Three Decisive Clubs From Past U.S. Open Victories at Shinnecock Hills

Golf clubs don't win championships—players do, but that doesn't mean they don't play a critical role in the storyline of a victory, especially when everything is on the line at a U.S. Open where accuracy and touch are vital.

Now, when it comes to Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, it has a rich history of hosting U.S. Opens and with it a cast of winners that are some of the game's most celebrated players, including Corey Pavin, Retief Goosen, and Brooks Koepka. Each player had a unique way of tackling the strategic links, and these are the clubs that all played a major role in major victories.

Retief Goosen 2004 - YES! Tracey

In the early 2000s Retief Goosen, along with a large number of pros helped to put YES! putters on the map. Their C-Groove Technology was one of the first modern putters to utilize groove technology to help reduce skid and improve forward roll.

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In Retiefs case, he navigated the slick greens of Shinnecock hills with quiet confidence all week, and finished with multiple clutch putts down the stretch to secure his second U.S. Open Title. Unfortunately for YES, the success was great but unsustainable because in 2010 they filed for bankruptcy. Either way - the victories will live on forever.

Corey Pavin 1995 - Cleveland VAS Fairway Wood

When Corey Pavin hit what Johnny Miller called "the shot of his life", it was a shot that never should have happened in the first place.

It ws only after hitting a poor drive on the 72nd hole, Pavin was left with an extremely difficult 230 yard uphill shot to a tucked pin that he struk perfectly.

As for the VAS line from Cleveland, it was an odd duck in a world of classic clubs, made even more unusual thanks to the top crown branding on the woods, and the S-necked hosels that went into the head behind the face to help prevent shanks on both the woods and irons.

As for some VAS history, it stands for Vibration Absorption System and was brought into golf by ski maker Rossignol, who owned the golf company at the time. They purchased it from founder Roger Cleveland in 1990, and then were sold as a group to the brand Quiksilver (yes, the well-known surf and skate lifestyle company) in 2005 before, they resold Cleveland to SRI, the parent company of Dunlop Sports, which also owns Srixon, XXIO, and Never Compromise.

Brooks Koepka 2018 - Nike Vapor Fly Pro 3-iron

The biggest differnence between Brooks' 3-iron and other clubs on this list in that Brooks still uses this club today - even years after Nike has left the club business. I should also give an honorable mention to his TaylorMade M2 Tour 4-wood which he also still has in his bag from 2018.

To navigate his way around Shinnecock, Koepka relied heavily on his driving iron during the week and on a lot of par-4s on Sunday, and come this week, maybe the return to the course where he won his second U.S. Open will offer some good vibes for a player who has been building momentum after returning from LIV Golf.

The big quetsion now is, who might add a new club to this list this week.