Pro golfers ridicule conditions at Shinnecock Hills

Pro golfers ridicule the set-up at Shinnecock Hills

Dustin Johnson shot a 77 - and held on to a share of the lead! These guys rarely speak their minds when they have something negative to say about a course, but they broke that tradition yesterday, and USGA officials agreed that they erred in setting up the course.

As I see it, the problem was not in the course set-up. Yes, the pin positions were tough, but the early players were able to shoot low scores on soft greens with moderate winds. A couple of guys who were 11 strokes back shot 66s to tie for the lead. The problems arose when the afternoon winds dried up the greens, then started gusting, making play impossible.

If you know your golf history, you know weather conditions have always been a factor. The Golf Gods cost the legendary Harry Vardon a US Open way back in 1920. Vardon was 50 years old and was playing in the Open for only the third time in his life, 20 years after his glory days and 17 years after he had contracted TB. Despite his age, he was breezing along with a big lead with seven holes to play when blustery storm conditions kicked up.

The Open went six rounds in those days. There was a 36-hole qualifier which did not count in the final scores, followed by the 72-hole competition. Vardon was an old man and was quite exhausted by the end of the final day, when they played 36 holes. The winds did him in. He ended up playing the last seven holes in seven over par after being even par for the first eleven. (Even par was phenomenal in those days. The winning score in the tournament was +11. Bobby Jones was +15, Walter Hagen +17 and Gene Sarazen +27. Vardon had been a spectacular +5 through 65 holes, and was so far ahead of the field that he still came within a stroke of winning, despite his monumental collapse.)