Watch: Instructor shows scary speed of US Open greens by dropping ball straight down

By Dave Kovaleski June 12, 2018 at 10:41am

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the site of this week’s U.S. Open, is considered one of the toughest courses in the country.

“It has everything one would want in deciding a national champion: length, penal rough, demanding second shots, and slick, inscrutable greens that challenge all facets of the short game,” the writers at Golfweek wrote to describe the course, which located in Southampton, New York.

If you want some proof of how inscrutable the greens are, just watch this video taken by golf instructor Jeff Smith:

[jwplayer 9WNQKx95]

Smith simply dropped the ball on one end of the 18th green and watched it roll across the green and down into the fairway.

“The 18th green @shinnecock2018 is absolutely unbelievable. I mean where do you even put a pin on this green?” Smith wrote on Instagram.

He also posted a video of what it’s like to hack out of the rough at Shinnecock.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj4-KV9jsbv/

Compared to last year’s U.S. Open, held at the less demanding Erin Hills, where Brooks Koepka won at 16-under-par, Shinnecock Hills is expected to provide a far stiffer test.

Would you like to see Tiger Woods win the U.S. Open this week?

“It’s the best setup, in my opinion, that we’ve seen,” Phil Mickelson said Monday, according to Golfworld. “I feel as though the luck of a course has been taken out as much as possible to where skill is the primary factor.”

Mickelson finished second the last time Shinnecock hosted the U.S. Open in 2004. A double-bogey at the par-3 17th hole on Sunday proved to be the difference.

Mickelson walked away with one of his six second place finishes at the event, while Retief Goosen won his second U.S. Open title.

Shinnecock Hills US Open Tour
No. 15 – 409yds – Par-4 (1 of 2)
The 15th is one of the most beautiful holes in golf, its tee set high on the glacial moraine that serves as the backbone of this astonishing golf course. Finding the fairway is critical, as the green…#LGshinnytour pic.twitter.com/9IrqEOEXt2

— LinksGems Golf Photos (@LinksGems) June 12, 2018

This will be the fifth time the U.S. Open has been played at Shinnecock. Goosen won in 2004, Corey Pavin claimed the title in 1995, Raymond Floyd took it home in 1986 and James Foulis won in 1896.

Mickelson will be one of the big stories this week as he seeks to win his first U.S. Open title and complete the career grand slam. Considering his strong play at Shinnecock in the past and the fact that he’s playing well this year, Mickelson could be a factor once again.

Dustin Johnson, who won last week at the St. Jude’s Classic to reclaim his No. 1 world ranking, is the favorite at 10/1.

Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Justin Rose, and Rickie Fowler are all at 14/1, while Jordan Spieth and Jason Day are at 16/1, and Tiger Woods is at 18/1. Mickelson is at 28/1.

Submit a Correction →

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:

Golf

Dave Kovaleski

Contributor, Sports

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Dave is a lifelong sports fan who has been writing for The Wildcard since 2017. He has been a writer for more than 20 years for a variety of publications.

Dave has been writing about sports for The Wildcard since 2017. He's been a reporter and editor for over 20 years, covering everything from sports to financial news. In addition to writing for The Wildcard, Dave has covered mutual funds for Pensions and Investments, meetings and conventions, money market funds, personal finance, associations, and he currently covers financial regulations and the energy sector for Macallan Communications. He has won awards for both news and sports reporting.

Location

Massachusetts

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Sports