In 2022, Matt Fitzpatrick – the last British winner – triumphed at six under, the same mark as Jon Rahm the previous year. Wyndham Clark was 10 under at LACC in 2023 and Bryson DeChambeau six under at Pinehurst No 2.
Last year, at a rain-sodden Oakmont, one under was the number that allowed JJ Spaun to beat Bob MacIntyre by two for his first major crown.
Nowadays it seems conditions are the biggest influence on how many shots it takes to make a champion. “Mother Nature always gets a seat at the table, and at Shinnecock, maybe more than anywhere else,” Bodenhammer told Golf Digest.
“If we get wind, the course will resist scoring. If we don’t, it won’t – and we’re OK with that.
“That’s part of the evolution in our thinking, being willing to let conditions play a role instead of trying to control every outcome.”
There is some rain forecast before a predicted dry weekend, which might help the USGA dodge further criticism at a Shinnecock US Open.
It will remain a mighty test for the world’s best. Will the planet’s top player, Scheffler, pick off the major he needs for the career Grand Slam?
Could Fitzpatrick go one better than last week’s runner-up finish in Canada and collect a second US Open? Is Masters champion McIlroy ready to win his second major of the year?
Or is it time for LIV’s Tyrrell Hatton to join the major winning club? The Englishman competes after winning at the formidable Valderrama, the famed Spanish course that provides a similar test of fortitude as we expect Shinnecock to do this week.
Whoever prevails will need to control their ball better than anyone else. Take advantage of the wider fairways and cope with challenging run-off areas, devilish pin positions and drying greens that are still likely to get tougher on an hourly basis.
And that is how it should be at a US Open.
