In case you’re apprehensive about these U.S. Open greens (or the rest!), you shouldn’t be

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — In case you had been apprehensive about whether or not Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, would discover appropriate companions for some Wednesday-afternoon tune-up golf, right here on the eve of the sixth U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, you possibly can cease worrying.

McIlroy went off the tenth tee slightly after 2 p.m., taking part in with Mason Howell and Hamilton Coleman. Each are 18-year-old native Georgians who will matriculate on the College of Georgia on the finish of summer time, the place they are going to be roommates. Each had tour luggage each bit as huge as Rory McIlroy’s bag.

The fellas chatted simply with McIlroy, 37 and sure for the World Golf Corridor of Fame. Each are McIlroy’s match for swing pace and ball pace and get-on-with-it pace. In the event that they had been intimidated in any respect, there was no outward signal of it. McIlroy made a refined nod when Coleman, who appears to be like to weight about 138 kilos, smashed a driver off 10. Coleman nodded again like this — a apply spherical with among the finest golfers in historical past — is an day by day. Children nowadays. Children!

Ready to play a gap, McIlroy began doing the bouncing ball factor, turning the face of his wedge right into a trampoline, bouncing his ball time and again of its scoring traces till one bounce bought away from him. McIlroy watched as his ball went proper into his golf bag, falling straight to its backside with an instantaneous and audible thud. He supplied a rueful snort and he and his caddie, Harry Diamond, began to tug the golf equipment out of the bag, with a plan to retrieve the ball, earlier than giving up. McIlroy put out his hand for a brand new ball.

All of the whereas, Howell saved doing his personal bouncing ball routine, stopping the ball within the face of his wedge each time he felt prefer it. A form of magic trick, actually — fun-and-games, on the eve of the U.S. Open. Howell was sporting an embroidered belt with ANGC stenciled on it. That’s, the Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership. In April, Howell performed in his first Masters, incomes a spot within the subject, and a spot in Rory McIlroy’s Thursday-Friday threesome, because the U.S. Newbie champion.

If Mason Howell and Hamilton Coleman are two of the outstanding faces of elite American newbie golf for the following couple-three years, elite American newbie golf can be in a superb place, for ability, for poise, for a do-it-right ethos. In case you had been apprehensive about it. Rory McIlroy didn’t agree to hitch these youngsters, half his age, out of happenstance.

In case you had been apprehensive concerning the high quality of the greens, right here at Shinnecock Hills, primarily based on Michael Kim’s feedback or the rest, don’t be. The Korean-born golfer, with a notably energetic social-media life, described the greens as “spongy” and “fairly bumpy” and pockmarked with “aerification holes” in a submit on Tuesday. The greens weren’t spongy by Wednesday afternoon, and Rory & Buddies went round. They weren’t bumpy. The youngsters had been rolling one tumbling putt after one other. The greens had been dotted with darkish healed aerification holes. They’ll do nothing to a well-struck end-over-end putt.

These stunning and sloping William Flynn greens listed here are a wide range of colours, as uncovered greens on windblown programs close to open water usually are. You possibly can see shades of poa and rye and bent on the greens, together with the aeration dots. These should not Oakmont greens or Augusta Nationwide greens. They’re Shinnecock greens and they’re greater than prepared for the take a look at.

In case you had been apprehensive concerning the USGA and the way it will deal with the calls for of placing on a U.S. Open on an uncovered and hilly course with 4 days of wind within the climate forecast, don’t be. For starters, golf is an outside sport (with all due respect to TGL indoor play) and the challenges of climate are elemental components of the sport. Extra to the purpose, this present USGA regime — the president, Kevin Hammer, whose father was a membership professional; the CEO, Mike Whan, who made his manner in golf as an efficient LPGA commissioner; John Bodenhamer, who runs the USGA’s championships and has obsessively watched earlier Shinnecock Opens to be taught what he might — is comfy decreasing inexperienced speeds and protecting the greens moist within the identify of protecting balls on the inexperienced within the wind.

In different phrases, we’re going to get 72 holes of golf in, over these subsequent 4 days, and will probably be good, by which we imply will probably be attention-grabbing. So don’t fear. As the children say, or used to, it’s all good.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your feedback at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com