England attempted to move on from the Ben Stokes controversy with a solid opening day of the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval.
Captain Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson are unavailable pending an investigation into an incident in a London nightclub following England’s win in the first Test.
Without them, an England team captained by Joe Root, with five changes from the first Test and including three debutants, worked hard to leave New Zealand 291-7 at the close on a true batting surface.
The efforts justified Root’s decision to field first on a damp, humid morning. Sonny Baker, one of the trio of new caps, picked up 2-63 and Jofra Archer was unlucky to claim only one wicket – he bowled a rapid and exhilarating spell late in the day.
Glenn Phillips was the unfortunate recipient of Archer’s thunderbolts, somehow surviving to reach 49 not out. At the other end, Jacob Bethell burgled two wickets with his left-arm spin.
Daryl Mitchell, who was dropped on two, made 44 and Tom Blundell 51, but a number of the tourists’ top order were guilty of wasting good starts.
A rare Cozumel fox has been photographed in Cancun, proving that the species is not extinct as previously feared. While the elusive critter was snapped in 2023, the seminal photos were only recently released to the public via a study published in Neotropical Biology and Conservation.
“Seeing this fox standing there, calm and beautiful in its natural habitat, felt almost unreal,” wildlife Rafael Chacón told Smithsonian magazine of the “unforgettable” sighting, which occurred along Cozumel’s coastal highway.
The resultant blurry photo of the critter, which was captured and released by park officials following a health assessment, marked the first time this elusive creature had ever been caught on camera.
The critter (pictured) was captured and released following a health assessment. Jam Press/Rafael Chacón
It was also the first confirmed sighting since 2001 of the the enigmatic predator, which is found exclusively the on Cozumel, an island off of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Also known as the dwarf fox, these miniature canines are up to 40% smaller than their mainland-dwelling gray fox counterparts, per a recent statement.
In fact, they evolved from gray foxes that lived on the island for thousands of years and turned into fun-size versions of themselves, much like the pygmy raccoon — another dwarf animal that’s endemic to Cozumel.
The foxes are found exclusively on the island of Cozumel, located off the Yucatan Peninsula. Jam Press/Neotropical Biology and Conservation journal
Unfortunately, not much else is known about the diminutive predator’s population.
No “species-specific” survey has ever been conducted while the only known physical evidence comes from 500 to 1,500-year-old remains dug from Mayan archaeological repositories, per the study.
While the photo confirms that the Cozumel fox is alive, the species is likely not well.
“It is considered critically endangered by scientific consensus and likely on the brink of extinction,” the researchers write.
This is perhaps unsurprising given the abundant threats facing the animals, including getting run over by cars and predation from feral dogs and cats.
In light of the recent sighting, scientists are calling on the powers that be to ramp up research and conservation measures so they can expand their understanding of the species.
“The biggest challenge facing the Cozumel fox is that we still know almost nothing about it, including its remaining population size, distribution, or ecology,” declared study’s lead author Travis Bayer, executive director of the conservation organization Pathos Wildlife. “That uncertainty alone is dangerous, because it makes effective conservation extremely difficult.”
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at Kevin Warsh’s first meeting as chairman Wednesday in a unanimous vote.
Kevin Warsh held interest rates steady in his first meeting as Fed chairman. Kyle Mazza / NUF Photo via CNP / SplashNews.com
At the time President Trump picked Warsh in January, after months of railing against former chair Jerome Powell to slash interest rates, the labor market was showing signs of strain and inflation seemed like it could inch back down after the effects of tariffs wore off.
But the war in Iran has since created the worst-ever energy supply disruption, sending gasoline prices soaring – and reheating inflation above 4% for the first time in three years, according to the May Consumer Price Index.
Though Trump on Sunday announced a deal with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, analysts have warned it could take months for supplies and prices to stabilize.
Sean Quinlivan, the head pro at Shinnecock Hills, has analyzed for The Post how the 156 players in the field at the U.S. Open should play each hole.
The 51-year-old Quinlivan, who grew up in the southwest of Ireland, has been the head pro at Shinnecock for the past five years after spending the previous 12 years at Piping Rock on Long Island.
Here’s his hole-by-hole look at the 7,440-yard, Par 70 championship course, which is hosting its sixth U.S. Open:
Holes 1-4 at Shinnecock Hills. NY Post composite
No. 1 | Westward Ho
Par 4, 399 yards
“This is a pretty soft opening hole, relatively speaking. The guys will hit out there around 250 and it plays downhill. Just get something in the fat of the fairway and that’s going to leave them about 100 to 130 yards in. It’s a kind of low-stress opening hole.’’
No. 2 | Plateau
Par 3, 252 yards
“After you get an easy hole on No. 1, then you get right into it on Hole 2, which is a big-boy par 3. It’ll play anywhere from 230 to 260 yards for the event. It’s a pretty severe green. There’s some runoff on the back and a false front, especially on the front right of the green. Take par here and move on.”
No. 3 | Peconic
Par 4, 501 yards
“This is a big one — roughly 500 yards, slight dogleg left. It does help with the prevailing wind, and there’s a pretty nice downslope out there starting at 315 yards that kind of pinches out to the right. If you can catch that, you’ll pick up an extra 50 or 60 yards of roll. Hitting the fairway here is a premium. It’s a pretty severe green, a lot of runoff right and left on the front half. Distance control is quite important. It’s a tough two-putt — a deceivingly difficult putting green.”
No. 4 | Pump House
Par 4, 476 yards
“This is a good driving hole. To create the best angle on this green, it’s best if you can hug the left half of the fairway. There are two bunkers out there — one starting at 270 yards and the second at 320 — and those will get some action. This is a beautiful green, a lot of slope left to right with runoff all the way around, like a reverse saucer. Anything middle of the green here, regardless of hole location, will get you a decent look at birdie.’’
Holes 5-6 at Shinnecock Hills. NY Post composite
No. 5 | Montauk
Par 5, 592 yards
“One of the two par 5s. The prevailing wind is out of the south-southwest and is kind of down out of the right, so this played the easiest relative to par in ’18 [the last time Shinnecock hosted the U.S. Open]. This is the first real good look at birdie for the guys. The best play is to land something short of the green.’’
No. 6 | Pond
Par 4, 495 yards
“This is a big-boy hole. It’s a blind tee shot, but it’s actually one of the widest fairways on property out at the 300-yard area. The approach is to a pretty severe back-to-front sloping green. The left bunker is not a bad miss. The right of the green has a pretty severe kickoff and becomes a difficult pitch. Anything short or left is fine. Middle of the green here is a good play.”
Holes 7-8 at Shinnecock Hills. NY Post composite
No. 7 | Redan
Par 3, 187 yards
“One of my favorite redan holes [typically a hole with a narrow green angled away from the tee] I’ve had the opportunity to play. It’s a pretty severe slope right to left. Short and right are a real problem. Getting it on the green is a bonus, and even if you’re on the green, you’re going to have quite a tricky putt. Everything is going to have a lot of movement. This is one where if the guys can make four pars for the week, they’ll pick up a bunch of ground on the field.”
No. 8 | Lowlands
Par 4, 440 yards
“The tee shot here benefits those who can hit the ball the farthest. There’s a pinch of bunkers up the left half of the fairway. The first batch covers about 280 yards and the longest out there at about 300-plus. Creating an angle from the left half of the fairway is very helpful. The approach becomes quite intimidating — especially with any right hole locations. It looks like the flag is just floating in space.’’
Holes 9-10 at Shinnecock Hills NY Post composite
No. 9 | Ben Nevis
Par 4, 482 yards
“It’s back up the hill with a beautiful look back up to the clubhouse. With rolling hills and the fescue, it’s a very attractive hole. It’s a wide fairway, and aiming at the right half of the clubhouse gives you a lot of room. Down the left half of the fairway, there is a release point over a hill and you can pick up a lot of yardage and have a wedge in. Hitting the fairway is really a premium.’’
No. 10 | Eastward Ho
Par 4, 415 yards
“I’ve looked at the data from 2018 and there were a number who laid back on the fairway hill, but there’ll be very few birdies from up top, where you’re looking at about 170 or 180 yards in, and it’s an intimidating green. If you come up short, it’s a problem. Over the back could be an even bigger problem. The guys that found the fairway at the bottom of the hill had a flip wedge in, and it yielded a lot of birdies from down below. It’s worth trying to go down the hill.”
Holes 11-13 at Shinnecock Hills NY Post composite
No. 11 | Hill Head
Par 3, 157 yards
“An iconic par 3. It’s a very small green that effectively plays even smaller with the false front and runoff over the back left. Any miss big and left is a handful. If you remember Brooks [Koepka] making his chip over the other side into the bunker and then getting back up and down for four — one of the great bogeys [en route to winning the 2018 U.S. Open]. Distance control here is a premium. Having the ball stay short of the middle of the green is the play.”
No. 12 | Tuckahoe
Par 4, 469 yards
“I think this hole is going to yield some birdies. It plays a little shorter because the tee ball is downhill, so they’re left with short to mid-irons into the green.’’
No. 13 | Road Side
Par 4, 371 yards
“One of my favorites. It’s a great short hole playing at about 350 yards downhill. You’ll see guys going for this. I think most of the field has the power to drive the green side. It’s a very severe green, so a good pitch is probably to about 15 feet. The majority of the field will play back, hit something out there around 230, leaving a short iron — anywhere from a gap wedge to a nine iron. This hole should yield some birdies.’’
Holes 14-18 at Shinnecock Hills. NY Post composite
No. 14 | Thom’s Elbow
Par 4, 530 yards
“We go from the shortest holes on 13 to the longest par 4. You have to hit the golf ball in the fairway. If you miss the fairway, you’re most likely making bogey. Even shots finding the fairway are left with a long iron into this green. Landing something just short on the front is a good play. Anything middle of the green here will give you a decent look. A lot of guys just take par here. Par is a good score.”
No. 15 | Sebonac
Par 4, 409 yards
“Another one of my favorites. It plays downhill quite a bit, so it plays fairly short. The guys will want to land something about 230 yards and the ball will release down the hill 30 to 40 yards, leaving a short wedge shot anywhere from 115 to 140 yards to another elevated reverse saucer green complex. Any decent shot in, you have a really good look. If you miss the fairway, you’ll pay the price, because it’s very difficult to hold this green from the rough. You’ll be justly punished for a fairway miss here.”
No. 16 | Shinnecock
Par 5, 616 yards
“It’s one of our iconic-looking holes. You look right up that snaking fairway with the clubhouse in the background. A really beautiful hole, but it’s a lot of golf. The longest guys can get greenside in two. It’s a severe green that runs back to front with a lot of slope, so controlling spin on the third shot is a premium.’’
No. 17 | Far
Par 3, 176 yards
“This hole can vary quite a bit in length, from as short as 150 yards at a front hole location to 185 at a back right or back hole location. The green is tilted from right to left, so it requires a quality iron shot, well struck and high, just to stop it on the green. Par is a good number here.’’
No. 18 | Home
Par 4, 485 yards
“It’d be nice to have a stroke or two of a lead here, because this is a beast. It’s 490 yards and it’s an awkward tee shot — a dogleg left with a left-to-right sloping fairway. A lot of balls will stay short of the second bunker, probably a little over 300 yards cover. But it plays uphill a little, so it’s a big cover. The guys can challenge that and get a big reward — instead of a 4- or 5-iron in, they can have wedge or 9-iron. This is definitely one of the holes where hitting the ball a long way helps. It has one of the more severe greens on the property. I’d hate to have to make a 15-footer here.’’
Jennifer Lopez suffered a serious health crisis when she “overworked” herself early in her career.
During her apearance on the “SmartLess” podcast Monday, Lopez said she “didn’t realize my limits” in the early 2000s, and after working “98 days in a row without taking a day off,” she ended up in the hospital with scary symptoms.
“When I was doing ‘Enough,’ I think I had done like four movies in a row, and I had recorded my second album or something like that, so the ‘JLo’ album, which was really big,” she explained.
Jennifer Lopez (seen above in Beverly Hills in March) said on the “SmartLess” podcast she was hospitalized for exhaustion early in her career. Getty Images for Women’s Cancer Research FundThe singer (seen above in New York City for the “All I Have” video shoot in 2002) said she worked “98 days in a row without taking a day off” in the early 2000s. WireImage
The 56-year-old star described how she’d film all day, go to the studio at night and do junkets and video shoots on weekends during the busy time.
But eventually, Lopez’s exhaustion caught up with her one day on the set of 2002’s “Enough.”
“Every time I walk to the set, I start getting a little pitter-patter in my heart; it’s like rising,” she said. “And finally, it got to the point I was like, I really feel nervous.’”
Lopez said she told her young co-star Tessa Allen that she felt “a little weird” from being “tired” and knew she “wasn’t alright.”
“I went back to the trailer, and I sat down, and all of a sudden, I just couldn’t see,” Lopez divulged. “It was almost like I couldn’t see clearly, like something just went over my eyes, and I couldn’t move.”
The “Dance Again” singer, who said she felt “paralyzed” in the moment, asked for help from her friend and then-assistant, Arlene, who got Lopez’s security guard to take her to the hospital.
“I said to the doctor, I said, ‘Am I going crazy?” Lopez recalled. “And he said, ‘No. You’re not crazy.’”
Lopez (pictured above at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards) felt “paralyzed” in the moment and had her security guard take her to the hospital. Getty ImagesThe singer (seen above at the Onda Music Awards in Barcelona in 2001) said the doctor told her she wasn’t going “crazy.” Getty Images
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Lopez was a busy actress in the early 2000s thanks to her films “The Cell,” The Wedding Planner,” “Angel Eyes” and “Maid in Manhattan” that all came out before “Enough.”
In the following two years, she starred in “Gigli,” “Jersey Girl,” “Shall We Dance?” and “Monster-in-Law.”
She also put out three albums between 2001 and 2005.
Lopez was busier than ever in the early 2000s (She’s seen above filming “Maid in Manhattan” in NYC at the time). WireImageLopez (seen above shooting “Jersey Girl” with Ben Affleck in NYC in 2002) had multiple movies and albums come out during that time period. WireImage
On “SmartLess,” Lopez said the moment she realized her “anonymity was gone” was when a fan aggressively approached her on the street, and she thought she was being mugged.
“I thought, ‘You can’t get that back. That’s something that lasts forever,’ Lopez said. “And I remember that’s when I started having panic attacks.”
Lopez added that it took her time to realize her “life had changed in a way you couldn’t control anymore.”
Katherine LaNasa shared that her ex-husband Dennis Hopper’s ghost came to her several times after his 2010 death at age 74.
While confessing to W Magazine in an interview published on Tuesday, that she does in fact believe in ghosts, “The Pitt” star explained, “The ghost of Dennis Hopper would not leave me alone for a really long time.”
The exes were married from 1989 to 1992 but were split up for a “very long time” when Hopper visited LaNasa, 59.
“I was the last wife that he’d been with that he wasn’t currently divorcing, so I think that level of intimacy when you’re dying is maybe only something you can do with a partner?”
Katherine LaNasa (pictured here in 2025) revealed that her ex-husband Dennis Hopper “would not leave me alone for a really long time” after his 2010 death. Getty Images for End Well ProjectLaNasa (pictured here with Hopper in 1988) said he first visited her as a ghost “looking like when he was at the Academy Awards” and in a wheelchair. Leonello Bertolucci
LaNasa elaborated on the “scary” way Hopper visited her for the first time, detailing, “He came one time looking like when he was at the Academy Awards.”
The “Speed” actor was in a wheelchair and fell down which was “super upsetting” for the “Two and a Half Men” actress.
Hopper would also “come over” LaNasa in a sweat, to which she asked him to leave her alone.
She claimed the ghost of Hopper obliged.
The “Easy Rider” actor (pictured here with his ex in 1990) also came over “The Pitt” star in a sweat. Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesHopper (pictured here together in 1991) obliged and didn’t bother LaNasa again. Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
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“Then I felt really weird about it,” she continued. “And then the day that I told someone how weird I felt about it, I walked home an odd way and ran into a gallery that had all of his photographs up, and a photograph of him in the very back of the gallery with a fedora on winking at the camera.”
For LaNasa, she took the image as a sign of Hopper letting her go.
However, the late star visited his ex one more time in a dream.
The former flames were “in a cafeteria in Greece” and Hopper let LaNasa know he was okay.
Hopper visited LaNasa (pictured here together in 1990) once more in a dream to let her know he was okay and not in pain after his passing at age 74 for prostate cancer. Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesLaNasa and Hopper were married from 1989 to 1992 and shared son Henry (pictured here with his dad in 2009). Getty Images for CineVegas
The “Big Love” star never heard from him again.
After LaNasa and Hopper — who shared son Henry, 35 — divorced in the early 90s, the latter tied the knot with actress Victoria Duffy in 1996.
The duo was married for 14 years before the “Easy Rider” star filed for divorce — five months before he passed from complications of prostate cancer.
For her part, LaNasa re-married actor French Stewart in 1998. The two divorced in 2009.
Hopper went on to marry Victoria Duffy (pictured here together in 1992) before filing for divorce five months before his death. Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesLaNasa then married French Stewart (pictured here together in 2003) in 1998. The two divorced in 2009. WireImage
In 2012, the HBO star tied the knot for the third time with her current husband, “Melrose Place” star Grant Show.
The couple welcomed daughter Eloise, now 12, in 2014.
LaNasa and Show, 64 — who was previously married to Pollyanna McIntosh from 2004-2011 — are still going strong almost 14 years later.
In April, the actress shared the cheeky reason why her other half could never join her on “The Pitt.”
“He’s too handsome for the show,” LaNasa, who stars as nurse Dana Evans, told People at the time.
“Maybe he can play some d–k surgeon or something,” she teased.
Despite Show’s uncertain future on the medical drama, he did work alongside his wife on HBO’s “Big Love” in 2006, where they first met.
The actress tied the knot for a third time with Grant Show in 2012 (pictured here together in 2025). Variety via Getty ImagesThe couple welcomed daughter Eloise (pictured here together in 2016) in 2014. Matt Winkelmeyer
Show and LaNasa also starred together on the drama “Satisfaction,” the comedy-drama “Devious Maids” and “Dynasty.”
“He was still kind of a wild man when I met him,” the actress recalled about meeting the actor. “I was like, ‘I’m not quite sure about this guy.’ I was really attracted to him, but I was in no mood for any trouble at that age. I was in my early 40s.”
LaNasa praised Show for winning her over.
“He’s such a great guy and great husband, great dad, and I’m so glad I’m with him,” she gushed.
An alleged “serial squatter” accused of terrorizing Malibu residents by weaponizing California’s tenant-friendly rental laws is now being spotlighted in a new Hulu docuseries.
After years of complaints, Ellie Mae McNulty is featured in episode 2 of Hulu’s new docuseries “Squatters: Get the F*** Out of My House,” titled “The Paradise of Malibu.”
The series recounted how McNulty, a British actress and screenwriter, allegedly charmed her way into homes, then refused to leave.
Her squatting spree allegedly included Alden Marin, an artist and stage IV cancer patient who let her stay at his home in the fall of 2021.
McNulty allegedly told Marin she only needed to crash for a few days while her own home was being finished. But the short stay stretched into a month, and the once-polite guest turned rude, demanding and increasingly hostile, according to Vanity Fair.
After years of complaints, alleged serial squatter Ellie Mae McNulty is featured in a Hulu docuseries about squatters. Ellie Mae McNulty
At Marin’s home, McNulty allegedly used his credit cards, changed the locks while he was hospitalized and flushed cloth napkins down the toilet, clogging the pipes, Vanity Fair reported. She also allegedly demanded as much as $20,000 to leave.
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McNulty’s alleged past victims included an 80-something Santa Monica yoga teacher. HuluHer squatting spree allegedly included Alden Marin, an artist and stage IV cancer patient. Hulu
“She saw in my brother a kind of perfect storm,” Alden’s sister, Mindy Marin, told Vanity Fair. “She has this actressy English thing about her. Super flirty. She’s just got it down—especially the men—by being this English rose.”
McNulty has disputed Marin’s account, claiming he had the locks changed while her possessions were still inside the residence, according to the magazine.
At the center is California’s laws which allow guests, even those who do not pay rent, to be treated as tenants after a certain period of occupancy, making it difficult for homeowners to immediately remove unwanted houseguests.
Marin ultimately hauled McNulty to court in 2022, and a judge ordered her to vacate, according to Vanity Fair.
Marin’s sister, Mindy Marin, later uncovered more than 10 legal cases involving McNulty going back nearly two decades, with the most recent tied to residents around Point Dume, the outlet reported.
Her alleged past victims included an 80-something Santa Monica widow, a yoga teacher who said McNulty stiffed her on rent and classes, and others who claimed the accused squatter used California’s tenant protections to drag out her stays, according to Vanity Fair.
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Group L is set up in such a way that Wednesday’s World Cup clash between Ghana and Panama will be crucial if either side wants to make it to the knockout rounds.
With England and Croatia, the two favorites of Group L, on deck for these two teams, the Black Stars and Los Canaleros know this will be their best chance at picking up three points.
The bookmakers believe Ghana is the likeliest winner, as the Black Stars are +120 on the three-way moneyline. Panama checks in at +240.
World Cup: Ghana vs. Panama odds, predictions
Ghana is an interesting side to handicap. They breezed through qualifying, but their group was exceptionally soft. To test themselves ahead of the World Cup, the Black Stars scheduled a tricky cohort of friendlies, which didn’t go well.
Ghana got shutout by Japan and South Korea, lost 5-1 to Austria, and 2-1 to Germany. Friendlies are often not worth looking into too deeply, but these were important matches to get a handle on where the Black Stars are as a team.
The soccer powers in the country clearly didn’t like what they saw from those matches, as they fired manager Otto Addo and replaced him with Carlos Queiroz, one of the most experienced coaches in the sport.
Ghana’s Jordan Ayew attempts a shot on goal during an international friendly. Nick Potts/PA via AP
Known for his conservative tactics, Queiroz has managed Portugal (twice), the UAE, South Africa, Iran (twice), Egypt, Qatar, Oman, and now Ghana. This is his fifth World Cup.
While we haven’t seen much of Queiroz’s tactics on display with Ghana, his rap sheet is long. It would be pretty surprising if he lets the Black Stars run rampant, even against an opponent like Panama.
Los Canaleros are one of the biggest long shots in this tournament, but they’ve made a habit of pulling some big results over the last decade. Panama defeated the USA, 1-0, in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League last March, and they qualified for the 2018 World Cup ahead of the Stars & Stripes.
Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps
Typically, Panama does its best work when it sits deep in a 5-4-1 low block and frustrates its opponents. That will make for an interesting stylistic matchup, as Queiroz will want his side to do the same, at least against better teams than Panama.
As things stand right now, there are more similarities than differences between these two teams. Ghana is the more talented side and has a world-class player in Antoine Semenyo, but they could be quite uncomfortable in this stylistic setup, and that makes them vulnerable to the upset on Wednesday.
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
There are few (if any) U.S. Open venues with a richer history than Shinnecock Hills, which is hosting the 126th edition of the tournament this week on eastern Long Island.
The U.S. Open has been played at Shinnecock five times — in 1896, 1986, 1995, 2004 and 2018.
According to the USGA, 659 players have competed in those Opens and only three of them have broken par for 72 holes.
Raymond Floyd won the 1986 U.S. Open at the venerable course at 1-under par for the week. Retief Goosen won the 2004 U.S. Open on 4-under par for the week, thanks in large part to one-putting 11 greens in the final round. The runner-up that year, Phil Mickelson, finished 2-under par.
Raymond Floyd celebrates putting the winner at the U.S Open in Shinnecock Hills, NY, USA in 1986. Getty Images
And in 2018, the last time the U.S. Open was played at Shinnecock, Brooks Koepka finished 1-over par to win his second consecutive national championship. Corey Pavin won the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock at even par.
What awaits this week is up to the players, the weather gods and the USGA, depending on how it decides to set up the golf course.
The USGA’s involvement with course setup, of course, has been a part of Shinnecock’s U.S. Open history as well — albeit a dark part of its history in some instances.
Players and golf fans will remember the tournament officials losing control of the seventh green in 2004 to the point play had to be halted while they watered the green in the middle of the round because no one could keep a ball on the rock-hard green.
Few will forget Mickelson, so exasperated at the slick and undulating 13th green in windy third-round conditions at Shinnecock, hitting his own moving putt back toward the hole so it wouldn’t roll off the green. He took a 10 on the hole and clearly swatted that moving ball to prove a point to the USGA for losing the golf course.
Hopefully, this year’s U.S. Open will not be remembered for nonsense and instead for great shots made in big moments.
“This place is going to reveal who the best in the world is that week,’’ Mike Whan, the CEO and executive director of the USGA, said recently. “This is an important place to us, not only in terms of starting golf in America, but starting the USGA. When we got started in 1896, the second-ever U.S. Open had 35 entries. They played 36 holes in one day. It was played at 4,400 yards. And the purse was $335.
“This year there were 10,200 people trying to get one of these 156 tee times. We’ll obviously play 72 holes at just under 7,500 yards. And J.J. [Spaun] won $4.3 million for winning the U.S. Open last year.’’
The U.S. Open history at Shinnecock cannot be told without mentioning Pavin’s famous uphill 228-yard 4-wood to the 72nd hole to seal victory in 1995.
Corey Pavin, the winner of the 1995 US Open. Getty Images
Nor can it be told without mentioning Goosen’s remarkable 11 one-putts in the final round in 2018 to deny Mickelson the only major championship his brilliant resume lacks to this day.
Or Koepka’s amazing 2018 tournament, becoming the first player to win back-to-back U.S. Opens since Curtis Strange did it 29 years earlier.
“It’s home to some incredible moments,’’ Whan said. “A 19-year-old Tiger Woods played his first U.S. Open right here in 1995. There’s no doubt that some new history is going to be written here in 2026.”
The history of the club isn’t limited to the venerable 18 holes on the golf course. Its clubhouse, built by Stanford White, is known as the “America’s first clubhouse,’’ according to the USGA.
Shinnecock is America’s oldest incorporated club, dating to 1891. It, too, is said to be the first U.S. club to allow women as full members, from Day 1 in 1891.
“With all that is Shinnecock, you can’t buy history,’’ USGA chief championship officer John Bodenheimer said. “You can only earn it. This place has it.”
A general view of the clubhouse during a practice round prior to the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 17, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Getty Images
Listening to USGA officials speak about this championship, they insist they’ve learned from past mistakes in the Shinnecock setup and will be on high alert to make sure to avoid any calamity this year.
Bodenheimer said the course will play the same length as it did eight years ago — at 7,440 yards, par 70. He said the fairways will average 48-yards wide — wider than they were in ’18.
He also said the plan is to gradually bring the course to its most difficult conditions as the week progresses, which is unlike years past when they were full throttle from the start of the week.
“Beginning on Sunday or Monday when the players arrive, they used to experience full U.S. Open conditions for the entire week,’’ he said. “We no longer do that. We ease into things like firmness, green speed and rough heights. By Wednesday and easing into Thursday, they’re seeing the teeth of the U.S. Open.
“When the weather changes, things can get away from us. Green speeds will start slightly less than we did in 2018. I think our green speeds will play most of our golf in the 11.5 to 12-foot range (on the Stimpmeter). We can get 30-plus mph gusts and winds, and we want to use the great hole locations here, so we’re going to have appropriate speeds. It’ll be a game-time decision depending on the weather.’’
Bodenheimer said “water management will be key.’’
“Winds come off of Peconic Bay, Long Island Sound, the Atlantic Ocean and the putting greens are perched up on sandy soil with no trees,’’ he said. “We need to manage that water when you get the high sun and the winds. That’s something we’ll be paying close attention to.
“I’ve never seen a golf course that dries down as quickly as this place does. If we need to, we’ll apply the appropriate water as needed. We’ll be on top of that.”
From the USGA’s mouths to the players’ ears.
“If they just leave it alone, I don’t think you need to do anything to make it hard,’’ Jordan Spieth told The Post.
An aerial view of the golf course at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on September 15, 2025 in Southampton, New York. The 126th U.S. Open will be played on the course in 2026. Getty Images
“It is a hard golf course that doesn’t need to be tricked up,’’ Adam Scott told The Post. “So, hopefully they don’t try anything this year. Hopefully, they’ve left it alone. It’s a beautiful place to play golf. I just love the whole feeling of it.’’
Keegan Bradley called Shinnecock “one of our classics,’’ adding, “As long as the USGA keeps their mitts off it, it’s one of our all-time best — one of the world’s best courses. I hope they leave it alone.’’
Rickie Fowler, who played in the 2018 Open, said he “would assume they’ll do a better job of keeping a consistent setup and not being in a position where they end up where they did on Saturday last time.’’
“Obviously, you’re trying to get it to a point where it’s tough but fair,’’ Fowler went on. “But around a place like that, with as much slope and runoffs, it can cross the line pretty quickly. It can be tough to plan exactly how it’s going to play later in the day when you’re setting it up in the morning. Weather can change, and all of a sudden it goes just over the line when you’re trying to keep it just under it.’’
Justin Rose recalled 2004 and the trouble on No. 7, the par 3 where no one could hold the green with a tee shot.
“The year when they lost seven, I just remember it being the worst golf course I’ve ever played,’’ Rose told The Post. “Then I got invited back to play with a member in about 2012 and I didn’t really want to go. It was a lovely invite from a great person, so I played and was blown away at how good it was. That was really a lesson for me that how a course gets stressed in the right or wrong ways can really kind of take away from the character of it.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my day in 2012 and it kind of completely changed my whole perspective coming into 2018. Then, obviously 2018 was knife-edge as well. It was a very, very tough U.S. Open.’’
Brooks Koepka of the United States celebrates with the winners trophy after the final round of the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 17, 2018 in Southampton, New York. Getty Images
Bodenheimer insisted, “It’s not about [winning] score for us, it’s about [players] getting every club in the bag dirty.’’
The players are all for that as long as the course has not been tricked up to take away from its natural allure.
President Trump joked Wednesday that he will be “blaming JD” is the Iran peace deal doesn’t work out.
“I like that idea. Sure,” Trump said at a press conference, when asked if he was skipping a formal signing ceremony Friday and instead sending Vice President JD Vance to create political distance.
President Donald Trump meets with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance White House U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance salute in the Memorial Amphitheater. REUTERS
“This way, if it works out, I’m going to take the credit. If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD. You better be careful, JD,” Trump joked at a press conference.
“He’s going to turn his plane around and get the hell out of here. Yeah, I like that idea. I think it’s a good idea.”
