Scheffler Birdies 10 to Reach 1-Over as McIlroy Drops to 1-Under at 10

Q: After past controversies, will the USGA's 'brutally hard' setup cross the line from challenging to unplayable for the leaders?

Not yet, but the risk is real if the wind and green speeds get away from the USGA. The evidence so far suggests Shinnecock is still on the playable side of brutally hard. The USGA deliberately kept the greens softer and slower early in the week, around 10 to 10.5 on the Stimpmeter, then warned players Saturday would be firmer and faster, around 11. That is a clear attempt to toughen the test without repeating the mistakes of 2004 and 2018, when Shinnecock was widely criticized for crossing into farce. Saturday’s early signs showed how thin the margin is. Winds gusting near 40 mph produced extreme results, including Dylan Wu’s five-putt quad at the 1st and long approaches bouncing through greens. USGA CEO Mike Whan called it the windiest morning he had seen there. Those are the kinds of conditions that historically have pushed Shinnecock toward unplayable. But there is also evidence the course remains fair if executed properly. Michael Kim got to 3-under on his front nine by repeatedly finding fairways and greens, showing that good shots are still being rewarded. The forecast also calls for winds to ease somewhat later, even as the greens get glassier. So the answer for the leaders is that the setup is flirting with the line, not clearly over it. If afternoon gusts stay manageable, the USGA can argue it has produced the stern, strategic U.S. Open test it wanted. If balls start refusing to hold greens or moving unpredictably, the old Shinnecock controversy will return quickly.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 20

Scottie Scheffler clawed back to 1-over in the U.S. Open third round with a birdie at the 10th after opening the day with bogeys on his first two holes.
A 25-foot birdie try at 11 then lipped out, leaving the world No. 1 firmly in contention if leader Wyndham Clark gives shots back.
Rory McIlroy moved the other way, falling to 1-under with a bogey at 10 after nearly driving the green but racing his chip over the back and missing from 30 feet.
The swing tightened the chase on moving day at Shinnecock Hills, where both players began the round trying to reel in Clark.