There is no teaser, no way to ease your way into the round; not here, not on a course that has established a reputation as something of a beast. If the aesthetics of this course denuded of its many thousands of trees and now a rolling landscape of grass and sand is one of beauty, the underlining threat is one of repulsion.
The onus is on players from the very first stoke – be it off the first or the 10th, in the two-hole start of the first two rounds – and there is the very real fear that cards can be wrecked before a player has a chance to ever get going. As Shane Lowry observed of the challenge, "you don't want to do anything silly on the first."
And, for sure, part of Oakmont’s appeal is its capacity to inflict pain. The other day, in practice, Jason Day’s drive flew into thick rough. It was a salutary lesson for the world number one, who only managed to move the ball ten feet from its buried lie in the grass. Over the past few days, virtually everyone has discovered it is not a place you want to be.
“You’ve got to keep your ball on the fairway, that’s a huge premium,” acknowledged Rory McIlroy, identifying the first and the 10th holes as especially difficult: “(On both holes), there’s a little bit of luck involved with getting the right bounce off the front edge of the green . . . .it’s a little bit of both nines are uneasy openers.”
There are make-or-break holes all over the place, but Oakmont’s ability to show its teeth so early in the round – be it on the first or the 10th – will ensure that players will walk to the starting tee with focused minds and, as McIlroy admitted, some sense of “trepidation” about the journey ahead.
An analysis of the most recent US Opens (2005-2015) is informative in relation to what will unfold over the coming days: the cost of missing fairways with tee shots was actually most penalising at Merion in 2013 but Oakmont in 2007 ranked as the second most penal in that time.
The only respite for players – statistically – would appear to be on the Par 3 13th and the Par 4 14th. in 2007, the 13th played only marginally above its par while the 14th, which played to 4.05, was ranked the easiest hole on the course and yielded 85 birdies over the four rounds. Interestingly, though, both holes still played above par which says all that needs to be said about the examination Oakmont asks of the players.
Three Key Holes
1st
482 Yards
Par 4
It’s very rare that an opening hole has players standing on the tee box with their hearts in their mouths. This is one time. One of the toughest starting holes anywhere, there is out-of-bounds down the right and the tee shot is hit to a very narrow fairway lined on either side by bunkers. The approach is a semi-blind shot to a green that slopes away from the fairway.
Last time: In 2007, the hole played to a stroke average of 4.52 (ranked 3rd toughest)
3rd
426 Yards
Par 4
The iconic stretch of bunkering known as the Church Pews line the left-hand side of the fairway but, if anything, the cluster of deep bunkers down the right are actually more penal. The approach shot is uphill to an elevated green that has a vicious run-off over the back.
Last time: In 2007, this hole proved particularly costly to Tiger Woods' hopes: in the final round, his overhit approach shot led to a double-bogey. He would finish one stroke behind Angel Cabrera. It played to a stroke average of 4.37 (ranked 9th toughest).
10th
462 Yards
Par 4
The exaggerated camber on this fairway – where players hit downhill from the tee – means it is extremely difficult to avoid trouble: bunkers linger down the left, strategically positioned in the drive zone, and players will most likely seek to hit their approach shots short of the green aiming to roll the ball onto the putting surface.
Last time: In 2007, this hole had the most double bogeys ever in the US Open when it produced 45 over the course of the four days. It played to a stroke average of 4.53 (ranked 2nd toughest)
