I think most people fail to recognize that the USGA came within one day of pulling off a phenomenal championship. Let's review the bidding: On Wednesday, the wind was blowing and the course was very difficult, but playable. Thursday, the course was softer, the rain came in and set up another relatively mild day (course conditions wise) on Friday. On Saturday, the setup was very difficult, but fair. If the championship had ended on Saturday, I don't think that anybody would have cried foul about Shinny or the USGA.
Their only problem was in failing to recognize the fact that the entire course needed watering on Saturday night. This is a big miscalculation, I'll readily admit, but it is almost impossible to imagine Tom Meeks and Tim Moraghan (both good men) calling for the sprinklers. If they had done that, I guess that the bitching and moaning would have been less and you would have had eight or nine guys under par and Phil might have had a chance.
Bottom line is this: they host this championship on razor-thin margins. The balance between fast and firm vs. unplayable asphalt is incredibly difficult to maintain, but unless they dance with the devil, the US Open will be just another tournament with thirty players under par and the winner in the teens.
I don't think anybody wants that, either.