Scottie Scheffler (USA) on his way to winning the 2024 Memorial Tournament. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
This week's US Open course will be "tough but fair" tournament organisers insist, in the wake of concerns from players that the greens are already "borderline" out of control.
The 124th staging of golf's second-oldest major is at the notoriously tough Number Two course at Pinehurst.
Only four players have finished under par in three previous US Opens held at the North Carolina track.
Defending champion Wyndham Clark said on Monday the pace of the undulating greens was "borderline" in terms of being too quick, while on Tuesday three-time winner Tiger Woods said he and other players had "putted balls off the green" and he was expecting a "war of attrition" this week.
In defence, John Bodenhamer of the United States Golf Association (USGA), said: "We're going to be the USGA. It's going to be the US Open.
"We're going to be tough but fair. The players know that. I think they want that. I think that they want to win something special.
"We're tough but fair because when you win, it means what Bob Jones won, what Ben Hogan won, what Tiger won. It just means more.
"It's not about the score. It's about getting every club in a player's bag dirty, including the one between their ears.
"We are not looking to be everybody's best friend, but we are looking to earn their respect."
Germany's Martin Kaymer won with a score of nine-under, eight clear of the field, the last time the US Open was held at Pinehurst in 2014. Payne Stewart won on one-under in 1999, while level par was good enough for New Zealander Michael Campbell to beat Woods by two shots in 2005.
World number one Scottie Scheffler is the hot favourite to finish top of the leaderboard. Since March the American has played eight events and won five, including the Masters.
Ryan Fox is the only New Zealander in the field this year.
- BBC / RNZ