Western Pennsylvania native Jim Furyk said he might prepare for the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club by hitting his hand with a hammer.
“Because that’s what it feels like to play there,” he said. Furyk was joking. Probably. Ehh, maybe.
That’s about all you really need to know about Oakmont, host of this year’s U.S. Open, June 12-15. Every Open course is a brute, a beast or a bear, or it wouldn’t be holding an Open. Oakmont is the beast-iest of them all (no, beast-iest is not a real word… until now).
That’s why this will be Oakmont’s 10th Open, a record, and why Oakmont – located outside Pittsburgh – is the backbone of the Open rotation.
How tough is Oakmont? Phil Mickelson called it “the hardest course we’ve ever played” in 2007 and inadvertently proved it by injuring his wrist hitting chip shots from the rough during a pre-tournament visit. He later withdrew mid-round from the Memorial Tournament because of the ailing wrist and criticized the United States Golf Association for having “dangerous” rough. Wearing a wrist brace, he missed the cut at Oakmont.
The greens are no bargain, either. They have severe slopes and always run fast. Tiger Woods was asked if Oakmont had the most difficult greens in all of golf, including the Masters Tournament. Tiger didn’t hesitate. “Without a doubt,” he said. No Open champion at Oakmont has shot better than 5-under par for 72 holes. The nine winners combined for a total of 5-over par.
Oakmont isn’t getting easier. Designer Gil Hanse gave the course a makeover recently, enlarging all 18 greens to their original sizes after old photographs showed they had shrunk. The bunkers were renovated and some were moved to be in play for today’s big hitters. Even the Church Pews, the course’s iconic bunkers, were lengthened and two more rows of “pews” added. Plus, the par-3 eighth hole is still ready to play 300 yards long. The USGA had it at 299 yards one day in 2016.
The difficulty of Oakmont is exceeded only by its history. Something unusual happened in all nine of its Opens. Here they are in order of “Wow Factor”:
1962 Arnold Palmer, the game’s biggest star and a local favorite, dueled with 22-year-old Jack Nicklaus. Despite the crowd pulling hard for Arnie and openly rooting against Jack, Nicklaus won the 18-hole Sunday playoff and got his first professional victory. What a classic, arguably the best major ever, and what a way to start a career.
1973 A 43-year-old Palmer hadn’t won a major in nine years and Arnie’s Army was fired up when he tied for the 54-hole lead. Then Johnny Miller came out of left field with a stunning 63 for the win, a record score that stood for 50 years.
1953 Even three-time Open champ Ben Hogan had to play in 36-hole qualifying Tuesday and Wednesday preceding the tournament, just like everyone else except defending champ Julius Boros, who was exempt. Sam Snead trailed Hogan by one shot going to the final nine, but Hogan made three birdies and won by six. Hogan swept all three majors he played in that year. He missed the PGA Championship because he couldn’t get back from Great Britain (by ocean liner) in time.
2007 Argentina’s Angel Cabrera joined a short list of players who outlasted Tiger Woods when he contended in a major championship. Cabrera’s birdie at the 15th hole lifted him to a one-shot win over Woods and Furyk.
1927 Tommy Armour beat Harry Cooper in a playoff after both players tied at 301, the last time an Open champion shot 300 or higher. Al Espinosa’s final-round 69 was the only sub-70 score during the week.
1983 Tom Watson and Seve Ballesteros shared the 54-hole lead, but Larry Nelson’s sizzling weekend - a U.S. Open record score of 132 - carried him to victory, sparked by an unlikely 62-foot birdie putt at the 16th hole in the final round.
1935 Sam Parks, Jr., a Pittsburgh club pro, practiced at Oakmont nearly every day for a month and used his course knowledge to stun contenders such as Walter Hagen, Denny Shute and Gene Sarazen.
1994 Ernie Els won his first major championship in a playoff against Colin Montgomerie and Loren Roberts in a wild week that also featured Arnold Palmer’s final round at the U.S. Open, the New York Rangers’ first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years and live coverage of the O.J. Simpson “Bronco” chase through Los Angeles.
2016 Oakmont’s greens were so slick that numerous players drew penalties because their golf balls moved as they addressed putts. It happened to leader Dustin Johnson on the fifth green in the final round. He was told on the 12th hole that he might have incurred a penalty, but didn’t learn until after the round that yes, he was getting a one-shot penalty. Luckily, Johnson had a big lead, so it was a moot point. The USGA subsequently revised the Rules of Golf.
Golf legend Gene (The Squire) Sarazen once noted, “Oakmont has all the charm of a sock to the head.”
Get ready, golfers, Oakmont is about to come out swinging one more time.