The U.S Open's most electric shotmaker might surprise you

Angel Hidalgo at the U.S. Open this week.

getty imagesSOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — To say the things that Ángel Hidalgo does with a golf club are akin to what Picasso did with a paintbrush would be an insult to Hidalgo.

Such is the depth of the 28-year-old Spaniard’s golfing creativity.High cuts and low draws? Hidalgo could hit them blindfolded.

Drivers off the deck, hooking spinners to tucked pins and sawed-off, flighted wedges that check harder than Magnus Carlsen? Yep, Hidalgo, whose father and grandfather were both golf pros, also has all those bits of wizardry in his arsenal.Close followers of the DP World Tour, where Hidalgo has won once (2024 Open de España), will be familiar with Hidalgo’s shot-shaping prowess, as will regulars on golf Twitter, where clips of Hidalgo’s inventive shot-making often make the rounds.

After Hidalgo carded an eye-popping 63 at the Irish Open last year, he said, “I feel for a few moments like I was playing in a PlayStation.”This week here at Shinnecock, Hidalgo is playing in his first U.S.

Open and just his third major overall. On Thursday, he made five birdies and shot 69. On Friday, he made three more and signed for a 74 to make the cut by two and make some personal history.

“I’m so happy to be in a weekend finally in a major,” he said.In brutal winds Saturday, Hidalgo opened with back-to-back bogeys before getting a stroke back at the par-4 4th, where he spun back his approach to a foot. Hidalgo hadn’t yet delivered one of his signature how’d-he-do-that shots, but it was coming.

After finding the right side of the fairway at the par-5th, Hidalgo had 268 yards left to the hole. Time to go full Ángel.Fairway wood in hand, Hidalgo wound up and hammered down on his ball, his follow-through stopping at shoulder height with his clubface pointed skyward.

“Trying to play a runner,” a voice said from the booth. “This is an interesting shot.”this is one of the coolest golf shots I’ve ever seen pic.

twitter.com/dto3VQ792Q— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti