The 126th U.S. Open got off to an unsteady start at Shinnecock Hills, with heavy fog suspending play just 30 minutes into the first round. Only 18 players in the 156 man field managed to tee off before the stoppage, and the entire field had its tee times pushed back two hours.

New York native James Nicholas hit the ceremonial opening shot and was among a group tied for the lead at even par when the fog rolled in and halted things. Now the bigger story is what's coming this afternoon. Heavy winds are expected to move in, and Shinnecock with wind is a completely different golf course.

Why this matters

The early tee times got the calm version of Shinnecock. Soft, still, low drama. The later groups are not getting that luxury. Scottie Scheffler tees off at 10:14 a.m. with J.J. Spaun and amateur Mason Howell, while Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, and Tommy Fleetwood go off at 9:52. Both groups are right on the edge of when the wind is supposed to pick up.

The real wind test hits the late afternoon wave. Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Fitzpatrick go off at 3:25 p.m. Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, and Xander Schauffele follow at 3:47. Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, and Jon Rahm close out the marquee groups at 4:09.

That is three of the best ball strikers in the world walking into the toughest conditions of the day at a U.S. Open setup that is already brutal in calm weather.

The bigger picture

Major championships are won and lost on stuff like this. A two hour fog delay sounds like a minor inconvenience, but it can completely separate the field by tee time alone. Players are not just competing against each other this week, they are competing against whatever Shinnecock decides to throw at their specific wave.

Worth watching how the leaderboard looks by the end of round one. If the wind shows up like it's supposed to, expect a real split between the morning soft-course scores and the afternoon survival scores.