Drew Hallowell

By Golf Digest Editors
Golf fans have waited patiently all summer for the 120th U.S. Open, and the big week is finally here. When the USGA brings its signature championship to a club steeped in history like Winged Foot, there’s an extra level of excitement that even a three-month delay in the proceedings can’t dampen.

Of course, there are things that will different about this year’s U.S. Open. With no fans in the galleries, the atmosphere will be much more subdued, as was the case a month ago at the fanless PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park. Then again, New Yorkers aren’t really that vocal a group, so maybe it won’t be that different. (Kidding!)

What isn’t likely to be different is players facing a stern test of every aspect of their games. Traditionally, U.S. Opens at Winged Foot have meant thick rough, narrow fairways and slick greens—all leading to high scores. Here are the winning scores in the five previous U.S. Opens held at the Mamaroneck, N.Y., club.

1929: Bobby Jones, six over
1959: Billy Casper, two over
1974: Hale Irwin, seven over
1984: Fuzzy Zoeller, four under
2006: Geoff Ogilvy, five over

Expect more of the same from the early reports out of Winged Foot. Jon Rahm visited two weeks and said he was pretty sure over par would once again be a winning score. And in a media call last week, NBC’s Roger Maltbie and David Feherty predicted high scores and “a lot of whining.”

Interestingly, the lack of fans might actually make the course play even harder. Without spectators tramping down the rough way outside the ropes, the penalty for wayward drives is only likely to get worse. Phil Mickelson noted when talking to Golf Digest for our recent oral history on the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot that he was hitting it so bad the galleries became a huge help.

“I was hitting it into the people anyway,” he said. “And I hit it so far off line that I kept finding my ball in trampled-down areas, so that allowed me to hit some shots. This year there won’t be any galleries, so I’m going to have to hit it straight.” [Laughs.]

Players will be competing in threesomes off the first and 10th tees during the first and second rounds next Thursday and Friday. Here are the tee times for both days.

Thursday/First Round

Hole No. 1
6:50 a.m. – Brandon Wu, Curtis Luck, Ryan Fox

7:01 a.m. – Joel Dahmen, Rasmus Hojgaard, J.T. Poston

7:12 a.m. – Chez Reavie, Sung Kang, Kevin Streelman

7:23 a.m. – Jazz Janewattananond, Kevin Na, Matt Wallace

7:34 a.m. – Brendon Todd, Harris English, (a) Davis Thompson

7:45 a.m. – Paul Waring, Victor Perez, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

7:56 a.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth

8:07 a.m. – Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods

8:18 a.m. – Matt Kuchar, Lucas Glover, Graeme McDowell

8:29 a.m. – Charles Howell III, Ryo Ishikawa, Max Homa

8:40 a.m. – Kurt Kitayama, Robert MacIntyre, (a) Sandy Scott

8:51 a.m. – Eddie Pepperell, Troy Merritt, Sami Valimaki

12:10 p.m. – Shaun Norris, Rory Sabbatini, Chan Kim

12:21 p.m. – Adam Long, (a) Eduard Rousaud, Mike Lorenzo-Vera

12:32 p.m. – (a) Lukas Michel, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones

12:43 p.m. – Ryan Palmer, Si Woo Kim, Rafa Cabrera Bello

12:54 p.m. – Joaquin Niemann, Sungjae Im, Cameron Champ

1:05 p.m. – Gary Woodland, (a) Andy Ogletree, Shane Lowry

1:16 p.m. – Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau

1:27 p.m. – Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey, Jon Rahm

1:38 p.m. – Rickie Fowler, Matthew Wolff, Viktor Hovland

1:49 p.m. – Romain Langasque, Davis Riley, Will Zalatoris

2 p.m. – Matthias Schwab, (a) Cole Hammer, Alex Noren

2:11 p.m. – Connor Syme, Paul Barjon, Marty Jertson

Hole No. 10
6:50 a.m. – Daniel Balin, Greyson Sigg, J.C. Ritchie

7:01 a.m. – (a) Ricky Castillo, Brian Harman, Andy Sullivan

7:12 a.m. – Tom Lewis, (a) Preston Summerhays, Jason Kokrak

7:23 a.m. – Martin Kaymer, Jimmy Walker, (a) John Augenstein

7:34 a.m. – Tyler Duncan, Thomas Detry, Erik van Rooyen

7:45 a.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett

7:56 a.m. – Webb Simpson, Sergio Garcia, Jason Day

8:07 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Justin Rose

8:18 a.m. – Ian Poulter, Patrick Cantlay, Steve Stricker

8:29 a.m. – Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners

8:40 a.m. – Sebastian Munoz, (a) Chun An Yu, Justin Harding

8:51 a.m. – Scott Hend, Dan McCarthy, Ryan Vermeer

12:10 p.m. – Richy Werenski, Taylor Pendrith, Renato Paratore

12:21 p.m. – Jim Herman, (a) John Pak, Thomas Pieters

12:32 p.m. – Michael Thompson, Andrew Putnam, Chesson Hadley

12:43 p.m. – Bernd Wiesberger, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith

12:54 p.m. – Lee Westwood, (a) James Sugrue, Bubba Watson

1:05 p.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Daniel Berger, Branden Grace

1:16 p.m. – Tommy Fleetwood, Kevin Kisner, Abraham Ancer

1:27 p.m. – Louis Oosthuizen, Zach Johnson, Keegan Bradley

1:38 p.m. – Billy Horschel, Xander Schauffele, Brandt Snedeker

1:49 p.m. – Shugo Imahira, Byeong Hun An, (a) Takumi Kanaya

2 p.m. – Danny Lee, Mark Hubbard, Lanto Griffin

2:11 p.m. – Stephan Jaeger, Lee Hodges, Adrian Otaegui

Friday/Second Round

Hole No. 1
6:50 a.m. – Richy Werenski, Taylor Pendrith, Renato Paratore

7:01 a.m. – Jim Herman, (a) John Pak, Thomas Pieters

7:12 a.m. – Michael Thompson, Andrew Putnam, Chesson Hadley

7:23 a.m. – Bernd Wiesberger, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith

7:34 a.m. – Lee Westwood, (a) James Sugrue, Bubba Watson

7:45 a.m. – Matt Fitzpatrick, Daniel Berger, Branden Grace

7:56 a.m. – Tommy Fleetwood, Kevin Kisner, Abraham Ancer

8:07 a.m. – Louis Oosthuizen, Zach Johnson, Keegan Bradley

8:18 a.m. – Billy Horschel, Xander Schauffele, Brandt Snedeker

8:29 a.m. – Shugo Imahira, Byeong Hun An, (a) Takumi Kanaya

8:40 a.m. – Danny Lee, Mark Hubbard, Lanto Griffin

8:51 a.m. – Stephan Jaeger, Lee Hodges, Adrian Otaegui

12:10 p.m. – Daniel Balin, Greyson Sigg, J.C. Ritchie

12:21 p.m. – (a) Ricky Castillo, Brian Harman, Andy Sullivan

12:32 p.m. – Tom Lewis, (a) Preston Summerhays, Jason Kokrak

12:43 p.m. – Martin Kaymer, Jimmy Walker, (a) John Augenstein

12:54 p.m. – Tyler Duncan, Thomas Detry, Erik van Rooyen

1:05 p.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett

1:16 p.m. – Webb Simpson, Sergio Garcia, Jason Day

1:27 p.m. – Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Justin Rose

1:38 p.m. – Ian Poulter, Patrick Cantlay, Steve Stricker

1:49 p.m. – Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners

2 p.m. – Sebastian Munoz, (a) Chun An Yu, Justin Harding

2:11 p.m. – Scott Hend, Dan McCarthy, Ryan Vermeer

Hole No. 10
6:50 a.m. – Shaun Norris, Rory Sabbatini, Chan Kim

7:01 a.m. – Adam Long, (a) Eduard Rousaud, Mike Lorenzo-Vera

7:12 a.m. – (a) Lukas Michel, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones

7:23 a.m. – Ryan Palmer, Si Woo Kim, Rafa Cabrera Bello

7:34 a.m. – Joaquin Niemann, Sungjae Im, Cameron Champ

7:45 a.m. – Gary Woodland, (a) Andy Ogletree, Shane Lowry

7:56 a.m. – Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau

8:07 a.m. – Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey, Jon Rahm

8:18 a.m. – Rickie Fowler, Matthew Wolff, Viktor Hovland

8:29 a.m. – Romain Langasque, Davis Riley, Will Zalatoris

8:40 a.m. – Matthias Schwab, (a) Cole Hammer, Alex Noren

8:51 a.m. – Connor Syme, Paul Barjon, Marty Jertson

12:10 p.m. – Brandon Wu, Curtis Luck, Ryan Fox

12:21 p.m. – Joel Dahmen, Rasmus Hojgaard, J.T. Poston

12:32 p.m. – Chez Reavie, Sung Kang, Kevin Streelman

12:43 p.m. – Jazz Janewattananond, Kevin Na, Matt Wallace

12:54 p.m. – Brendon Todd, Harris English, (a) Davis Thompson

1:05 p.m. – Paul Waring, Victor Perez, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

1:16 p.m. – Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth

1:27 p.m. – Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods

1:38 p.m. – Matt Kuchar, Lucas Glover, Graeme McDowell

1:49 p.m. – Charles Howell III, Ryo Ishikawa, Max Homa

2 p.m. – Kurt Kitayama, Robert MacIntyre, (a) Sandy Scott

2:11 p.m. – Eddie Pepperell, Troy Merritt, Sami Valimaki

(a): amateur