We knew we were in for a treat when Zach Johnson’s birdie putt at No. 1 blew six feet past the flagstick before it gave into gravity, turned 180 degrees and lazily dunked itself.
Because you rarely see shots like that outside of miniature golf courses.But that’s a U.S. Open at Winged Foot for you: 7,400-plus yards of slimmed down fairways, flanked by three-months-gnarlier-than-usual rough and a handful of greens that could be covered overnight with asphalt and converted into serviceable skateboard parks by morning.
Not coincidentally, the big question heading into Round 1 was whether the century-old course would prove too tough even for the world’s best golfers.