While the rest of the field succumbed to Winged Foot, Reed fought back. Which is how golf’s lone wolf was the only one howling after 36 holes, Reed’s temerity and fortitude rewarded with the halfway lead.
The first green has so much hustle and flow, the USGA specifically tells players that its handling it differently than the other 17th, maintaining it a slower speed so that the ridiculousness doesn’t become too sublime.
Since he began his US Open quest as a professional in 1992 at Pebble Beach – where he missed the cut – it’s only the fourth time that Mickelson will not be a part of the most compelling part of this show.
Confidence is key at the US Open, where ejection lurks at every corner of the golf course. If you are not fully committed to every shot, you will get exposed.
The word “test” is used ad nauseam when describing the US Open, but no matter where it’s contested the answer key remains the same: accuracy, patience, fortitude, power.
Rough has long been a useful tool for creating demanding setups and for tournaments that hope to test a certain skill set, but other appeals of the game are sacrificed when the measure of success is relegated to hitting the ball to predetermined positions.
Whether or not you agree with the logic behind filling the 2020 US Open field, it has indisputably produced the most delightfully diverse field of any golf tournament this year.
In a rapidly changing world, golf’s resumption of play no longer feels new but routine – and this week’s US Open is the expected continuation of the success that came before it.
Last week, Dustin Johnson capped an incredible month and the 2019-2020 PGA Tour season by winning his first FedEx Cup. Overnight, he picked up more hardware.
Like any internet sensation, an act like this runs the risk of growing tired or stale. That could not be further from the case with Harrop, who outdoes himself every time he sits down at the piano.