Phil Mickelson isn’t too happy with staff at the U.S. Open, and voiced his frustrations just hours before the tournament was set to get going – taking issue with the decision to cut down the rough
Phil Mickelson lodges complaint against U.S. Open staff just hours before major(Image: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Six-time major championship winner, Phil Mickelson took to social media to voice his anger at U.S. Open staff just hours before the competition’s opening tee time.
Mickelson, who needs to win the U.S. Open to complete a career Grand Slam, responded to a video post on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing groundkeepers attempting to cut down the infamous roughage at Pennsylvania’s Oakmont Country Club. The course is widely regarded as the most difficult to navigate out of the four major championships in golf, with Tiger Woods weighed in earlier this week.
The difficulty comes due to its narrow fairways and unforgiving roughs, which Mirror Sport tried out first-hand on Wednesday. The topic has sparked debate across social media and TV coverage with tournament organizers notoriously known to prefer to keep the rough lining fairways so tall that players can easily lose sight of their ball should it stray too far. LIV Golf newcomer Jose Luis Ballester has already discussed the difficulties facing the field this week.
READ MORE: U.S. Open stars told to ‘man up’ as USGA slammed for Oakmont decisionREAD MORE: Tiger Woods suggestion on ‘horrible’ U.S. Open is music to Rory McIlroy’s ears
In the video, which Mickelson replied to on social media, a line made up of dozens of wade through the tall grass but do not appear to be cutting any length from the rough, to Lefty’s dismay.
“They’re not working. They’re not cutting s—,” LIV Golf star, Mickelson posted.
Elsewhere, videos from Oakmont show players completely losing their ball in the thick stuff after dropping from the allocated knee height into the rough.
Phil Mickelson has never won the U.S. Open.(Image: Getty Images)
Golf fans have questioned the golf club’s decision to opt for push lawnmowers to tackle the long grass instead of the seemingly more efficient option of tractor mowers.
“I can’t think of a more inefficient way to do things than mowing a golf course with push mowers,” One X user posted in response to the video.
Professional golfer and Fox News golfing expert, Paul Gow predicted the foliage to present a nightmare tournament for participants, underlining the importance for players to keep a level head when navigating the course.
“This is the best week of the year, you get to watch golf pros get upset with themselves,” Gow remarked. “Oakmont is one of the hardest golf courses in the world. It requires a player to hit so many different shots.
READ MORE: Rory McIlroy’s behavior at U.S. Open speaks volumes after concerns raisedREAD MORE: Unlikely 23-year-old creates U.S. Open history on very first hole
“It’s a frustrating golf course because there are a lot of different angles and 175 bunkers around the golf course. You’ve got to navigate yourself around. The rough is nice and deep so there’s an emphasis on hitting it on the fairway.”
The U.S. Open will run until Sunday (June 15), with the winner collecting a whopping $4.3 million from the record-breaking $21.5 million purse handed out by organizers, the most given out at any major championship.
World number one, Scottie Scheffler is tipped as a firm favorite to lift the 18-inch tall U.S. Open trophy, dethroning last year’s champion, Bryson Dechambeau.
Tiger Woods is the most notable absentee from the tournament as the 49-year-old legend misses his third consecutive major tournament he has missed this year, continuing rehab for a torn Achilles injury.
