Took a peek this a.m. at the 36-hole scores in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, and, wow, apparently the USGA learned its lesson. Not a windmill or clown mouth in sight, unlike eight years ago.
No, this time around Wyndham Clark leads by four strokes at 7-under and nine other players are under par for the tournament. This is a marked contrast to 2018, when the USGA tricked up Shinnecock with everything but NHL goalies and pin placements in Manhattan, and reduced both a beautiful natural course and the best players in the world to laughingstocks.
Well, not this time. This time the USGA apparently decided to let Shinnecock be Shinnecock, which is plenty. Between the seaside wind ("If it's nae wind, it's nae golf," the Scots like to say), and the typically jungle-y rough, the course presents enough of a challenge without being ridiculous about it.
Which is what the USGA, which runs the U.S. Open, did eight years ago at Shinnecock. And rightly was ball-peened for it from just about everybody.
Well, not this time. This time, they're letting golf be golf, without any usual artificial ingredients.
Call open reform at the Open, or something. And hooray for it.
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