the;open;returns
to;shinnecock
not long ago a u.s. open return to shinnecock hills
was unfathomable after 2004 shenanigans left usga
and club officials pointing fingers over the cause of a
major championship setup that spiraled out of control
during weekend play. at wednesday’s press conference to announce a 2018 return to southampton, n.y.,
club and usga officials were confident that no major
design changes were needed to prevent a repeat blood-bath. most of the credit for this shift goes to the usga’s
response after the 2004 u.s. open, which ushered in a
new approach to course setup under executive director
mike davis’ watch. “given the open performances of
the last four years, the club said, ‘these guys have got
their act together,’ ” said usga president Jim hyler. one
standout from wednesday’s announcement was the
lack of an accompanying usga event to allow a course
setup test run, an unwritten prerequisite for nearly every
open site these days. “i think we know the course well
enough,” said davis, who insists that the dangerous
redan par- 3 seventh green does not need rebuilding
in spite of its role during the 2004 massacre. the only
planned change is a new back tee on the par- 5 16th and
some fairway contour tweaks. otherwise, it’s the same
shinnecock hills, only with a progressive approach to
course setup. —Geoff Shackelford
04
stephen s Zurle J
cover //contents // big pictures // 5 thingS // twitter // tee times //John huggan
