MATT TYSON Staff Writer

I’m lucky enough to write about and cover sports for a living, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to go to sporting events as a spectator when the opportunity arises.

I’ve been able to go to my fair share of games and matches across a wide variety of sports over the years. This past weekend, I was able to check off one tournament that had been high on my list for a long time, but the opportunity had not come about until now.

For the golf fans out there, you can probably deduce that I’m talking about the 2026 U.S. Open in Shinnecock Hills, NY, which wrapped up on Sunday with a victory for Wyndham Clark.

I can sometimes wax poetic about nerdy things like sports history, and golf is certainly no exception to that. It’s hard to explain why I’m so passionate about a sport I’m so genuinely mediocre at, but I digress.

For those unaware, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club was founded in 1891 and is one of the oldest golf clubs in the United States. Not long after it was built, it became one of the first five charter clubs that formed the United States Golf Association in 1894.

Noted for its difficulty, the course is surrounded by the waters and bays of eastern Long Island, which lends itself to rather windy conditions off the nearby Atlantic Ocean just to its south. We experienced these gusts firsthand during our visit Saturday, and while it certainly cooled us off on what was a hot summer day in the Hamptons, I can imagine it was quite frustrating for the golfers trying to give their all for a major victory.

Additionally, the course itself is basically built on what amounts to a large, expansive sand dune, with very little trees, plenty of fescue and very steep hills throughout. These striking views and difficult conditions have given Shinnecock Hills a reputation as one of the world’s greatest golf courses.

All this to say, when some college friends of mine who live nearby on Long Island started to put this quick weekend get-together in motion, it was hard to say no to this kind of opportunity.

The five of us arrived at the course Saturday morning and quickly made our way to the first hole, passing by the course’s historic clubhouse in the process. With a strong wind already blowing and hardly a cloud in the sky, we began to walk the course and got to watch as golfers like Neil Shipley, Jacob Bridgeman and Hideki Matsuyama began their days early in the third round.

After a quick pit stop and lunch break, we made our way to the grandstands along the No. 10 fairway, which offered a great view of the broad expanse of Shinnecock Bay just beyond us. After watching Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and others make their way past us for a bit, some of our group decided to try the grandstands along hole No. 11. One of my friends and I decided to walk some more and made our way back to the first hole.

Now getting into the afternoon tee times, we found ourselves right along the rope as legendary golfers such as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy walked down the fairway to hit their second shots mere feet from where we stood.

My friend and I then made our way to meet up with the rest of our group, where we then decided to spend the rest of the afternoon sitting in the grandstands near the No. 15 green.

This may have been the best decision we could have made to close out our Shinnecock experience. Due to its location near the backside of the course, there were less people crowded into these seats and less lines at the concession stands behind us. We watched as crowd favorites like Tommy Fleetwood chipped onto the green as they made their way through their steadily hotter afternoon rounds, before making our way to the Long Island Railroad station to call it a day.

Less than 48 hours later, I sit here Monday morning, still tired and a little jetlagged from the quick turnaround to come back home the day before. The fond memories made on Saturday are still fresh on my mind and I can’t help but smile.

Knowing that I got to see some of the world’s most famous golfers compete for one of the sport’s biggest prizes on one of the country’s most legendary golf courses still feels like a dream. Getting to share this experience with people who are important to me only makes it all the more special.