Shinnecock Hills by the numbers: Afternoon wave takes advantage of calmer conditions at U.S. Open

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – The gusts that were supposed to blow the U.S. Open field over never materialized Thursday at the U.S. Open.

USGA officials had braced for impact at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, lowering green speeds and syringing putting surfaces in anticipation of windy conditions that were expected to top out with gusts above 30 mph. While the winds were steady for much of the day, they never reached the heights predicted by pre-tournament forecasts – and a two-hour fog delay early in the morning allowed the afternoon wave to play several holes in nearly calm conditions as sunset approached.

When play was halted at 8:26 p.m. ET with half the field still on the course, there were 17 players under par – including six who finished their rounds among the early wave.

While the scorecard carnage expected at the start of the day never truly arrived, Shinnecock Hills still presented a stern test for any players who were even slightly off their game. Here’s a look at Shinnecock by the numbers after an eventful opening day:

• 63: That’s the course record here at Shinnecock, set during the final round in 2018 by Tommy Fleetwood. Wyndham Clark could tie it with a birdie on one of his final two holes when play resumes at 6:35 a.m., or break it with a birdie-birdie finish on Nos. 8 and 9.

• 73.87: The scoring average for the early wave. Contrast that with 72.88 (when play was halted) for the afternoon wave, which was initially expected to face an unfavorable draw disparity because of the gusty winds.

• 97: The number of double bogeys or worse recorded thus far in the opening round. That includes 10 of the dreaded “others” above double bogey.

• 77: That was J.J. Spaun's opener. It represented the highest opening round at the U.S. Open from a defending champion since Rory McIlroy opened with a 7-over 77 at Olympic Club in 2012.

• 10: Consecutive U.S. Open rounds where Scottie Scheffler has failed to break par. It’s a streak that dates back to the final round in 2023 at Los Angeles Country Club. Scheffler is 14-over during that stretch, including a 2-over 72 Thursday.

• 7: The number of players who have shot 29 in U.S. Open history. It’s a list that now includes Keith Mitchell, who is the only player in tournament history to record a nine in the 40s and one in the 20s in the same round. Out in 41 and back in 29, he returned to the clubhouse right back where he started at even par.

• 1: The number of bogey-free rounds (so far). Every player in the 156-man field has dropped at least one shot except for 2021 U.S. Open champ Jon Rahm. The Spaniard still has five holes left in his opening round but is within reach of a clean scorecard – something no one achieved in the opening round here in 2018.

• 14: The number of under-par rounds at the U.S. Open since 2020 for Rory McIlroy, four more than any other player. McIlroy’s 1-under 69 was his 23rd career round in the 60s at this event, tied for second all-time behind only Jack Nicklaus (29).