2018 US OPEN: Shinnecock Hills in N.Y.

I'm all pumped up for this year's US Open starting tomorrow morning early. I love golf.....one of the most difficult sports and the oldest sport still being played today. All the big names will be here......from all over the world. This year's US Open will be played on a true Open Course that has proved itself over time. There will be the new "young guns" from the PGA tour and the older established Champions in the field trying one more time to capture that elusive US Open title. Tiger Woods will be teeing off early in hopes of making his 2018 comeback attempt become a reality with another Open win here. He looks like his game is coming around.....and so does Phil Michelson's......he's never won the Open Championship before.There are so many story lines and scenarios with so many different players......it will certainly be a worthwhile watch for golf fans this Father's Day Weekend. I'm not sure yet who I'm really wanting to see win it....deep down. I'm probably wanting to see Michelson win it to complete his career Grand Slam......he lacks only an Open win to do it. Of course, I like Jordan Speith alot.....but he's still very young and has so many good years ahead of him. Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm the young Spaniard sensation, Justin Rose of England, Rory McIroy of Scotland......all of these players and more. The young phenom Brooks Koepka, last year's champion, and even San Antonio's Jimmy Walker are all viable competitors to watch. Past US Open Champions will be in the field.....it's fun to see these guys play in the tournament. Yippie!!! I love golf......a sport that can be played your entire lifetime.

Playing Shinnecock Hills is like playing a beast......Rickie Fowler and Jordan Speith have not yet played here in an Open before......but almost every golfer highly respects this course as one of the true most difficult but fair tests of the best golfers in the world. They have all been here since Monday even last week checking it out......all it's nuances, the greens, the slopes, the fairways, the rough......taking in all they can about this wondrous and very very difficult golf course. I would say the winning score may be as high as only 2 under to 5 under par......a very very high number in today's game for four rounds of golf from the Pros.

The course record is 63......but not with the way this course has been altered for today's game with the longer tees and set up for the Open for the Pros. Besides.....try shooting back to back scores in the 60's here......good luck with that!! It's a par 70 course.....7445 yds and even more with the setup for this year's 118th US Open field.

With the greens being like saucers with severe slopes and not being able to hold shots like the normal PGA course with "target" golf......chipping and putting will be at a premium. If the wind picks up like the course is meant to play......look out! The greens will dry out and the setup will cause even more problems for these professionals. The rough has been "trimmed".....hahaha.....just to "ease" the penalty of missing the fairway. You will not believe the "rough". It's rough allright......bring your grass whacker to get out......IF you can find the ball. Luckily, the Pros have "spotters" and fans to help some of the time.....just depends on where the ball ends up.

The Shinnecock Hills Clubhouse was built in 1892......the oldest structure in the US built as a clubhouse......just to give you an idea of the history this place is revered for in golf.

Highball hitters......not drunks,LOL......but players that can hit the ball very high and land it softly with spin.....will have a slight advantage this week playing Shinnecock.....until the wind picks up.

Since the US OPEN is a sanctioned USGA event......the "OPEN" means this championship is open to amateurs that qualified in different tournaments around the nation to play in this year's tournament. Same with some players off the Web.com tour.....a few have qualified to play in this year's US Open......a great and highly-sought distinction for the non-PGA player. There are many PGA tour member-players that have not "qualified" to play in this year's Open......you have to have qualified in at least one of the various categories required to play in this tournament each year. Invitations are extended to certain players.....depending on past history and other situations.....if spots are available because of other qualifiers that may have opened up some spots in the field......just depends on who and what, when and why.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Course is located about 90 miles east of New York City on Long Island in Shinnecock Hills, NY. This year, the USGA has decided to change the format to Sudden Death Playoff instead of an 18-hole playoff IF there is a tie after 72 holes played. 156 players will start play in this year's field trying to make the cutline for the weekend.

You will not see tree-lined fairways......Shinnecock Hills was designed and built and has been renovated several times over the decades to play like a true links-style course off the East Coast somewhat like British Open venues. The wind will blow here......just depends on how much and how the weather plays out this weekend. Predictions are for a somewhat docile and slightly wet(soft greens) First Round becoming drier and windier as the weekend unfolds.

Naturally......the early teetimes will benefit more on Day One than the later afternoon teetimes.....but the teetimes reverse order on Day Two to "even out" as much as possible any advantages or disparities. The threesome pairings will remain the same the first two rounds until qualifying for the weekend has finalized. Then the pairings are reset according to scores.....the highest teeing off earliest each day as the pairings are reshuffled over the last two rounds according to accumulated scores after Friday's and Saturday's rounds.

The USGA will allow a "local rule" to be invoked in this year's Open to remove any loose impediments in the bunkers like stones that can be removed as a movable object that impedes the golfers' fair play.

You can tune-in to live coverage beginning at 6:00 AM Thursday morning(today) on the Golf Channel with Live From the U.S. Open. At 8:30 AM.....you can switch channels to FS1HD to watch the early pairings tee off and begin play in this year's U.S. Open. On my cable network, that's channel 65 and channel 311......but you'll have to check your own programming to get this network airing. Coverage will air until 3:30 PM on this network . Then live coverage will be picked up locally here in Dallas by Channel 4 KDFW until 6:30 PM Central time. This is a CBS affiliate station in the DFW area owned by Fox Network. I believe coverage times and stations will remain the same for Thursday and Friday's rounds, then change to the CBS weekend coverages.

Looks like starting Saturday morning the Golf Channel will air coverage beginning at 6 AM until 10 AM, then CBS will pick up the coverage at 10 AM and air the tournament action all day long on the weekend until 6 PM Central time. Each evening you can go to the Golf Channel for reports and analysis of that day's action.

Now they are saying on the Golf Channel that there will be no advantage for the early teetimes today because the wind will be blowing at 30 mph clips starting early(right now) and blow all day long.......how do you like them apples, Huh?

BTW......Phil Michelson is now 48 yrs. old and is rated this season as the best putter on the PGA Tour. Unbelievable for a golfer of his age with all the young phenoms out there. We all know how well he is around the green chipping and his sand play, and his putting thru the years. But that's really an unbelievable stat for his age to actually maintain and even improve his putting to lead the Tour this season in that category. He's a fan favorite at this venue and with New Yorker fans in general. Good Luck Phil......I'm pulling for you too if you are in contention the final round. Look out for Jason Day this year too.....he's got what it takes to do well on this particular course with these conditions.