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Mike Davis, the CEO of the USGA, has admitted that he and his team got it wrong in setting up Shinnecock Hills for the third round of this year’s US Open. 

Davis faced the media at the completion of play last night at the end of a wild day in which the field played the course in an average of 5.3 shots over par and where three-over now leads the tournament.

And that’s to say nothing of Phil Mickelson’s incredible rules breach.

MORE – Rory McIlroy explains why he missed the US Open cut

“We felt good about the set-up when we left this morning,” explained Davis. “We felt that it would work well given the forecast we had, but I think that, now that I’m sitting here, we would say that parts of this test of golf simply were too tough.


MORE – English pro speaks out after worst US Open score in 16 years
“We want the US Open to be tough, but we saw some examples late in the day where well executed shots were not only not being rewarded, but in some cases penalised.”

“We simply got higher winds than we anticipated. The grass really began to dry out. In fact, if you looked at it at the end, it was almost wilting around there, and it just didn’t have enough grass to hold the ball up.

MORE – Jason Day gets ridiculed on social media for ‘bulletproof vest’

“We must slow the course down tonight, and we will. So that probably means more water applied.”

Davis’ explanation did little to placate some of the players who had to take the course in the worst of the conditions.

Ian Poulter was particularly critical:

Plenty of others chimed in, too.

What did you make of the course set-up?

Leave your thoughts in our Comments section below.


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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

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