While the 2018 U.S. Open will mark the fifth time the event is being played at Shinnecock Hills, it will have a different look than in the previous four.
Mike Davis, executive director of the USGA, noted that many of the pin locations used through the week will be in places that would have been off the green when Shinnecock hosted the 1986, 1995, and 2004 U.S. Opens.
"I would guess that at least 25 percent of the hole locations we will use this Championship will be in places that weren't even on greens the last three Opens. So it really strategically is much better." – Mike Davis on the new Shinnecock #USOpen
— Robert Lusetich (@RobertLusetich) June 13, 2018
That’s interesting.
Only a small group of the players in the 2018 U.S. Open were in the field in 2004. Even a smaller group was in it in 1995. But if the course redesigns have been that significant, the experience advantage those guys have would be somewhat negated.
This comment hints that the pins this weekend could be awfully tough, too.
The USGA came under heavy fire for the way Shinnecock Hills was set up in 2004, especially over the weekend. The changes to the course will be one of the many storylines to follow through the week.