Pinehurst is renowned for its complex green complexes and towering pines (shocker), which can often overshadow the rest of the vegetation due to their dominant presence. Once you have a chance to study Pinehurst #2, you’ll see the variety of vegetation peeking out of the sandy soil in the off-fairway areas.
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It’s likely anybody watching the U.S. Open will hear all about the addition of wiregrass plants at Pinehurst #2 after the extensive renovation work done by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw about 15 years ago. Turns out, the TV broadcast won’t just stop at “wiregrass” to describe the vegetation on display at Pinehurst. They’ll be a lot more specific.
Smylie Kaufman, former PGA Tour winner who is part of NBC’s coverage for the U.S. Open, shared an extensive list of plants on Twitter that NBC sent to its broadcast team prior to Thursday.
How’s that lie down there sk?
“Well, it’s sitting near some Chinese Forget Me Not but I’d say more of the ball is on the Mexican Clover. In his backswing swing he may have some False Foxglove to worry about but the big concern is the follow through and the Morning Glory” pic.twitter.com/Gr44xNAvdJ— Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) June 11, 2024
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Hilarious … we are chuckling as we imagine announcers like Smylie, Brandel Chamblee or John Wood stumbling over whether a ball finds itself in a Common Mullein or a Slender Vervain. As Smylie says, it should make for some funny moments on the broadcast.
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But Smylie didn’t stop there, also using this as an opportunity for a fun dig at LIV for their unique team names.
How is the Four O’Clocks not a LIV team name? Missed opportunity there
— Smylie Kaufman (@SmylieKaufman10) June 11, 2024
Hopefully, he doesn’t crack too hard under the pressure when trying to pronounce these indigenous species this weekend. We wish you the best of luck, Smylie.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
