The first round of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club was hit by an unexpected disruption.
The game was delayed by dense fog that rolled in, forcing officials to suspend the game after 30 minutes of the opening tee shot.
The horn blew at 7:05 a.m. ET, and all activity ceased as conditions became much more difficult to see. It turned out that only 14 out of 156 players were able to finish one hole at the time of the pause, and there wasn’t even one birdie on the scoreboard.
Play resumed at 9:05 a.m. ET after a precisely two-hour delay. The U.S. Open’s X account announced the restart, noting that the practice grounds were open in the morning.
Despite the game being resumed, the golfers still face challenges. The National Weather Service has indicated a 40% chance of precipitation and possible thunderstorms with gusty winds up to 30mph.
The previous time that the first round of the U.S. Open was postponed because of the misty weather was in 2021 at Torrey Pines, and the delay took 90 minutes. Friday will be characterised by clouds giving way to clear skies, while Saturday and Sunday will be mainly sunny with winds ranging from 10-20 mph.
