Is it just tradition now for the U.S. Open to be a pain in the pajamas? I reckon so, because it’s all most of this year’s players can talk about. And last year’s. And the year before that.

If you’re not whining about the difficulty of Erin Hills in Wisconsin, you’re telling everyone else to stop whining. Whichever camp you’re in, though, you’re dealing with the bunkers and the ruff. Everyone has felt their wrath on Thursday and Friday.

To be fair, this golf course looks pretty difficult. So I think any complaints, while maybe annoying, are warranted.

As I type this column, Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele sit tied at 7-under. My money is on the neither of these players being in the top 5 come the back nine on Sunday.

Anybody who has read my golf columns before knows I’m a fan of Lil’ Rickie. I always cheer for him in the major tournaments because I think he is one of the best players who hasn’t won one yet. I’m also a big fan of the way he lives his life off the golf course. He’s involved in lots of charity work, loves working with kids and knows how to enjoy himself socially (just look up the Spring Break trip he takes every year with Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Smiley Kauffman).

However, he never seems to finish strong on Sunday. It’s just the way he plays. Of course, I would like to see myself proven wrong this weekend.

Fowler is one of the only big dogs playing well. Patrick Reed is a 4-under, Sergio Garcia is 3-under. and Thomas is 1-under. Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson are 3-over, and Jason Day and Rory McIlroy are 6-over. What in the world is going on? The world’s greatest are kind of drifting off in the Wisconsin wind, certainly to be cut by the end of Friday.

I just hope an American wins.

I love to see the U.S. Open winner hailing from the great U.S.A.