tommy does golf
A golf podcast covering everything and anything in the world of golf. 3 PGA golf professionals (with over 100 years worth of worldwide experience in the industry) share their opinions on topical golf content from around the globe. It's random, light-hearted banter and we hope it's informative and easy listening.
tommy does golf
US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW AND QUIZ
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It’s US Open time, baby. And not just any US Open—this is Shinnecock Hills. Rock-hard fairways, lightning-fast greens, and that brutal New York wind that’ll snap a scorecard in half before you can say “double bogey.” Tommy and the crew are doing what they do best: getting absolutely stuck in.
Here’s how this belter of an episode rolls. First up? A quiz that’ll separate the US Open diehards from the casuals. Think you know your Shinnecock history? Your Payne Stewart moments? Your Raymond Floyd masterclasses? The lads are battling it out, and trust us—it gets messy.
Then we go deep. Not that fluffy “oh the rough is long” nonsense. We’re talking hole-by-hole breakdowns. Which par-3 is a card-wrecker? Where do you absolutely need to be in regulation? And why is the wind at Shinnecock the real defending champion? We lay it all out so you can sound like the smartest punter in the clubhouse.
After that? Tips. The good stuff. Who’s lifting that trophy on Sunday night? The lads name their horses—the power picks, the value plays, and the one long shot you might actually take some money off the bookies with.
This episode is an absolute humdinger. A proper belter. Whether you’re backing a big name or hoping for a chaos winner, you walk away educated, hyped, and ready for Thursday 18 June.
So grab a brew, get the lads on loud, and tune in. The US Open preview starts right here—Tommy and the crew, Shinnecock Hills, and one wicked good time. Let’s go.
To learn more about us or to get in touch head to: tommydoesgolf.com
Welcome to Tommy Does Golf, the podcast where three old timers give you our opinions on everything golf. I'm Tommy Long, joined by fellow PGA professionals James Morgan and Paul Charman. With over a hundred years and counting in the golf industry between us, we are well into our back lines. We'll do our best to stay on topic, but just like our teashots these days, this podcast could go anywhere. We're hoping you enjoy the banter, and maybe, just maybe, we'll share a few pearls of wisdom along the way. Let's get into it. Welcome to our US Open preview. The 126th US Open begins on June the 18th at the legendary Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. In this episode, we'll unpack the host venue and give you our tips on who we think lifts the trophy and the reasons why. But before all of that, back by popular demand, a quiz, US Open history, Shinnicok specifics, and a few curveballs thrown in. If quizzes aren't your thing, skip ahead. But this is where we start. So without further ado, fellas, are you ready? Bring it on. Shinnokok Hills is one of five founding clubs of the USGA. What year was the club founded?
SPEAKER_02James. 1891.
SPEAKER_00He's got it. He's got it. Bang on. He's got it. Bang on. Okay, well that was a good start, boys. Maybe there's a sign of things to come. In 1995, Corey Paven hit a legendary shot on the 72nd pole to seal his win. Which club did he hit from 228 yards?
SPEAKER_01James, you died to tell me that.
SPEAKER_02I don't know, it's either a three or a five would.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna go between the two. Split the difference. I'm gonna go ahead and go forward, go forward. It was a forward.
SPEAKER_00It wasn't forwards. Perfect. Alright. Next question. Brooks Kepko won the 2018 US Open at Shinnokok Hills. What was his winning score? Anyone? James. 2-8-1, one over. Fantastic. It was good knowledge, boys.
SPEAKER_02And he won by one shot from Tommy.
SPEAKER_00Was that the year Tommy shot 64 in the final rounds? Something like that. He shot the name round the tour. Pretty good. Alright. How many times has Shinnicok hosted the US Open?
SPEAKER_01Paul. I'm pretty sure it's five. The next one coming up will be six. This one's this year. Correct? Yes. Correct.
SPEAKER_02In a Fortnite six, yeah.
SPEAKER_001896, 1986, 95, 2004, 2018, and this year 2026. And you know when it's going to be then next? I have no idea. 2036. Is it really? It's already booked in. Yeah. Good nudge. Alright. Okay, I think I might have shot myself in the foot by giving a bit of a game away, but here we go. Who shot a 64 in the final round of the 2018 US Open at Shinnokog Hills? The lowest round in US Open competition at that course.
SPEAKER_01Right, anybody, come on.
SPEAKER_02We've just hang on a second.
SPEAKER_01Was that the year Brooks Kept Call one by any chance? I'll tell you what, you've remembered both of those. Who was it? Was it Tommy Flick? It was Tommy Fleet. Wow. Well done.
SPEAKER_00Okay, let's go for a little bit of in-depth knowledge about the US Open as a whole, okay? Four golfers have won the US Open four times. Name two of them. Anybody?
SPEAKER_02Well, I'm gonna have to go Jack Nicholas and Tiger Woods.
SPEAKER_00Jack Nicholas is on there. Oh, Tiger's not. There's three other names. Come on. Who do we think? James is on the game. I'm gonna guess Ben Hogan. Ben Hogan was. Alright, so we've got Jack Nicholas and Ben Hogan. I'll give you the other two. Bobby Jones.
SPEAKER_01Bobby Jones.
SPEAKER_00Willie Anderson. Alright. Okay. Alright then. Here's a question for you. Who is the only golfer to win the US Open five times? Five times? You don't know. I don't know. Okay, well that was my trick question. Nobody's won it five times. Sorry about that, but I had to throw one in, didn't I? Who won the 1913 US Open as a 20-year-old amateur shocking the golf world?
SPEAKER_01Was he South Africa?
SPEAKER_00He was not. That's that great book and movie. Brilliant. It's a brilliant book. Absolutely. Yeah, brilliant movie. Here's one for you, boys. I expect you to get this because I know you watch a bit of golf, right? So who is the most recent golfer to win back-to-back US Open titles? It's Brooks Kepka. It is Brooks Kepka. 2017-2018. Unreal. Pretty good that. Okay. What is the lowest 72 hole score in US open history and who shot it?
SPEAKER_02Anyone?
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_02My go-to is always Tiger for all these records.
SPEAKER_00Neil always goes Tiger, but Neil's in the Seychelles at the moment. Via Luton. Yeah, via Luton. It wasn't Tiger Woods. Oh no, it was Rory McElroy. Oh at Congressional in 2011. Finished 16 under par. Yes. But Brooks Kepka also finished at Aaron Hills in 2017. Okay. Who shot the first 62 in US Open history and at which course?
SPEAKER_01This is a shot in the dark, but Johnny Miller?
SPEAKER_00No, it's not Johnny Miller.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oh 2023. Oh Los Angeles Country Club. Oh. Ricky Fowler. Oh. And Xander Shoffer. They both did it. By 62. They both did it in the first round of the 2023 US Open Los Angeles Country Club. Wow. Alright. Tiger Woods won the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach by 15 shots. The largest margin in US Open history. What was his winning score? James. 1200. It was. 272. Brilliant. Here's one. Bit of geography. Oh. Which state has hosted the most US opens? Oh god. I'm gonna go to New York. It has. Absolutely. I'd like to actually say that I followed that up and found out how many it had, but I didn't. So sorry everybody. Let's go to another question. Which course has hosted the US Open the most times? Which course has hosted the US Open the most times? Paul. Would that be Oakmont? It would be. Do you know how many times it's held it? Gonna say ten. Correct. Good knowledge, mate. Good knowledge. Okay, in second place currently, what would the course be? Just for a bit of silly knowledge. Okay, Balters Roll. She's held it seven times. Wow. And then we have Pebble Beach on six, Wingedfoot also on six, Oakland Hills on six, and after this event, soon to be Shinnicok will be on six. Right. You're gonna get this. Which golfer won the US Open in three different decades?
SPEAKER_02It has to be Jack.
SPEAKER_00Jack won it in 62, 67, 72, and 1980, which meant that he did the 60s, the 70s and snuck into the 80s. Fantastic. I mean that's all right, okay. Next one. Who won the US Open in 1991 and 1999? James, that gesture, I know you've got this. Give it to us. It's Payne Stewart. It is Payne Stewart. I was gonna do the legendary Payne Stewart for the bonded. Amazing. Alright. Here's one for you. It's a good one. Not for the player involved. Which golfer holds the record for the most runner-up finishes in the US Open without ever winning? Come on, Paul. I'm gonna say big Phil Mickelson. Correct. How many bridesmaids dresses did he have? Not a hundred percent sure.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna say three.
SPEAKER_00Double it.
SPEAKER_01Six. Six. Six. No james.
SPEAKER_00Six. Wow. Okay. Now here's a really good one. Who started the final round seven shots behind the leader in 1960 at Cherry Hills and became the champion? James. Arnold Palmer? Was Arnold Palmer? Well done. Do you know who the runner-up was? I have no idea, didn't go that deep. Who was an amateur? Jack Nicholas. It was Jack at the time, was it? He was a runner-up in the changing of the guard. Alright, okay, so that's the end of the quiz. I hope everyone listening in enjoyed playing along. Fellas, regardless of whether or not you stooled up beforehand, you both did better than I thought you would, so fair play. Okay. It's time for me to share what I've learned about the golf course. Yet again, I've spent way too many late nights down the rabbit hole on this one because Shinnecock Hills isn't just a golf course, it's a piece of American history. We're talking about a club founded all the way back in 1891. It's one of the five founding clubs of the USGA itself. They built what's widely considered the first purpose-built golf clubhouse in America right here, a shingled beauty from the legendary firm McKim Mead and White that still sits on that hill looking out towards the Atlantic Ocean. But don't let the vintage charm fool you. Shinnecock Hills is the oldest incorporated golf club in the United States, and the course evolved in layers. Willie Davis designed the original 12-hole course in 1891. Willie Dunn expanded it to 18 holes and remodelled the layout in 1895. C.B. MacDonald and Seth Rayner made revisions in 1917, but the modern beast we see today, that relentless routing and those sloping greens, was sculpted by William Flynn in 1931. Flynn completely overhauled the design, establishing the modern championship layout. Then in the early 2010s, Korr and Crenshaw led a major restoration, primarily completed by 2012. They were hired to return the course closer to Flynn's original 1930s vision. Their work included removing trees, widening fairways, restoring fescue rough, expanding greens and adding back T's to lengthen the course for the 2018 US Open. So the course you see today is Flynn's Bones restored by Core and Crenshaw. Shinnecock plays as a past 70, but don't be fooled by that number into thinking it's a pitch and puck. Expect the USGA to push this beast to roughly 7,450 yards. Shinnecock consists of 12 par 4s, 4 par 3s, and only 2 par 5s, and those two par 5s, the fifth and the 16th, are monsters. The 16th can stretch beyond 600 yards. You're not sniffing that green in two when the wind is howling off the bay. So what does this golf course demand? Well, the one-word answer is everything, but specifically it demands survival. Statistically, in 2004, the final round scoring average was right around 79 strokes. That's carnage. The course is a link style layout that sits on sandy soil. So the ball will run out, but the rough is that classic US open jungle. The defining feature, however, is the wind. It whips across the property because the routing changes direction constantly across this exposed piece of land. You can have a wedge in your hand, but a gust will come up, and the next minute you're switching to a five-iron. Now we have to talk about the greens because they can be brutal. In 2004, the famous seventh hole, roughly 190 to 200 yards of pure slope, depending on setup, the green got so baked out and glassy that the USGA had to run out and water it during the final round because balls were repeatedly rolling off the putting surface. That's the only time I can recall that happening in the US Open. So who's going to win? Well, they're going to have to be a scrambler. Sorry, but the guy who hits 18 greens in regulation, they don't exist here. You're going to have to be creative. You're going to have to have soft hands around the greens. And you're also going to have to have the grits to take your medicine. Corey Pavin hit a forward from 228 yards on the 72nd hole in 95 to seal the win. That tells you everything. Nothing is given around this golf course. You don't need to be the longest hitter, but you'll certainly need to be the smartest hitter. You'll definitely need distance control with your irons into these sloping greens. You'll also need a caddy who can read wind shifts on exposed land. Shinnok rewards local knowledge more than almost any other open golf course. So to summarise my thoughts, Shinnicok is a strategic, windy, sandy, brutal test of patience. It suits a player who can flight the ball down, who has an elite short game, and who isn't afraid to par the par fives. Fellas, anything to add?
SPEAKER_01I've got a little story here that I thought some of our loyals might be interested in. It's a little story about the shortest par five in the world. And this particular hole is the 11th McShinacok. It's a par three actually, but it's infamously challenging. This par three plays anywhere between 150 and 160 yards. And it's dubbed a par five by professionals and caddies alike because of its elevated, severely sloping green and surrounded by deep bunkers. It often takes players five shots to safely navigate this hole. Yeah, just a little bitty for you.
SPEAKER_00So let's hope they've got the cameras up on that hole and we have a bit of wind coming in off the Atlantic to make the emergency. I've actually got a uh a long-range weather forecast at this point.
SPEAKER_02Have you? Yeah. Give it to us. So on the Thursday, it's going to be winds of 18 to 27 kilometres an hour, but with a little bit of drizzle. Okay. Like one to three mils. Then on the Friday, it's going to be just as windy again, but with five mils of rain. Only 20 degrees each day, 21 on Sunday. But then on Saturday, the wind's going to get up to 22 to 33 with no rain. So if they dry those greens out, Sunday, the wind at this point is going to be 26 to 39 kilometers an hour. So they're going to have to be very careful where they put the pins because the ball could be blown off the green and stuff like that. So scoring will probably be good on the Thursday and the Friday in the softer conditions, and as they dry that golf course out, buckle up. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, I don't know where you got that long-term forecast from, but I don't really care because it's probably going to be as accurate as anything that the professionals come up with. So I'm going to go with that one. It's interesting that you mentioned the weather because I think in another podcast, especially when we were talking about the open, you were saying if you get the wrong side of the draw, it can kind of take half the field out of play. Now I've watched a little bit of stuff on YouTube in the past week on that golf course, and there is no doubt, because of where it's located, that that wind off the Atlantic is going to blow in and it's going to wreak havoc. So the wind will be a key factor. James, you picked Bryson DeChambeau to win this one at the start of the year, but what I want to do is come to you now and ask you who else you have for this one.
SPEAKER_02James, over to you. Well, I picked Bryson at the end of last year, based on the fact that he was practicing his wedges, his long game had been good. But recently he's been asking Google for swing tips. He's been on AI for Google Gemini. So has he really? He has. And unfortunately so. He's paying $21 and I'm not going to waste a cent on him. But that was a long-range pick. I've got a long list of could bees. There's one that's going to be with my heart, which is Tyrrell Hatton. Yeah. He's just won on the Live Tour in Spain, Valorama, which is a tough course. So he's ready in that tough mentality. So I've got him as one of my picks at $34. Okay. So he's obviously going to be hitting the ball well to score rounds. And then I'm going to go with Si Wu Kim. Now he has got some putting problems at the moment, but he seems to be overcoming those. He's one of the best ball strikers on tour. His numbers for ball striking and everything else are brilliant. His putting is horrendous. So he gets that sorted and he gets his brain sorted by the fact that it's going to blow and he's going to miss putts. I think he's got a really, really good chance. Okay, so what artist CW did he buy? Sea who's 51. I know where he wanted to do two, but I do want to sneak another little one in with the heart, which is Ludwig. Okay. Ludwig Ober. I just feel like he's got the perfect mentality for it. He just seems to go with the flow, but has he got the balls for it?
SPEAKER_00Us Europeans would love to see him get across the line because he's almost getting to that stage where you feel like if he just breaks through, he could win a hatful. But he's almost getting to that stage where he kind of almost needs to, doesn't he? He needs to get one in the back.
SPEAKER_02I'd I'd give him another four or five years. Yeah, I'd let him get to third.
SPEAKER_00I'm talking though, you know, when when Donald picked him for the rider cup, he just said he's going to be prolific. And I'm thinking if he's going to be prolific, he's got to start notching him up, hasn't he?
SPEAKER_02And the problem is we've seen him in the last few months in with a shout with 18 holes to go and not put it over the line.
SPEAKER_00So it's almost a little bit like Victor Hopland, you know, he was hot for two, three years there, and everyone was willing him to get one over the line. And we know he did really, really well, won the FedEx Cup. I'm not saying that Victor won't won't win one, but you kind of feel like he has kicked on. Do you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02And the problem now is he's gone searching, so he's just changing swing, he's changing equipment, he's changing his underpants. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00We'll come back to some of your probables in a moment. I'll go to Paul now. Paul, you picked Justin Rose for this one, start of the year. Yeah. So you've obviously still got him in play. Who else have you gone for in this? Again, I've got a list. So give us your give us your two. If you were gonna go and have a bet. So we'll keep Rosie there. Keep Rosie. Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I'm actually gonna give you three. Right, okay. John Ron. Okay. Okay. I think he's 14 to 1, roughly. I'm not 100% sure, but I know he's like right up there, top two, top three, one of the favourites. Then I'm gonna stick with my main man, Mr. Minro Lee. Yes. I'm gonna keep it. Well, the moment you don't back at me when you throw it. Exactly, that's exactly my thinking. And then as a complete outsider, I'm not gonna mention the guy's name straight away, but I'm just gonna give you a little bit of background. Yes, okay, I like this. So this this kid, okay, he's 23 years old, comes from Spain. Oh, he shot 66, 66 round Walton Heath to qualify. Oh he came second to an English player called Nathan Kimsey. Alright. Now, this Spanish kid, he has a great name. His name is Rocco Repetto Taylor, and he is 750 to 1. Now the interesting thing is that there's only a handful of people that have won having qualified. Okay. Can you name the last person to win from qualifying? Okay, it was Lucas Glover, but interestingly enough, our very own Michael Campbell. Cambo, yeah. Was he a qualifier?
SPEAKER_00So therefore Walton Heath Campbell, get in there.
SPEAKER_01Do you see what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_02But just as an aside, they do have a qualifier at Walton Heath every year.
SPEAKER_01Yes, it's very true. And also notice that I didn't go for a South African player. Just in case they weren't playing. But there you're three. You're learning.
SPEAKER_00All right. Alright. Scottie Scheffler, and it's his 30th birthday on Sunday. Does he become the seventh player in modern history to complete the career slant? Hasn't won one this year. Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see how he goes. He's there or thereabouts, but I don't know. Again, the side of the draw he gets could determine whether he's going to go right. The next person that I went for, who I think stands a chance, we already mentioned earlier that he had a 64-round desk golf course is Tommy Fleetwood because I like the punch shots that Tommy plays. So I think he's a chance, Tommy. Love to see him do it. But his other player, I always go for Patrick Reed. A little bit like you, Paul, with seeing Mimuli. You go for Mimwu Lee, I go for Patrick Reed. Just because he's a grinder, he's got a great short game, great putter. But the other player that I thought, you know what? I think he's got a major in him is Chris Gotterup. Yeah. He won the Scottish Open 2025. I looked at him and he has that piercing ball flight. He's very good at controlling the spin on his wedges, which prevents them from ballooning into the wind. Good putter, and he's one of those players that once he gets up the front, he's a good front runner. He hangs in there. And I looked at him and I'm pretty sure I saw him about 41, 41 to 1, 35. That's 41 as Patrick Reed. So I'm I'm thinking Chris Goder up would be a chance, you know. And if he gets up there, home crowd gonna get behind him. So yeah, but we go back to you, James. Give us another couple that you've got on your list.
SPEAKER_02There's one other that I haven't backed, but it's Xander Shoffler. Now his record in the open over the last seven odd years. Tide third, fifth, tied seventh, fourteenth, tenth, seventh, and twelfth. So it's pretty consistent. That is steady for a US Open in lots of different courses, lots of different conditions.
SPEAKER_00And he's class, isn't he? I mean, he's a class human as well as a class golfer. I mean, he doesn't lose his rag. I think he's fantastic, Xander. Loves Ender.
SPEAKER_02My nemesis, Ryan Fox. Foxy, yeah. Foxy, he's paying 176. So what I think I'm gonna do, just for Foxy's sake, I'm gonna back him to miss the cut. So that pretty much guarantees that. He will make it cut. Because every time I back him to miss.
SPEAKER_00I never back Foxy only because I don't want to jinx him. No. I mean, we want him to win every week, don't we? But at the end of the day, I don't back him because I don't want to jinx it.
SPEAKER_02He's been hitting the ball really, really good. He's just his putting's been letting him down. If he could just get something to get, I'd love to see him finish in a top ten.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02That would be so cool. So cool.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I actually looked at the topography of this golf course, and it's fantastic. I mean, they're playing approach shots 60 metres above them, and you just think to yourself, you have got to be so on your game with where the wind's at because if you get it wrong, you're back down the slope and you're leaving yourself a blind third on a path four. So caddies are gonna have to be on their game. It's gonna be very, very interesting. But that's pretty much a wrap on our US Open preview. Thanks, boys. That's just a good job. If you've made it this far, we hope it's because you've enjoyed listening to Tommy Does Golf. To make sure you never miss our podcast, please hit follow. For more of our content or to get in touch, head to TommyDuzzGolf.com. So until next time, no matter how you're playing, smile, laugh, and most important of all, enjoy the walk.