Bob MacIntyre has ripped into the ‘ridiculous’ course set-up at Shinnecock Hills after the world’s elite were pounded into submission during the third round of the US Open.
The Scot carded a 73 in the worst of the 30mph gales before criticising the pin positions chosen by the US Golf Association.
MacIntyre, who sits on seven over par for the tournament, said: ‘How long does that take me to play in a two-ball? Four hours 40?
‘That can tell you all you need to know. I mean, if we’re playing an Open Championship, which it starts getting like out here, some of the pin positions are just, to be honest, a bit ridiculous.
‘The pin on 11, it’s only a pin position if it’s flat calm or calm enough. I mean, it’s blowing 30 mile an hour across that green.
‘The scoring average on that par three is going to be over four. I mean, it’s the best golfers in the world and, yeah, it’s carnage.’
Bob MacIntyre slammed the Shinnecock Hills US Open setup after a tough third round
The world No 17 also warned the organisers they will need to water the greens for Sunday’s final round if the wind continues to hammer this corner of Long Island.
He told the BBC: ‘I just asked them if they were going to water the greens today, and they said they don’t want to, but they might have to.
‘I mean, my weather forecast was to be breezy but start dying down – they’ve got to hope it starts dying down, or it’s going to be carnage. If this place starts getting firm, and this winds up, it’s going to get silly.’
MacIntyre’s concerns were backed up by scores on the course – of the first 46 golfers to complete their third round, only Emiliano Grillo of Argentina had gone below par.
However, there has yet to be a full-scale repeat of the chaos in 2004 and 2018, when this course previously hosted the US Open and organisers were accused of delivering a wildly unfair test.
