Michael McGowan had the honor of hitting the opening tee shot in the U.S. Open on Thursday and it didn't take long to realize what kind of test awaited at Pinehurst No. 2. The tee shot, packed with nerves of being in front of a hometown, crowd went left into the sandy landscape. History at Pinehurst No. 2 — this is the fourth U.S. Open since 1999 — indicates a tough time even for the best.