The topic of Rory McIlroy’s driver has been red-hot after his big dog was deemed non-conforming during the week of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
If Oakmont Country Club represents one of the most difficult tests in professional golf, in at least one sense it will be starkly simple: a shot from the fairway means a player can think about how he wants to play the shot to the green, whereas a ball in the rough will suggest he shouldn’t even bother.
Nick Flanagan is likely the only golfer to ever win a US Amateur and caddie in a US Open at the same course. His connection Oakmont CC is now a lifelong affair; he was given honorary membership after winning the 2003 US Amateur there and the 40-year-old even has an accommodation room named after him within the club’s on-site cabins.
Battle ready after street fighting his way through 38 holes of final qualifying, Marc Leishman hopes a combination of a special connection to Oakmont Country Club and a confident driver will help his quest to become the first Australian professional to win a tournament at the famed Pittsburgh course.
Over the past week, the Pittsburgh area has received upwards of 250 millimetres of rain, according to USGA officials – and even more in the proceeding weeks.
Rough topped off at five inches. Green speeds of 15 on the Stimpmeter. A renovated golf course with at least one new hole location on each green. Nothing to see here. Just the setup basics for next month’s US Open at Oakmont Country Club.
The 2025 US Open is over a month away. In fact, we still have another major to get through before we can really start looking ahead to Oakmont. Judging by the looks of things, however, it’s going to be a bloodbath.
The Trophy Club, a 2,300-square-metre upgraded ticket facility, took the brunt of severe storms on Tuesday night in the Pittsburgh area, according to Pittsburgh’s ABC and CBS affiliates.
In addition to giving Oakmont seven future championships, the USGA designated the course as the second US Open “anchor” site, along with Pinehurst Resort.
Australian Golf Digest
