The U.S. Open is meant to be the toughest test in golf each year, but we’ve only seen one winning score over par in the last six tournaments. Over the last three years, the winners combined to shoot an absurd 28-under par.
With the tournament returning to the ultra-tough Winged Foot Golf Club in New York, a round of even-par should be a best-case scenario for everyone in the field – and as is typical in the U.S. Open, hitting it into the rough will be a disaster scenario. Tiger Woods told reporters this week that Winged Foot is among the top-two most difficult courses in the world alongside Oakmont, and the conditions for this week’s tournament look absolutely treacherous.
Golfer Troy Merritt showed off the thick rough on the 18th hole during a practice round, and you could barely see the ball while standing over it. Merritt had to open his clubface all the way and take a huge swing to advance the ball about 20 yards.
Rough is NASTY @usopengolf. Thanks for the great camera work @wayne_birch. @pgatour pic.twitter.com/0nv0vBN1eB
— Troy Merritt (@TROYMERRITT_PGA) September 15, 2020
Gary Woodland said this week that he spent five minutes searching for a ball that was right in front of him, and that practice rounds would take “10 hours” if players didn’t have marshals helping them find balls in the rough.
Via Golf Digest:
“I was chipping, my caddie was throwing me balls back to me chipping and we lost a ball for about five minutes and it was right in front of me. We didn’t find it until we stepped on it. The golf ball can disappear pretty quickly.”
There’s nothing better than carnage at the U.S. Open, and Winged Foot is primed to deliver.
Patrick Reed told Golf Channel's @ToddLewisGC today that the rough at Winged Foot is the most difficult U.S. Open rough he's ever seen.
— Brentley Romine (@BrentleyGC) September 14, 2020
are you even covering the U.S. Open if you don’t post about the rough?
DJ appears to have lost his ball just right of the fairway on No. 1. going to be a busy week for spotters.
(🎥: @ coach_rusty on IG) pic.twitter.com/a16n00qlN0
— Eric Patterson (@EPatGolf) September 14, 2020
