Shinnecock Hills is a part of the fabric of the US Open.
The legendary golf course hosted America’s second-ever national open way back in 1896, and it’s been a staple of the US Open rota ever since. It’s brutally challenging even to this day, and represents everything that the tournament should be.
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One of the men who helped build the golf course, John Matthew Shippen Jr., is believed to be the first American-born professional golfer. He was the son of a former slave, and served as a minister on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation at the age of nine.
But when he attempted to play in the 1896 US Open at the golf course he had all but grown up on at 16, he threatened the entire tournament.
1913-John Shippen, golfer, in action.
Why John Matthew Shippen almost caused a US Open boycott
Prior to the start of the 1986 US Open at Shinnecock Hills, some club members had been so impressed with Shippen’s golfing prowess that they paid his entry fee to the tournament, alongside his close friend, Oscar Bunn, a Shinnecock Native American.
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This proved to be a controversial move. Shippen entered the US Open at his home course in Shinnecock, and he was met with a venomous reaction from a portion of the field.
Several English and Scottish pros threatened a strike to protest a non-white player competing. With a mass boycott potentially on his hands, USGA President Theodore Havemeyer stood strong. He stated that the tournament would run even if Shippen and his friend Bunn were the only two players on the course.
The tournament went ahead, and the young Shippen proved himself more than worthy of a place in the field. He was tied for the tournament lead going into the final round.
Unfortunately, a disastrous 11 on the 13th hole ended his chances, but he still finished T6, earning $10 for his performance.
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Shippen played in five more U.S. Opens, and his best finish was a tie for fifth in 1902. He was essentially America’s first home-born golf pro, but despite the USGA fighting his corner, he was still barred from joining the PGA during his lifetime.
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