Emiliano Grillo Rebounds at Shinnecock Hills After Eight Years of Regret

Emiliano Grillo posted a 3-under 67 to set the early pace at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, marking a stark contrast to his experience at the same course eight years earlier when he missed the cut by a single stroke and described the experience as something he refused to revisit. The 33-year-old Argentine golfer demonstrated strong course management through persistent wind conditions that challenged the field throughout the day.

Grillo's Saturday performance included four consecutive birdies spanning holes six through nine, a stretch he credited to precise shot-making. His approach into the par-4 sixth hole—a 215-yard shot to 2 feet—proved particularly pivotal. He followed with an accurate tee shot at the par-3 seventh that left him 8 feet from the pin, then rolled in putts from 18 feet and 25 feet at the eighth and ninth holes respectively. These performances stood in marked contrast to his opening stretch, which consisted of five consecutive pars.

When asked about his 2018 visit to Shinnecock, Grillo remained adamant about moving forward. "It was a blur," he said. "I'm not going to go there. I hated every minute of it. It was dry. It was windy. I hated every minute of it." The disparity between missing the cut by one shot eight years ago and leading the field on Saturday appeared to frustrate him less than acknowledge the difference in his approach to managing challenging conditions.

The back nine presented different obstacles. After turning at 4-under par, Grillo acknowledged feeling pressure to finish strong. He salvaged pars with important putts at holes 10 and 11 before recording a birdie at the par-5 16th. A bogey at 17 closed his round, leaving him at even par for the tournament. Grillo noted surprise at the wind's persistence throughout the day, saying he expected conditions to ease on the back nine but found them maintaining intensity. His score of 67 was nearly seven strokes better than the field average at that point in the day.

Currently ranked 123rd in the FedEx Cup standings—outside the new 100-player threshold for full-time Tour membership—Grillo has struggled at major championships recently, missing the cut in six of his last ten major tournaments. However, he produced a top-20 finish at the previous year's U.S. Open at Oakmont. Despite career challenges, Grillo attributes recent major tournament difficulties to the overall strength of professional golf competition rather than personal shortcomings. "It's hard, man. Like everybody is grinding so much. Everybody is practicing so much," he explained, noting the intensity required to compete against elite players like world-ranked Scottie Scheffler in major championship fields.