Scheffler Scouts Shinnecock Hills Ahead of 2026 U.S. Open, Finds Fairways Surprisingly Generous

Scottie Scheffler visited Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, on Monday for the first time. S. Open from June 18-21. "That was my first time on property," Scheffler said Wednesday during a news conference at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

"It was kind of what I expected. I had heard some rumors about how difficult the greens were. " Scheffler said the rough at Shinnecock Hills provides a strong penalty for missing fairways. "Once you start missing fairways out there, you have no chance," he said.

U.S. Open starts. S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Rory McIlroy also played Shinnecock Hills on Monday.

U.S. Open. "They're more generous than they were in 2018, but the first cut of rough is five inches long," McIlroy said.

McIlroy added that the first cut of rough is about three paces wide before it reaches the fescue. "So if you miss the fairway even by a yard, you're going to [be penalized] but you shouldn't [miss]," he said. "The fairways are very, very generous.

2 on a stimpmeter on Monday, according to McIlroy. "I really don't think they need to get much faster," he said. S. Open at Shinnecock Hills with a score of 1-over par. The United States Golf Association faced criticism that year for course conditions, including the speed of the greens.