SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y.—For nearly five minutes Thursday afternoon, two of the world’s most well-known golfers, as well as several cameramen, caddies and U.S. Open officials—about two dozen people in all—were bent over near the par-4 sixth hole, to the left of the fairway. A few officials dropped to their hands and knees, scooping through the golden-brown grass that is synonymous with Shinnecock Hills. Tiger Woods and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson joined the search party.
Where had Johnson’s ball gone? It had disappeared in the rough...