US Open: Masters champion plays 81 - Defending champion: "Most difficult golf course in the world"

The US Open likes to call itself the "toughest test in golf". Every year, the organizers try to prepare the courses in such a way that the next major winner plays a score around Par. Thick, dense Rough and the length of the golf courses serve this purpose. Oakmont Country Club, where the 125th US Open starts on Thursday, offers all of this.

US Open course presents pros with a puzzle

Balls disappearing completely out of sight in the Rough should still be a relatively minor problem thanks to the ball spotters positioned along the Fairways. Getting the balls back into play is likely to be a much more difficult undertaking. Hitting Fairways is essential this week. But even then, Oakmont Country Club remains a monster with its 175 bunkers. US journalist Eamon Lynch recently reported that Adam Scott hit every Fairway on a practice round over the first nine holes and still finished three over Par.

Rory McIlroy reported after his practice round at the start of the week: "It felt impossible last Monday," said the Masters winner on Tuesday at his press conference before the US Open. "I made Birdie on the last two holes for an 81 and it felt pretty good. It didn't feel like I played that bad." World number one Scottie Scheffler even described the course as the "most difficult golf course we've ever played." Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau agreed: "I think everyone knows that this is probably the most difficult golf course in the world right now," he told reporters. "You've got to hit the Fairways, you've got to hit the greens and you've got to two-putt at your worst.

US Open has the longest Par-3

In addition to the playing challenges, there is of course the mental challenge of not letting all of this break you down and not losing your spirit. After all, a major title is at stake. It hardly helps that the eighth hole is likely to pose an ego-scratching question for some of the 156 participants. The Par-3 is 288 yards (263 meters) this week. Ten meters shorter than at the last US Open in Oakmont. Collin Morikawa, PGA Championship winner in 2020 and Open Champion in 2021, thought it was a Par-4 on the first practice round and asked his caddie whether he should go for the green. Scheffler took the precaution of trying out the Driver on this hole at the start of the week, which would be out of reach for most amateurs from the back tees. If the wind is right, this could also be necessary during the course of the tournament.

Victor Hovland finds it "a bit silly"

Not everyone is happy with the length of the Par-3. Victor Hovland even went so far as to say that the best Par-3s in the world are all shorter than 180 meters. "You might be able to have it just over 180 meters, but as soon as you start taking the head cover off on par 3s, I think it gets a bit silly," said the Norwegian, referring to not wanting long Woods on the tee of a par-3.

A little rain has made the course more playable than it was at the beginning of the week. However, the USGA, the American Golf Association and host of the US Open, will do everything in its power to ensure that the course hardens up again and becomes what everyone expects: "The toughest test in golf".