a real history of playing brutally hard, and the USGA isn’t shrinking the golf course to make anyone comfortable.
Did They Fix What Went Wrong in 2018
Quick reminder for anyone who wasn’t watching in 2018: the greens got so fast and dried out that the USGA had to publicly apologize and water them down mid-tournament, after Zach Johnson said live on TV that the USGA had “lost the golf course.” Phil Mickelson got so frustrated he swatted at a moving ball on the 13th green. Saturday’s scoring average that year was over 75.
The honest answer for 2026: the course itself hasn’t really changed. The last real renovation was back in 2012, and that work was actually done in preparation for 2018, not as a response to it. What is different is that the USGA says it’s being more careful with day-to-day setup this time, and players like Rory McIlroy have publicly called for “caution” so we don’t get another Shinnecock saga. Whether that holds up once the wind shows up is the real test.
Wind and Rough
And the wind is showing up. Forecasts have it blowing 15 to 20 mph steady most of the week, with Thursday possibly gusting past 30. That matters more at Shinnecock than at most courses, because the fairways this year are reportedly the widest in U.S. Open history, averaging close to 48 yards across. The USGA left them full width on purpose. But a 48-yard fairway plays a lot narrower when the wind is pushing your ball sideways for the whole flight.
The rough isn’t really the story here. The bigger issue is what happens around the greens, there’s barely any rough to stop a ball that misses, so a shot that drifts off target can run 30, 40, even 50 yards away from the hole. That’s a brutal way to lose strokes, and it has nothing to do with how far anyone can hit it.
Does This Favor Accuracy Over Distance
Honest answer: not as cleanly as you’d think. Wide-open fairways usually help bombers, because you don’t need pinpoint accuracy to find 48 yards of grass. But the wind and the firm, fast turf around the greens punish anyone who can’t control trajectory and spin, and that usually isn’t the longest hitters, it’s the most complete ball-strikers. So this isn’t really a “fairways over distance” golf course. It’s closer to a “control your ball in bad conditions and don’t short-side yourself” golf course, which is a different skill than just keeping it in play, and it’s part of why Shinnecock tends to produce strange leaderboards.
As a 16-handicapper watching from my couch, that’s the part I actually relate to. I can’t hit it 320 like Rahm or Bryson, but I also couldn’t control trajectory in 25 mph wind, and watching guys who can do both is what’s going to separate this leaderboard from a normal tour stop.