2022 U.S. Open weather updates: Swirling winds may create difficult, uneven conditions at The Country Club

Thursday morning will be here before we know it with the 122nd U.S. Open getting underway. Taking place in Brookline, Massachusetts, at The Country Club, plenty of has been made of the rich, deep history of one of the oldest golf courses in America. Names such as Francis Ouimet, Curtis Strange, Justin Leonard and Matt Fitzpatrick have all been uttered with some consistency, but lost amongst those who have claimed victory here in the past and the projection of those who may come Sunday is Mother Nature.

The 2022 season has been riddled with uneven playing conditions for competitors, the most obvious case coming at The Players Championship in March. But make no mistake, the “fifth major” is not alone as cold, blustery and even rainy conditions have come to life at both the Masters and the PGA Championship as well.

It appears the same will ring true for the 2022 U.S. Open as not only are winds expected to change directions throughout the week, but the level of their intensity will shift throughout the individual rounds themselves. While incoming form, course fit and mental fortitude often describe the nature of major champions, another factor needed is a little tee time luck.

Weather forecast for The Country Club

Brookline, Massachusetts

While conditions and forecasts can change before tee times begin, it appears those who possess an AM-PM tee time split will be receiving the better end of the bargain, much like the PGA Championship, through the first 36 holes. With lighter winds Thursday morning and steady breezes throughout Friday, those on the golf course early in Round 1 have the potential to put their stamp on this championship from the go.

Notable players in this wave include Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth and Will Zalatoris. All amongst the early betting favorites, this is familiar position for both McIlroy and Zalatoris as both were able to get off to fast starts at Southern Hills.

Unfortunately, Justin Thomas finds himself in a similar unlucky spot, getting the short end of the stick just as he did at The Players Championship and en route to his victory at the PGA Championship. Thomas is once again off in the afternoon hours on Thursday and could be faced with wind gusts up to 30 mph. However, the two-time PGA winner understands it is not what you do when everything is going one’s way but rather what you do when one receives a bad break which ultimately defines a major champion.

“It’s when things start going south or maybe you get a couple bad breaks or you get some wind gusts, whatever it is, to where you just get thrown some adversity, and it’s like, how are you going to handle it,” said Thomas. “Those are the times especially in a major that I’ve learned that I become a little impatient. I almost try to force the issue sometimes. At the end of the day or at the end of the week, in a major, that’s how a lot of guys are going to end up losing the tournament.”