Pinehurst is never lacking from a storyline when it comes to U.S. Open week, and there are already several emerging after two days of practice. The biggest one so far is how the weather is going to impact play.
Tuesday’s practice round so temperatures climbing near 90 degrees with only light winds and high humidity. It’s only going to get hotter as the week switches to tournament play on Thursday.
For Tiger Woods, he doesn’t see this as a problem, but rather an advantage. With multiple surgeries and recovery periods under his belt, cold temperatures and rain have proven to be his nemesis at some tournaments. Here though, Tiger says it’ll be like home.
“It’s like home. Hot and humid is what we deal with every single day at home in Florida, so that’s
nothing new,” Woods said during Tuesday’s news conference. “It’s just making sure that I keep hydrated and the mental tax that the heat will bring. It’s going to bring it to all of us, not just me. Everyone is going to be tested.”
That test is more what Woods and others say they are worried about. Pinehurst No. 2 is unforgiving. Mistakes prove costly on a dry U.S. Open course here.
“It’s going to make for long rounds with the falloffs and run-offs on the greens,” Woods said. “The rounds time-wise are going to be a little bit longer. Then when you’re out in the heat for that length and period of time, that’s going to take a little bit of wear and tear on you.”
Wednesday will bring the final shot for the golfers to get some experience on the course before tournament play starts Thursday. One golfer who will not be playing the rest of the week is the former No. 1 player in the world Jon Rahm. Rahm withdrew from the tournament Tuesday, thanks to an infection on his toe he said he couldn’t work past.
“The infection is now controlled, but there’s still swelling and there’s still pain,” Rahm said. “There’s a reason I walked out here in a shoe and a flip-flop, trying to keep the area dry and trying to get that to heal as soon as possible. But I can only do what I can do. The human body can only work so fast.”
