U.S. Open 2026: N.Y. native was a feel-good story for the week, until Shinnecock showed no mercy with a brutal 8

James Nicholas was enjoying a better-than-average week in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

The 29-year-old New York native and Korn Ferry Tour winner shot 71-72 to make the weekend. In doing so, Nicholas got a decent amount of TV time, with NBC anchor Mike Tirico lauding his widely accomplished athletic background that included his time playing elite youth hockey in addition to being on both the Yale football and golf teams.Nicholas no doubt went into Saturday’s third round with a bunch of fresh New Yawker fans ready to cheer him.

Which makes how his round went all the more brutal.Tracy WilcoxNicholas got off to a spectacular start, holing out a 40-foot bunker shot for birdie at No. 1.

But he immediately struggled from there and suffered five bogeys over the next eight holes. Then came No. 10 …

where Nicholas had only 82 yards to hole with his approach shot and ended up making a quadruple-bogey 8.It’s the stuff weekend hacks suffer on a regular basis, but it only happens to pros on setups as demanding a Shinnecock, where the slightest of misses can lead to complete disasters.After bombing a 334-yard drive into the fairway, Nicholas needed only a wedge for his approach, but as with so many shots this week, his ball couldn’t hold the green and ended up well through the back.

Here’s the play-by-play from there:Shot 3: Pitch carried 20 yards past flag, 56 feet from hole.Shot 4: Putt goes past hole and down slope off green, 50 feet from hole.Shot 5: Chip doesn’t reach the green, rolls back, 42 feet from hole.

Shot 6: Chip gets on the green, 10 feet from the hole.Shot 7: Putt missed by 16 inches.Shot 8: Tap-in for 8.

A really tough deal, obviously, and the quad, along with a bogey on the next hole, knocked Nicholas way down leaderboard as his round continued. It was hardly consolation, but we could guarantee there would be more carnage—possibly among the leaders—by the time the day wa over.MORE GOLF DIGEST U.

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