PGA Tour villain hits must-see wild shank at U.S. Open

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is living up to its reputation during Thursday’s opening round of the 126th U.S. Open. With most of the round either completed or past the halfway mark, there are only 17 players under par.

Wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour have wreaked havoc for players. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler carded a 2-over 72. Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, who drew attention for his shirt more than his play, finished a shot worse. Even reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun shot a 7-over on Thursday.

But the weather was not the culprit for maybe the worst shot of the day.

Patrick Reed, the controversial golf star who has been accused of cheating multiple times throughout his career, went viral on Thursday morning. While playing the par-4 14th, Reed’s tee shot missed the fairway and found the dreaded fescue.

His second shot was something that all Sunday golfers can relate to.

The fescue at Shinnecock is no joke. pic.twitter.com/MO3da2zCvZ

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 18, 2026

Reed shanked his shot directly across the fairway into the fescue on the other side. It is not common to see a professional golfer play yo-yo golf.

To his credit, he only dropped one shot on 14, carding a bogey-five. Outside of a couple of holes, Reed played mostly steady golf on Thursday.

The golfer formerly known as Captain America finished his day at 2-over, tied with Scheffler and many others. With the weather keeping players from going low, he’ll certainly be in the mix entering Friday.

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