This is the hidden brilliance of the USGA. The things they do may be wrong, but they function as a bright spotlight, exposing the most sanctimonious, whine-prone players in the sport.
Rickie Fowler finished tied for fifth at the US Open, his sixth career top-five in the past 24 Majors and first since 2014, when he joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to finish in the top-five in all four Majors in the same year.
The rough at Erin Hills seems to look nastier than it seems to be playing, and that would seem to violate one of the USGA’s long-held US Open tenets for the infamous “cost of rough” penalty.
Not that those competing at Erin Hills today need extra incentive to grab the trophy. But for whoever finishes as the US Open winner, life will get a little richer.