Jon Rahm believes that a golfer with a 15 handicap would probably not even finish their round if they teed it up at Shinnecock Hills in US Open conditions.
The US Open returns to Shinnecock Hills this week. It is one of the most notorious venues on the rota, with the Southampton course proving to be a main character during the 2018 event.
Only a handful of players have ever finished a US Open at Shinnecock Hills under par. Brooks Koepka won on one over par eight years ago.
Meanwhile, Englishman Scott Gregory posted a round of 92 on Thursday at the same event.
What Jon Rahm thinks a 15 handicap would shoot around Shinnecock Hills
The wind is certainly going to have a big say in who emerges victorious this week. But it is often difficult for amateur golfers to grasp just how challenging it is for the world’s best to tackle a venue like Shinnecock.
In a video posted on the US Open’s X account, a number of players were asked what a golfer with a handicap of 15 would shoot if they played Shinnecock at some stage over the next few days.
The most alarming response came from Jon Rahm. The Spaniard decided to not even put a score to his prediction.
He said: “Back tees? All the way back, 15 handicap? It’s well north of a 100. Well north of 100. Honestly, they probably wouldn’t finish. Most of them would just quit.”
Harris English is much more optimistic about how amateurs would fare around the US Open venue
Elsewhere, Rahm’s countryman Angel Hidalgo suggested that it would be around 120.
There was a more encouraging prediction from Harris English as he suggested 105.
However, that probably says more about how rarely English plays with golfers with a 15 handicap.
It will be fascinating to see how the USGA set up Shinnecock given the winds that are expected. You would imagine that the greens will be much softer than they were in 2018.
The US Open should be the toughest test in golf. However, there is clearly a balance to ensure that the tournament does not become farcical.
