Wyndham Clark has explained that playing in the wind at Shinnecock Hills is easier than at Augusta National because of how straightforward it is to work out what direction it is going in.
The US Open is going to drive a number of the world’s best players crazy over the next few days. Only a handful of players have ever finished a US Open at Shinnecock Hills under par for the week.
Of course, it is often the most thorough examination of a player’s game. The rough looks to be extremely brutal at Shinnecock Hills, while the green complexes are almost certainly going to catch out those who are struggling with their irons.
But the wind is also going to have a huge say on who emerges victorious this week.
Wyndham Clark compares playing at Shinnecock Hills with Augusta National
When it is calm over Shinnecock, the golf course plays much easier. However, the forecast suggests that ball flight is going to have to be considered before every single shot this week.
The one positive is how simple it is to work out the wind direction. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Wyndham Clark explained why it is easier to contend with than when playing at The Masters.
“If I look at a course that everyone would know, at Augusta, hole 12, because the trees cover the first 100 feet of the golf ball, it doesn’t get hit by the wind. And then it gets above it and the wind might be something different. A lot of times you know, hey, the first-half’s not going to get hit by the wind, only the last half,” he said.
“The one good thing about Shinnecock is there’s no trees on the golf course, so it should be the same at all times. You have a huge American flag right where the clubhouse is, so you can see exactly where the wind’s blowing at all times, which is quite nice.”
The change Wyndham Clark has made to his bag ahead of the US Open
There are arguably too many venues on the PGA Tour that do not ask a variety of questions of players.
Clark himself triumphed at The CJ CUP Byron Nelson earlier this season on a golf course that is largely forgettable in TPC Craig Ranch.
So it is no surprise that a number of players look set to make changes to their bags for the US Open.
Clark suggested that he wanted to include a club that would allow him to keep the ball under the wind more often.
“I typically have a four iron and then I go five wood, three wood, driver. So this week I’m putting in a two iron, especially for the first few days, because we’re going to have some [shots] dead into the wind, and if you hit it high, you never know what the wind’s going to do to the golf ball. So you want to keep the ball really low,” he said.
“Fortunately, we play quite a bit of golf over in the UK on links golf, so you get used to the wind. You get used to hitting it low.”
It certainly appears that even the very best players on the PGA Tour are gearing up for a real battle over the next few days.
Clark will hope that the game-plan he has constructed will secure him a second US Open title.
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