The opening round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills was brought to an abrupt halt on Thursday morning after heavy fog forced officials to suspend play just minutes after the year’s third major got underway.
Tournament organizers halted action at 7:05 a.m. ET due to poor visibility, with play scheduled to resume at 9:05 a.m. ET. The delay came after only 14 players had managed to begin their rounds, leaving much of the field waiting for conditions to improve.
The weather interruption is only the first challenge facing players this week. Strong winds are expected to sweep across Shinnecock Hills later in the day, with gusts forecast to reach 36 mph, potentially turning one of golf’s toughest tests into an even greater examination of skill and patience.
Among those affected by the delay was fan favorite Rickie Fowler, who admitted there was little players could do but wait.
“I’ll just sit and wait. There’s nothing we can do about what we can and can’t see out there,” Fowler said. “I wasn’t expecting low-hanging clouds like this.”
Veteran golfer Padraig Harrington took a more humorous approach to the delay, joking: “I’d just like to go back to bed.”
Only a handful of competitors were able to get started before play was suspended, with Hamilton Coleman sitting two-over par through two holes when the horn sounded.
Scheffler Chasing History
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler enters the championship as the overwhelming favorite and is aiming to complete a career Grand Slam by capturing the only major title missing from his collection.
Scheffler’s impressive form has made him the player to beat, marking the 15th consecutive major championship in which he has arrived as the betting favorite.
The American believes Shinnecock Hills presents a unique challenge, particularly if the forecast winds arrive as expected.
“It may look like a links course. I don’t think it really plays like one,” Scheffler explained. “The challenge is you still have to play a lot of shots into the air and then control your spin in the wind as well.”
McIlroy Looking for Redemption
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy returns to Shinnecock Hills hoping to erase memories of a difficult outing in 2018, when he opened with an 80 and missed the cut.
The World No. 2 has spoken openly about the lessons learned from that disappointing performance and believes the experience helped reshape his approach to major championship golf.
“This course demands so much patience,” McIlroy said earlier in the week. “It can really lure you into taking on things that you probably shouldn’t.”
As play prepares to resume, players face the prospect of battling not only one of the most demanding courses in championship golf but also increasingly difficult weather conditions that could have a major impact on the race for the U.S. Open title.