2026 U.S. Open - Early Week Coverage

The big news coming out of the USGA press conference was obviously the rollback pause. But I also want to make sure everyone saw what John Bodenhamer said about the expected winds this week at Shinnecock Hills and how that forecast has changed his team's setup plans. It's clear that Bodenhamer is concerned about the possibility of a play stoppage on Thursday.

"We arrived here last week; it was pretty docile," he said. "We were a little worried about not getting any wind. Well, as of last Thursday night or Friday, that changed significantly. As we come into every U.S. Open, we have multiple scenarios, multiple game plans that we can impact depending on the weather....

"We began to pivot last Friday night when we began to see the wind forecast.... Thursday, sustained winds throughout the day of 12 to 24. More on the upper end of that with gusts from 24 to 36 miles an hour. When we start to talk about numbers in the mid-30s, that becomes problematic in a number of ways — golf balls just staying still on the putting green.

"Some of the models that we're working... show winds reaching as high as over 40 miles per hour. We hope that doesn't happen. We're preparing for all that we can, and that duration on Thursday will be... anywhere from 10:30 in the morning, 11 a.m., all the way through most of the day until 5 or 6 p.m. It's a long duration that we'll have to prepare the golf course for."

Right now, the forecast for tomorrow on windy.com still shows a strong SSW wind hitting between midday and sunset, and peaking around 5 p.m. with a 21 mph average and 34 mph gusts. If the speeds stay in that range, my guess is that the golf course will be right on the edge.

Bodenhamer went on to say that the USGA has adjusted its target green speeds from 11.5/12 to the mid-10s, and will be regularly syringing greens during competition on Thursday and Friday.

But no matter how much water they put down, Shinnecock's greens will crisp up if gusts reach the mid- to high 30s.

This could be amazing for fans. For the USGA, though, it could make for a very tough decision on whether to continue play on Thursday afternoon. Obviously any kind of stoppage at a firm, windy Shinnecock would be tremendously disappointing. But memories of 2004 and 2018 will likely make the USGA err on the side of caution.

Another interesting note from Bodenhamer: Saturday's wind forecast is also alarming, but less for speed than direction.

"What changes on Saturday, the winds aren't quite as strong, but they still reach gusts over 30 miles an hour, but the forecast calls for winds to come out of the west/northwest. When they're south/southwest, they blow up from front to back many of these greens, particularly the problematic greens — or the more severe greens, not problematic. On Saturday they're going to blow — I know. 'Problematic,' they are sometimes with wind. But some of them with a north and northwest wind blow from back to front, and we are concerned about that."

Bit of a Freudian slip there with "problematic," Mr. Bodenhamer!

In any case, I find this explanation of greens and wind direction a little confusing. I think Bodenhamer may have mixed up "front to back"/"back to front," or just used those terms in a way I haven't seen.

But I believe the "problematic" greens in a more northerly iteration of Shinnecock's west wind would be 7, 10, and 16. In the prevailing SW wind, 7 and 16 play into the wind, and 10 plays in a right to left wind. In a NW wind, 7 and 16 would play more significantly downwind, and 10 would be almost directly downwind. And if those greens firm up, they would become very, very difficult to hold in those conditions. Keep in mind that William Flynn clearly designed Shinnecock to play best in the prevailing summer wind; he probably assumed that in northerly winds, only the more adventurous members would venture out.

(If anyone has a better interpretation of what Bodenhamer said here, let me know.)

Anyway, once the tournament starts, I hope the wind issue does not continue to be framed as a "problem." The course's exposure to the elements is one of its greatest assets — and one of the best reasons to keep staging the U.S. Open here once a decade. Enjoy it!

A look at the view from the 11th tee, featuring Mason Howell

Here is our story on today's USGA press conference:

Here's what I posted on The Everything App about the USGA's rollback announcement:

The position of the tours and the equipment companies has always been that no distance problem exists and nothing should change. They don't want to collaborate with the governing bodies in good faith to formulate a more effective rollback. They want to delay and quibble, quibble and delay until finally the whole thing falls apart.

The proposed golf ball ODS is too tentative and likely wouldn't have the desired effect. That appears true. But if the USGA and R&A continue to give veto power to the game's most regulation-hostile stakeholders, they will never make significant progress. At some point, they will need to do something Titleist doesn't like, and do it with conviction.

In other words, moving away from the proposed ODS is probably the right decision in a narrow sense. But the governing bodies' apparent sensitivity to stakeholders who just want to blow it all up is concerning, imo. In fact, that sensitivity is the main reason why the proposed rule change was so insufficient to begin with.

BP, KVV, and JLM with some immediate #REACTION content from the USGA's press conference and statement from earlier this morning!

A pretty elegant example of the argumentation we can expect from anti-rollback stakeholders over the next few years.

"Well, bifurcation is the only way to get what you really want."

"Okay, let's do bifurcation!"

"Um, I'm going to sue you now."

"Okay, let's do universal rollback!"

"Well, bifurcation is the only way to get what you really want."

Just an eternal cycle of misdirection, obfuscation, tantrum-throwing, and bad-faith bullshit. The only way it ends with a positive outcome for the game is if the USGA and R&A institute a firm, impactful rule, implement it at the three majors that mean something, and dare the tours not to fall in line. Who actually governs golf?

Perhaps most notable on the golf ball rollback - at least so far - from the USGA press conference: Mike Whan said the PGA Tour had communicated to the USGA that an MLR would not be adopted on Tour. And that they are hoping the solution they land one will be a simpler, narrower solution.

The USGA Pauses its rollback plan

This should not come as a complete surprise, but the USGA announced this morning that they need more time to come up with an approach to curtail distance at the elite level. They still hope to implement new standards by 2030, but need more time to negotiate with "key stakeholders" in order to have a meaningful impact. After it came out that Cameron Young was hitting 375-yard drives with a ball that conformed to the new standards, this was probably inevitable. But it certainly raises questions about whether or not the USGA even has the power to govern the sport of golf. How many "comment periods" and "information gathering" periods will come and go with the various sides essentially refusing to cede any ground? The entire affair is starting to feel like theater. The USGA has a press conference later this morning where Mike Whan and various executives will likely explain their reasoning, but the whole thing feels a little disappointing to those of us who would like to see anyone hit a 5-iron into a Par 4 ever again.

Some amusing nuggets from attending Miles Russell's press conference this morning.

A couple of my favorite tidbits:

"I don't really remember watching any U.S. Opens when I was that little." - he said when I asked him about the 2018 U.S. Open. The first major he really remembers watching is Tiger winning the 2019 Masters.

He talked about how cool it was to hit balls on the range this week next to a player he looked up to as a kid...Jordan Spieth.

Age stuff can be catnippy and a little trite. Like, yeah, he was super young eight years ago. That's how time works. But still, I found his comments to be amusing, and to think that he was nine years old the last time there was a U.S. Open at Shinnecock.

On a more serious note, it's striking how polished and mature Russell is at his age. He already operates like a professional. This week is going to be exciting for a million different reasons, but the major championship debut of Miles Russell shouldn't get overlooked in the course setup discourse and talks of Scottie Scheffler going for the grand slam.

Projecting talent is very difficult in golf, but Russell could very well be a top-5 player in the world in 5-10 years - or maybe even sooner. Making your major debut at Shinnecock Hills is one heck of an intro to major championship golf.

Overheard from PJ Clark walking in this morning to Shinnecock Hills with a celebrity sighting. "Oh my god, that's Kickball Dad!"

Unsubstantiated rumors abound about some golf ball rollback news coming this morning. There may be an announcement followed by the USGA press conference to come at 11 ET. We shall see. If anything, best guess is that they're pausing the plans right now to reevaluate and come up with a new proposal.

Jack Nicklaus putted with a glove on, but could he do a live show with a glove on?

The Quiet Dignity (and Consistency) of Adam Scott

For the most part, I don't root for athletes. I root for good for stories. It's something that was drilled into my head a quarter century ago, quite literally in fact.

I was covering a football game at the University of Montana my senior year (a couple years after I'd stopped playing) and one of my best friends forced a fumble at a key moment in the game. I got too excited and jumped to my feet in the press box. The sports information director waded up a piece of paper and drilled me in the back of the head from his seat in the second row. "Kevin, sit the f--- down! We don't cheer in here," he growled. I was embarrassed, but he was right. If I wanted to be a journalist, I had to act like a professional. Some lessons, you have to learn the hard way.

These days I sometimes wonder if I'm still a journalist. I write a lot of opinion pieces, where fairness matters more than neutrality. The old rules have also been mostly eroded. The most influential voices on TV are, in general, unabashed fans. Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith barely pretend to practice objectivity, and even openly feud with athletes at times.

I say all this partially as a confession: I was rooting for Adam Scott last year at Oakmont. I was rooting so hard.

I was doing it at home, from my television, so there was no one to throw objects at the back of my head in the press tent. I wanted to see him cap off his career with a U.S. Open victory, at one of golf's true cathedrals, in part because it felt like he'd been present in my life for so many years.

I was just leaving college when Scott made his major championship debut in the summer of 2000. I felt like there was nothing in front of me but ambition and possibility, and I know he felt the same. When he threw away an Open Championship with four bogies on the last four holes at Lytham and St. Annes, it was a reminder that even a swing that looks like it's been handed down from the gods can abandon you when you need it the most. When he redeemed himself at the Masters, slipping on the green jacket in the warm Georgia rain, I felt like his best years were just beginning.

That it didn't quite work out that way doesn't matter. He'd handled himself with class and dignity and weathered life's disappointments with grace in ways I couldn't help but admire. The same cannot be said for some of his contemporaries.

It was painful to watch him slowly sink down the leaderboard on the back nine at Oakmont. It likely represented Scott's last real chance at a second major. But he will tee it up this week at Shinnecock for the 100th consecutive time in a major, a streak only Jack Nicklaus has surpassed. It is not the flashiest streak, but it might be my favorite streak in sports. For 25 years, Adam Scott has showed up to work, held himself to an extremely high standard, and tried his best. He has done it without scandal or controversy. There is silver in his hair and wrinkles around his eyes, but not much else has changed.

"I'm quite proud that I've managed to keep my focus this long and keep pushing through," Scott said. "Obviously not all years and all weeks out here are easy. and you're playing full of confidence, manage to keep it all together for a long time. I think the younger self knew a lot of things. I mean, there must have been some level of determination setting out and all positive attributes towards playing golf at a high level. But I don't know if my younger self thought I'd still be playing actually at this point."

I don't know that Adam Scott can putt well enough to give himself one more shot at a major. But I am okay admitting that I'm rooting for that outcome. It would be, after all, be a really fun story to write, especially for an old man like me.

Everything I have seen about Shinny so far this week is making me very excited to head out there this weekend. When I was there last, I witnessed what Phil did on the 13th with my own eyes. Not sure I will (ever) see anything as absurd as that. You never know though!

I asked Scottie about the notion that widening the fairways in advance of this U.S. Open will reduce the importance of driving accuracy.

Here's part of that answer:

"I would say driving accuracy is extremely important. There might be a couple holes, but you put a 20-mile-an-hour wind out there, these fairways with how firm they are, are not going to play super wide.

I think when you look at your poor tee shots hitting it into in the rough in this fescue, it's going to be virtually impossible to get the ball on the green. I think that's really good.

I think when you hit a drive into the fairway, you should have a chance to hit a really good shot and get it on the green. When you miss the fairway, for the most part, it should be a challenge to get your ball onto the green. I think with the high grass you have around those fairways, it provides that challenge."

Andy talks a lot about how the best greens look like potato chips. It occurs to me that No. 11 at Shinnecock might be the most recognizable chip of all: the Pringle.

Don't get your hand stuck in the tube

Sharing this piece here about players who failed to complete the career Grand Slam because the final anecdote about Sam Snead staring into the mirror is one of my favorites I’ve ever found in research.

Hot tip: Watching Scottie with Joseph for a bit this morning, would not say he is flushing it right now and thrilled with the circumstances. Hit in a few fairway bunkers in a row off the tee. Reaction to tee shot at 7 was “that had no 🤬chance.”

Not sure any threesome is beating "The Man" group this week. Has to be intentional from the USGA.

So nice of the USGA to put together a tee time just for JLM

Juicy stuff from Rory this morning:

Q. Rory, in terms of the changes coming to the TOUR, we'll hear more from Brian this week and we've heard more about the positives and benefits of those changes, but what concerns do you have about those changes and the effects they might have on players?

RORY McILROY: I don't really know. I guess like at an event -- I guess, just recency, an event like last week, the Canadian Open, potentially going to one of these track 2s. Track 2 is a glorified Korn Ferry event. That's what track 2 is going to be. So I don't think the Canadian Open should be one of those.

Yeah, I just think there's going to be certain events that might lose their stature if a sponsor doesn't pony up $30 million. So that's the tough thing.

But, look, I'm not in those rooms. I don't know. I play my schedule, and I'll continue to play my schedule, which is getting less and less as the years go on. Yeah, it's funny. Like I think, 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.

Jason Day’s outfit is mint.

Awesome presser from Adam Scott. A couple highlights:

1) Not concerned about the setup. He suggested the USGA is being cautious about the green speeds, which has been the rumor on the ground.

2) Likened the approach shots to playing at Royal Melbourne. Interesting comp!

“I have a 9 wood and I am not afraid to admit it.”

Adam Scott shattering stereotypes.

If the forecast is correct, players will see three different, atypical wind directions during the three practice-round days: NW today (which causes No. 10 to play downwind and makes the approach very difficult), W tomorrow, and SSE Wednesday. The prevailing summer wind direction at Shinnecock Hills is SSW.

Right now, the forecast for the rest of the week says S on Thursday (expected to be the heaviest wind day of the championship), W on Friday, WNW on Saturday, and W on Sunday.

The dreaded NE wind, which turned Thursday in 1986 into a slaughter, is not currently in the forecast, but it looks like players will have to adjust to a few different variations of a west wind.

I think FOX might have been so bad that I want it back. I'll miss Joe Buck bragging that he got Kopeka's agent's business card, Zinger calling Charles Howell "Chucky 3 Sticks" and even the horrible sound effect they added when the ball was holed.

I'm doing some research for a piece that we're publishing tomorrow about the career Grand Slam, and it's funny to see that some arguments are as old as time. When Zach Johnson said in 2018 that the USGA had "lost the course" he was only channeling the spirit of a previous generation. This is a headline from the 1968 PGA Championship. The players were furious about the 18th hole at Pecan Valley Golf Club, which required a 235-yard carry over a creek.

"It's a stupid hole," said Billy Casper.

"Ridiculous," said Arnold Palmer.

Went to check on the Xander app as one does before a major and I know these reviews are a year old, but they are sending me.

Some good stuff from Matt Fitzpatrick on wanting a firm and fast test this week at Shinnecock and the course conditions "meltdown" back in 2018:

"I don't particularly like playing birdie-fests.

"I don't think it's as enjoyable as having to -- take today on the 11th hole, for example, the wind is pumping in off the left, and I've chipped a 5-iron in there. If there's no wind there, you might be hitting 9-iron or whatever.

"To me, I feel like it's more of a test of controlling your ball if it is windy, if it is firm. If it's firm -- I said it here last time. Obviously there was a big -- what's the right word -- meltdown of, oh, they've lost the golf course, they've lost the golf course.

"I never believed they lost it. I don't think they lost the golf course at all here. I think, for me, it was difficult, and the strength of this golf course is greens and the difficulty of the greens.

"But I do believe, aside from maybe 10 and 11, if you miss the greens in the right spots and do your homework, that you have opportunities to get up-and-down still. I feel like that is a patience thing. That is a skill in course managing, in hitting good shots that are on the green in those tough times.

"I think that for me -- this golf course, I think when it is really tough like that, I enjoy that challenge because you have to do your homework, and you have to hit good shots, and that's what I think any good golf tournament should require."

players are shaking their heads walking off 11 already. Imagine there will be some public complaints. “You have 3 feet to hit it into.” Wind is quite strong today, bending the flag into and off the left, with balls being blown into the front bunker.

I have been on site for about 30 minutes, and 20 of them have been with Geoff Shackelford gesticulating about on rollback after spending the last two weeks at USGA events! It does not sound like we will get much on the subject this week!

Always take Long Island weather forecasts with a grain of salt, but the meteorologists have been consistent for the several days that wind will be a big factor at this U.S. Open.

Right now, the practice rounds look like they'll be pretty placid, but as soon as the tournament starts, things could get tricky. On Thursday, the forecast calls for sustained winds up to 22 mph and gusts surpassing 30 mph. Things will settle down slightly from there, but it appears that we'll get temps in the mid- to high 70s and winds between about 8 and 18 mph throughout the weekend.

Keep the place firm, USGA!

Am I a prisoner of the moment? Sure, probably. But I went into this week thinking Shinnecock is the best U.S. Open venue and after stepping onto the property for the first time about an hour ago, I'm even more convinced now that it is.

Monday's rundown of press conferences

Noon — Jackson Koivun (a)
3 p.m. — Matt Fitzpatrick
3:30 p.m. — Wyndham Clark
4:15 p.m. — J.J. Spaun

If you don't know much about Koivun, Joseph LaMagna dubbed him the best college golfer of the last 15 years. The Auburn star will turn pro after this week.

It’s U.S. Open week! There’s a lot of great content still to come from our team on the ground at Shinnecock Hills, but we’ve already posted a lot about both the course and this year’s championship. Check out our videos, podcasts, and written content in the 2026 U.S. Open hub.

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