Ross Kinnaird(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y.—It's nowhere near the Massacre at Winged Foot, but whatever comfortability the U.S. Open field enjoyed last summer at Erin Hills has been dumped in the Long Island Sound. The morning wave at this year's championship came out on the business end of Shinnecock Hills in Round 1, with one player making nine after hitting the green in three, another failing to break 90 and the field (as of writing) averaging a whopping 77.4 strokes.
Which makes us wonder: where does it ranking on golf's hardship spectrum? The list is short, but distinguished.
Getting on Augusta National
Getting on Shinnecock
Getting to Shinnecock
You've heard about the traffic, yes?
Making an eagle
Making an albatross
Making Jason Dufner smile
That one is a stoic bastard.
Outdriving Rory McIlroy
Outdriving Dustin Johnson
Outdriving any pro not named Zach Johnson
Let's be honest, he'd still fly it a mile by you.
Hitting a 1-iron..

Warren LittleAnother Father's Day is here and you need a gift. Like stat. And it can't be another monogrammed golf towel—the guy is practically running his own pool club at this point. So what do you get him? Something to nice to sip on is always a safe bet, and here at The Loop, we believe you can tell a lot about what he'll like by the way he carries himself on the course. From the big hitter to the lucky SOB, we have a gift for just about every golf dad we've met (and a few we haven't), so grab that flask, book that tee time, and get ready for the best (and booziest) Father's Day ever.
For the Dad Who Is Way Too Excited For the Ryder Cup:
FacebookPinterestHas dad’s 2018 Ryder Cup enthusiasm spiraled out of control? Is he pulling for Les Blues at the World Cup this summer, buying stinky cheeses he has no intention of ever eating, and maybe even considering a beret? Then Pierre Ferrand’s Reserve Double Cask Cognac is a no-brainer. Aged in former Banyuls c..

MOSCOW (AP) U.S. Men’s National Team great Landon Donovan tells “PodcastOne Sports Now” co-host Jim Litke as the tournament begins that without the U.S. team in the World Cup, he’s rooting for Mexico and fellow CONCACAF members Costa Rica and Panama.

But the leading scorer and most-capped player ever to don a U.S. jersey also worries that the failure to qualify could mean a generation of American kids may decide not give soccer a second look.

Also on the show: co-host Tim Dahlberg joins Litke and Associated Press golf writer Doug Fergsuon to preview the U.S. Open golf tournament and tries to answer the question on everyone’s mind – how will Tiger Woods fare? On the menu: scavenging the food stands at Heathrow airport.

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SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) The Latest on the U.S. Open’s first round Thursday (all times local):

1:10 p.m.

Twenty-three-year-old Scott Gregory thinks he was just a kid the last time he shot in the 90s.

Article continues below …

”It’s been a long time,” he said after shooting a 22-over 92 on Thursday to take a stranglehold on last place early on in the U.S. Open. ”It’s not the week I wanted to revisit it.”

Although the 2016 British Amateur champion was in one of the earliest groups, there was no one within nine strokes of him on the leaderboard as the afternoon threesomes began to tee off.

His advice for those not yet out on the course: ”You can’t miss it long, short, left or right. If you hit it in the middle, you’re all right.”

Still, it wasn’t all bad for Gregory, who missed the cut in last year’s U.S. Open.

He got to meet Tiger Woods.

”I’ve been waiting for that picture for 15 years,” he said. ”So it’s quite a big deal.”

—

1 p.m.

Early leader Scott Piercy cut short a pract..

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) The Latest on the U.S. Open’s first round Thursday (all times local):

10 a.m.

Masters champion Patrick Reed is off to an up-and-down start to his first round of the U.S. Open.

Article continues below …

Reed, who won his first major title in April, started on the back nine and birdied the 10th and 11th holes. He immediately followed with a bogy, then had another bogey at No. 14 to stand at even par.

His playing partners, Zach Johnson and Charl Schwartzel, both major winners, aren’t doing quite so well. Johnson is 2 over and Schwartzel is 3 over.

—

9:40 a.m.

It’s been a rough go early at the U.S. Open for Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. All three multiple major winners were finding Shinnecock Hills very difficult in the first round.

Mickelson, seeking to complete a career Grand Slam with a win at the U.S. Open, was 3-over par through five holes. Playing partners Spieth, owner of three major titles, was 5 over in the same marquee threesome..

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) The Latest on the U.S. Open’s first round Thursday (all times local):

6:35 p.m.

Dean Burmester figured out a solution to the problem many players at the U.S. Open were having with the greens at Shinnecock Hills.

Article continues below …

He holed out from the fairway for eagle on No. 18, a 485-yard par 4.

Burmester drove 411 yards to the right side of the fairway, leaving himself 103 yards to the hole. His iron went right into the cup, sending the gallery into a huge cheer. The shot helped salvage a difficult back nine for Burmester. He had three bogeys, along with a triple bogey on the par-4 13th hole that dropped him to 7 over.

He finished the day plus-5.

—

6:25 p.m.

Things have gotten ugly on the back nine of the U.S. Open for Tiger Woods.

After rallying to play the final seven holes on the front side in 1-under par following a triple bogey and bogey on the first two holes, Woods fell apart on the greens.

Woods bogeyed the 11th, then made successi..

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) The Latest on the U.S. Open’s first round Thursday (all times local):

6:35 p.m.

Dean Burmester figured out a solution to the problem many players at the U.S. Open were having with the greens at Shinnecock Hills.

Article continues below …

He holed out from the fairway for eagle on No. 18, a 485-yard par 4.

Burmester drove 411 yards to the right side of the fairway, leaving himself 103 yards to the hole. His iron went right into the cup, sending the gallery into a huge cheer. The shot helped salvage a difficult back nine for Burmester. He had three bogeys, along with a triple bogey on the par-4 13th hole that dropped him to 7 over.

He finished the day plus-5.

—

6:25 p.m.

Things have gotten ugly on the back nine of the U.S. Open for Tiger Woods.

After rallying to play the final seven holes on the front side in 1-under par following a triple bogey and bogey on the first two holes, Woods fell apart on the greens.

Woods bogeyed the 11th, then made successi..

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) The Latest on the U.S. Open’s first round Thursday (all times local):

1:10 p.m.

Twenty-three-year-old Scott Gregory thinks he was just a kid the last time he shot in the 90s.

Article continues below …

”It’s been a long time,” he said after shooting a 22-over 92 on Thursday to take a stranglehold on last place early on in the U.S. Open. ”It’s not the week I wanted to revisit it.”

Although the 2016 British Amateur champion was in one of the earliest groups, there was no one within nine strokes of him on the leaderboard as the afternoon threesomes began to tee off.

His advice for those not yet out on the course: ”You can’t miss it long, short, left or right. If you hit it in the middle, you’re all right.”

Still, it wasn’t all bad for Gregory, who missed the cut in last year’s U.S. Open.

He got to meet Tiger Woods.

”I’ve been waiting for that picture for 15 years,” he said. ”So it’s quite a big deal.”

—

1 p.m.

Early leader Scott Piercy cut short a pract..

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) The Latest on the U.S. Open’s first round Thursday (all times local):

10 a.m.

Masters champion Patrick Reed is off to an up-and-down start to his first round of the U.S. Open.

Article continues below …

Reed, who won his first major title in April, started on the back nine and birdied the 10th and 11th holes. He immediately followed with a bogy, then had another bogey at No. 14 to stand at even par.

His playing partners, Zach Johnson and Charl Schwartzel, both major winners, aren’t doing quite so well. Johnson is 2 over and Schwartzel is 3 over.

—

9:40 a.m.

It’s been a rough go early at the U.S. Open for Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. All three multiple major winners were finding Shinnecock Hills very difficult in the first round.

Mickelson, seeking to complete a career Grand Slam with a win at the U.S. Open, was 3-over par through five holes. Playing partners Spieth, owner of three major titles, was 5 over in the same marquee threesome..

Ross KinnairdSOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Scott Stallings has qualified for just one U.S. Open in his career, a surprisingly low number for an eight-year veteran that has collected three victories on the PGA Tour. That first appearance came at Merion in 2013, where he finished in a tie for 53rd. He's got a lot of work to do to top that result after what happened to him at the 14th green on Thursday at Shinnecock.
RELATED: Follow the first-round action from the U.S. Open
Beginning his round on the back nine, Stallings recovered from back-to-back bogeys at the 10th and 11th holes with a birdie at the par-4 12th, but promptly gave that back with another bogey at the 13th. At the long par-4 14th, Stallings found the green in three and faced a 50-footer for par, needing a solid two-putt to take a “good bogey” on one of the toughest holes on the course. Instead, Stallings proceeded to putt it off the back of the green, a putt totaling 96 feet that left him 45 more feet from the hole. That's..