U.S. Open Grounds Crew Is Slowing Greens Down After Player Complaints

The U.S. Open Grounds Crew appears to be slowing down the greens on Pinehurst No. 2 after players made several complaints about the course being incredibly fast and tough ahead of this week’s Major Championship.

Earlier this week, defending champion Wyndham Clark called the greens “borderline” and stated that if they got any faster, it would be incredibly tough on the players.

Yesterday, Tiger Woods commented on seeing players potentially play “ping pong” this week at the U.S. Open, as the slick greens appear to punish anyone who makes even a minor mistake.

It appears the U.S. Open has made the decision to slow things down, at least before the weekend. Riggs of Barstool, who lives on the Pinehurst property, saw the grounds crew watering the 6th green late on Tuesday evening:

Scoop:

They’re watering the 6th green. Stay tuned for more all week. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/LC18usdiro

— Riggs (@RiggsBarstool) June 12, 2024

Slowing down the greens could be a key to lower scores for many players, but fans were hoping to see what many consider to be typical U.S. Open conditions: fast greens, high rough, and punishment to those who don’t have their A game.

Many considered last year’s U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club to be too easy of a course for the players. Pinehurst No. 2 is one of the more difficult courses to play if you are not dialed in. There is no traditional rough, as players have to deal with loose sand and long grass.

However, the greens have already been a major point of discussion in social media this week:

We often debate speed, how fast is too fast? The US Open sets the bar every year. Hit the wrong spot of the green at Pinehurst Number 2 and end up in the waste area 40+ yards away with the hardest shot in golf. Bring on the carnage! pic.twitter.com/4wDbRyUOZN

— Preserved Links (@preservedlinks) June 11, 2024

We were expecting to see some carnage at Pinehurst this week, and we still might.

Cover Image via Golf Digest