The U.S. Open at Oakmont is shaping up to be a brutal test that has players already feeling the pain – even as fans eagerly anticipate the drama.
Early reports from Oakmont Country Club paint a picture of extreme conditions that will likely push the world’s best golfers to their breaking point next week.
“Mental” is how Adam Scott described the state players will find themselves in after facing Oakmont’s challenges. Scott shared this assessment with Eamon Lynch during Monday’s “Golf’s Longest Day” coverage on Golf Channel while many hopefuls were battling through final qualifying across North America.
Scott’s practice round at Oakmont offered a sobering preview. He hit every fairway on the front nine – and still shot 3 over par. Let that sink in.
Rory McIlroy was also on site Monday, getting his first taste of Oakmont’s infamous difficulty. On the 298-yard par-3 eighth hole, McIlroy needed a 3-wood and still made bogey. When a veteran club member mentioned that Johnny Miller made 4 on that same hole during his historic 63 to win the 1973 U.S. Open, McIlroy had the perfect response: “That’s great. Did he make a 7 on No. 2 as well?”
That triple bogey on the second hole came despite McIlroy hitting what he described as “three good shots.” It’s a telling sign of what awaits the field of 156 players next week.
The way things are looking, simply making the cut might feel like a victory for many in the field. What makes Oakmont particularly challenging is how it punishes even well-executed shots – there’s no margin for error anywhere on the property.
But that’s the U.S. Open at Oakmont. It’s not supposed to be fair. It’s supposed to identify the most complete player under the most demanding conditions.
