Acupuncture at Shinnecock: The Ghost of Zach Johnson Still Haunts the USGA

Zach Johnson's comments at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock still influence the USGA. | Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

The ghost of Zach Johnson seemed to hover in the air as USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer admitted the USGA was capitulating to Mother Nature and not allowing golf’s governing body in the states to be part of the storyline this time at Shinnecock.

Time to break out the needles and put away the rollers. It’s time to party like it’s 1995. 

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On the eve of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, fans of the “make the players suffer at the U.S. Open” camp got an unwelcome piece of news: The USGA is purposefully slowing the greens down to around a 10.5 on the Stimpmeter and will be injecting the greens with water using syringes during the first two rounds of the tournament. 

They’ll tell you this is because of the wind. Sure enough, Bodenhamer and USGA CEO Mike Whan combined to say the word wind 28 times in their press conference on Wednesday.

“We began to pivot last Friday night when we began to see the wind forecast,” Bodenhamer said, which is fair enough because wind speeds could gust into the mid-30 MPH range on Thursday. 

But really, the USGA started pivoting in 2018 after Johnson, the Iowan golfer, known more for being a bad Ryder Cup captain than winning two majors, ranted against the course setup when the U.S. Open was last hosted at Shinnecock. 

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"We're not on the edge. I thought we could be on the edge, but we've surpassed it," Johnson said in an interview on Sky Sports after the third round of the 2018 U.S. Open. "It's pretty much gone, especially the latter part of the day for us. It's pretty much shot. It's really unfortunate, because in my opinion, some of the best land and certainly one of the best venues in all of golf, especially in this county, is Shinnecock Hills. It's as good as it gets.

"Unfortunately, they've lost the golf course. I feel for the membership, because I know many of them. I feel for the spectators because they are seeing pure carnage -- unless that's what they want. And I feel for the USGA because I don't think this was their intent.”

Brooks Koepka won that U.S. Open at 1-over par. Phil Mickelson infamously hit a moving ball as it attempted to run off the green on a relatively short putt. The greens looked like a burnt cookie by the end.

The next year, Gary Woodland won at Pebble Beach at 13-under par. The winning score at the U.S. Open has been under par every year since. The average winning score is 6.86 under par in that time. Last year was the closest thing we’ve seen to even, but JJ Spaun made a 64-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole at Oakmont to finish 1-under. 

Similar to Oakmont, Shinnecock is known for being one of the toughest courses in the United States. In four modern-day U.S. Opens, only three total players have finished under par here. The USGA has mentioned that stat more than a few dozen times over in the weeks leading up to this event.

They’ve also been steadfast in wanting the course to play as it was originally designed. That meant widening the fairways from the 2004 and 2018 U.S. Opens. It meant keeping the greens slow in the lead-up to the event. Bodenhamer was originally targeting green speeds in the 11.5-12 range on the Stimpmeter. When he saw the forecast, he pivoted. 

As for the acupuncture on the greens, that is also part of the normal protocol when members play here. Because of the sandy soil on which the greens rest, they dry out faster than most courses. The agronomy team at Shinnecock waters the greens in the mid-afternoon during member play to keep them healthy and playable. While the U.S. Open isn’t a member-guest, they want the greens to play the same for everyone throughout the day. 

Competitive fairness was part of Johnson’s rant eight years ago. The USGA heard the message loud and clear. They adjusted immediately. They've continued to adjust. They're adjusting to ensure they will never be in the way again. 

If only Johnson was playing in this U.S. Open to see it.

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