Is Pinehurst No.2 ‘Unfair’ & ‘Overrated’? Former PGA Tour Legend & More Deliver Their Stern Verdict

The golf world is not happy with what is happening at Pinehurst No. 2! The first round of the U.S. Open saw players struggling with the notoriously challenging course. Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay shared the top position with 4 under par and had bogey-free rounds. However, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler did not start as he would have wanted, struggling on the greens and ending the day at T-30.

As the second round is in progress, the PGA Tour on its X handle posted a video captioned “Pinehurst is showing its teeth early.” The clip featured Mark Hubbard on his first hole’s second shot. Despite his great accuracy and precision, the shot, which could have been an eagle, hit the flag stick and rolled down the slope, ultimately resulting in a bogey on par 4. 

This incident sparked a wave of reactions from fans, who were quick to share their thoughts on the course’s difficulty. Not calling the course difficult but overrated, Mark Calcavecchia, the 1989 Open Championship winner, posted his criticism: “I’m ready for some abuse. Just gonna spit it out!! Pinehurst is such a cool area with great courses. #2 ain’t one of them. Most overrated course in the world!! Lemme have it!! But it’s true.” 

However, Rory McIlroy expressed a contrasting view after the first round and praised the course “It sort of brings me back to links golf when I was a kid a little bit. The greens are a bit more sort of slopey and there’s a bit more movement on them. But there’s options. You can chip it. You can putt it. I’d love if we played more golf courses like this.” Showcasing the familiarity he has while playing on these slopey courses. 

While the majority of fans showed concern about the challenges the course posed to players, the reactions were mixed, reflecting a broader debate about Pinehurst No.2.

The golf world complaints about the U.S. Open course’s unfairness

Fans voiced frustration with the tournament’s design, which prioritizes difficulty over rewarding good play. “Perfect example of why this is such a bad tournament. No way that shot deserves that result,” and, “That’s just ridiculous. A shot that good deserves better,” Sums up the prevailing sentiment that Pinehurst No.2, or the U.S. Open, can be excessively harsh. Mark Hubbard’s near-perfect shot resulting in a bogey further highlights this perception.

Many fans directed their dissatisfaction at USGA’s approach to course setup rather than the course itself. As he commented, “That’s not Pinehurst showing its teeth. It’s @USGA’s insistence on making a course as hard as possible, even if it penalizes an outstanding shot (like Hubbard’s was) ”. “Cruel,” said another enthusiast and, “Not sure what their goal is or what they are trying to prove with this course/setup. What is this a test of?”  This underscores a concern that extremely difficult courses may lessen the spirit of the game, and end up disheartening the golfers.

Another fan appreciated Calcavecchia’s bravery in speaking out and praised the course, “Thank you for being brave enough to speak the truth. 👏 My last golf trip to Pinehurst included Tobacco Road, Mid Pines, Pine Needles, and Southern Pines. What a tremendous area.” One fan asked about his best round at the infamous course, and Calcavecchia responded, “Prob in college. 68 I’m guessing,” illustrating that course No. 2 is not really ideal to host the major.

The golf course testing Scottie Scheffler got some reaction as he threw his club after he missed the putt on the 15th hole due to a slopey field. “We’ve seen Scottie arrested for less than this 🤣” Stated a golf enthusiast with some humor at the best player on the PGA Tour currently was arrested at Valhalla for just a mere misunderstanding with a police officer. 

The golf world has different opinions on the level of difficulty the U.S. Open golf course poses. But the main thing to consider is who will rise through Pinehurst No. 2 CC. What do you think will emerge on top? Tell us in the comments.