Oakmont Country Club, located in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, is preparing for yet another U.S. Open. This year’s prestigious event is drawing the field of the world’s top golfers. The course is known for being a difficult track to learn. It has crowned a plethora of champions, but it remains a fierce playground to even the best golfers. With rain forecasted for the weekend and the greens already described as “lightning-fast,” competitors are bracing themselves for a rigorous experience.
Oakmont Country Club has a beautiful legacy. It has hosted the most U.S. Opens of any venue, solidifying its status as a true golf fortress. Those who have prevailed here face an uphill battle. No winner has even finished 5 under par. This underscores the difficulty of the course, which Scottie Scheffler, currently ranked as the best player in the world, describes as “probably the hardest golf course that we’ll play.”
Unfortunately, the challenges at Oakmont go far beyond the scoring. Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa has already bemoaned the very thick rough on the course. This is enough to cause shots to miss by a staggering 45 degrees! As Maher points out, “You have to hit the fairways, you have to hit greens, and you have to two-putt, worst-case scenario.” The intimidating deep bunkers offer yet another layer of difficulty, demanding even more accurate shot-making and thought-provoking play.
Morikawa’s even-par 70 at Oakmont was an example of a good round. One that greatly underplays the challenges players will encounter. He told me, “The greens are rolling too fast, just for this early in the season!” That would require competitors to work on their putting skills to adjust to his speedy greens.
Despite all of those courses, Bryson DeChambeau had plenty to say on the unique challenges Oakmont Country Club was throwing their way. He won his first U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2020 and acknowledges that while there are similarities between the two courses, “it’s not like every single hole is Winged Foot out here.” His analysis of the course underlines some of the special challenges Oakmont poses, such as its infamous bumpy, speedy greens.
Jon Rahm highlighted the overall difficulty of Oakmont, stating, “It’s going to be a nice test, a difficult test.” He added that it represents “one of the truest representations of what a U.S. Open is all about.” Almost all of the players really feel this one. They understand that winning out here requires a special mix of talent and toughness.
As excitement continues to mount for the impending tournament, former champion Justin Thomas shared what he hoped would be the psychological effect of Oakmont’s temptations. “I hope it psyches a ton of players out,” he said, with recognition that the mind game comes along with such an intimidating stage.
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