Pinehurst pairing

U.S. Open conditions do not dissolve overnight. It’s safe to say that this fact is lost on no one in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Despite the relative frequency with which this phenomenon occurs on Pinehurst Resort’s renowned No. 2 course, which wrapped its fourth U.S. Open on June 16 and has four more on the books through 2047, the idea of No. 2 at its very best still can shake up normal programming. The U.S. Open may be a national treasure, but in Pinehurst, the North & South Amateur and the N&S Women’s Amateur are the local majors. They have been running without pause since 1901 and 1903, respectively, and are unique among amateur events in that both are played on a U.S. Open venue. This week, for the first time, they will overlap after tournament organizers decided to share a unique opportunity with both fields.

“The golf course is in such immaculate shape currently, and we wanted the fields to play a U.S. Open golf course,” said David Gilinsky, director of tournament operations for Pinehurst. “Now, we knew that bringing th...