US Open 2016

Oakmont is an interesting course. It used to be a fairly standard US Open tree lined course and about 10 years ago they had a massive programme of cutting back trees and opening it out. It is also famous for its Church Pees bunkers, lightning greens and difficult pin positions and the membership like it brutal for the US Open.
 
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Can get to be hard work watching US Open when they turn top pros into weekend hackers due to the severity of the set up. There's a line the USGA shouldn't cross in my view that they frequently do.
 
I find it enjoyable, and a refreshing change when in big tournaments the pros are going round in level par, or are aiming and happy with level par! It's all well and good winning tournaments at -18, but it is nice to see the other side of the coin, and I find it entertaining. Especially in a major.

And it is not as if every major is a struggle, the USPGA is usually won at quite a few under par.
 
I listened to a podcast with Justin Thomas a couple of weeks back. He had just played his first practice round there. He said that he doesnt see a single way the course can be set up so that the winner breaks par. Even when you get to the greens it becomes they're very fast with huge breaks on short putts.

Par is such an arbitrary number though, I'm not sure why the USGA has a fascination in 'protecting' it. For example, they could easily turn the 300 yard par 3 into a driveable par 4, and suddenly that's 4 shots over a week. Change one of the 3 500+ par 4s into a 5 and thats another 4 shots.

Apparently, Oakmont pride themselves on only ever being 1 week away from being able to host a major championship!
 
I listened to a podcast with Justin Thomas a couple of weeks back. He had just played his first practice round there. He said that he doesnt see a single way the course can be set up so that the winner breaks par. Even when you get to the greens it becomes they're very fast with huge breaks on short putts.

Par is such an arbitrary number though, I'm not sure why the USGA has a fascination in 'protecting' it. For example, they could easily turn the 300 yard par 3 into a driveable par 4, and suddenly that's 4 shots over a week. Change one of the 3 500+ par 4s into a 5 and thats another 4 shots.

Apparently, Oakmont pride themselves on only ever being 1 week away from being able to host a major championship!

I listened to that - Was it Golf Unfiltered ? Very interesting.

It's certainly going to be very very difficult for the guys out there. Calling it now +4 wins it:D

Just don't ask me WHO is going to win....
 
The course has a reputation to protect and the USGA has a perverted fascination with par. (Has either really recovered from Johnny Miller's 63 40 plus years ago?!) Only one way this is gonna go.

I see your +4 Will and reckon it'll be +6 that wins it.
 
I listened to a podcast with Justin Thomas a couple of weeks back. He had just played his first practice round there. He said that he doesnt see a single way the course can be set up so that the winner breaks par. Even when you get to the greens it becomes they're very fast with huge breaks on short putts.

Par is such an arbitrary number though, I'm not sure why the USGA has a fascination in 'protecting' it. For example, they could easily turn the 300 yard par 3 into a driveable par 4, and suddenly that's 4 shots over a week. Change one of the 3 500+ par 4s into a 5 and thats another 4 shots.

Apparently, Oakmont pride themselves on only ever being 1 week away from being able to host a major championship!

I'd like to listen to that podcast - you got a link?
 
I'd like to listen to that podcast - you got a link?

Haven't got a link handy, but it's one of the most recent No Laying Up podcasts so you should be able to find it easily, it had Justin Thomas in the title as well. They're the guys that invented the #toursauce and #prayfortedscott things- American focused but probably my favourite golfing podcast all in all.
 
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