Alex Fitzpatrick is leaving no stone unturned for his first U.S. Open appearance. He knows Shinnecock can be a tough course, and to make things easier, he is using AI, and that too in an unusual way, which has raised questions from the fans.

“Some interesting prep from Alex Fitzpatrick, to say the least,” said Golf Channel, showing a video of Alex Fitzpatrick wearing a VR headset on the Shinnecock greens.

Alex Fitzpatrick was spotted wearing PuttView X augmented reality goggles on the practice green. These goggles help golfers see where they need to aim, know the actual path of the ball, and marvel at the contours of the green. All of this is made possible by overlaying information about the putt in front of you directly onto the green. All valuable putt information is displayed as an overlay onto the green using Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality technology.

“This is a learning experience you will never forget,” the brand claims. “Understand the green contours, visualize your intended putt, and get feedback in real-time.”

The USGA and the R&A have strictly limited the use of technology on the course. Under Rule 4.3 of the Rules of Golf, players cannot use artificial devices or apps to gauge conditions or assist in their swing while playing. So, how Fitzpatrick’s tech conforms with the USGA’s enforcement of green books remains unclear.

In 2022, the PGA Tour banned detailed topographical green books and also broadened the ban on “any device to test the conditions of the putting greens” to include practice greens, practice rounds, and pro-ams.

But why Alex Fitzpatrick is engaging in this level of preparation is hardly surprising. The 2018 U.S. Open saw the Shinneock course produce widespread complaints about firm greens and strong winds. Even this year, greens are firm, as confirmed by Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler after their scouting trips 2 weeks earlier.

“We played on Monday. The greens are rolling at around 11, 11.2, or something like that. And I really don’t think they need to get much faster,” said McIlroy, who is chasing his first U.S. Open win in 15 years.

“I think if they can keep them at that green speed, they can get them firm, and they can use the hole locations that they want to use without having some of the struggles that they have had the last couple of US Opens. So to me, it’s all about them just maintaining the green speeds really where they are and not getting them too out of hand, and I think it will be a great week.”

“I was a little surprised at the width of the fairways, but the green complexes there are extremely difficult, and I think that’s where the greatest challenge comes from,” said No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who is aiming for a career grand slam this week.

Surprisingly, Alex Fitzpatrick’s elder brother Matt Fitzpatrick recently defended the tough conditions, saying the course was never “lost” and that the greens are what make Shinnecock special.

Shinnecock Hills has broken plenty of golfers over the years. You remember how, at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, Zach Johnson declared on live TV that the USGA had “lost the golf course”. So, Alex Fitzpatrick decided to show up armed for battle.

To some fans, it looked like Fitzpatrick was preparing for a virtual reality tournament rather than golf’s toughest major.

Fans are not happy with Alex Fitzpatrick’s antics in this year’s U.S. Open

“What a f*****g clown,” wrote one fan.

“You can’t make this sh*t up, wtf,” wrote one fan.

Another commented, “Man, I was actually starting to like him.”

Phil Mickelson also wore putting goggles in 2024 during the PGA Championship practice, but they were just funky, not AI-powered. His goggles had a yellow piece of plastic beside the right eye through which daylight entered, and following this, it was concentrated to a darkened lens, after which it bounced back to the eye. This helped Lefty to see a simple alignment grid, enabling him to putt the ball better.

“Success has gone straight to his head,” wrote one person.

Fitzpatrick won the Hero Indian Open 2026 for his maiden DPWT win and then found his way to the PGA Tour by winning the Zurich Classic with his brother. So, it is safe to say that 2026 has been a good year for him.

“He said, ‘Bryson, hold my beer,” commented one fan.

Usually, it is DeChambeau who is known for including AI and tech in his play, but it seems that Alex also wants to do the same.

We’d have to ask Alex himself how the VR headset helped him, but for now, do you think this was a smart move?