June13 Openpar

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The US Golf Association has trimmed Oakmont’s par to 70 this week, which it has done all but once since the last time the Open came here.

The yardage is a maximum of 7,230 yards. But the most pertinent numbers in relation to scoring are 13, four and 210.

The first is the target speed of Oakmont’s notorious greens, which might, in terms of slope and slickness, be even more difficult than the putting surfaces at Augusta.

“Avoiding three-putts probably is about the most important goal you can have this week,” says Pittsburgh native Jim Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion.

The second number – four – is the length of the primary rough nearer the fairway. It gets even higher and thicker the farther from the sprinkler heads a player strays.
The latter is the number of bunkers. They have been renovated and reinvigorated and other than the greens, the deep, flat-bottomed traps will likely have the second greatest impact on the outcome.

Oakmont facts
Johnny Miller shot a record 63 in the final round of the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont. The lowest score at Oakmont since then was posted by Colin Montgomerie and John Cook, each with 65 in the second of the ’94 Open. Loren Roberts, who is not in the field, posted 64 in the third round that same year.

Oakmont might be ghastly hard, but it can be had, too. Miller’s 63 isn’t the only evidence. The two lowest third-round scores by a winner in U.S. Open history were shot at Oakmont: Larry Nelson’s 65 in 1983 and Els’ 66 in 1994.

In addition to Els and Montgomerie, others returning who completed four rounds in the ’94 Open are Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Scott Verplank, Davis Love, Jeff Sluman, Fred Funk, Paul Goydos, Olin Browne and Kirk Triplett. High finishers after Els and Monty: Sluman (tie ninth) and Verplank (tie 18th). Also tying for ninth that year was Frank Nobilo, now a Golf Channel analyst.

Woods says he won’t likely hit many drivers at Oakmont. Last time he dialed down was last year’s British Open at Royal Liverpool, and he shot 18 under par and won by two shots over Chris DiMarco for his 12th major title.

Take a close look at lefties this week. In the last five years only two players have recorded three top-10 finishes in the U.S. Open: Mickelson, last year’s runner-up, and Mike Weir.

Best pairing of the first two days: Mickelson, Adam Scott and Furyk, who are ranked 2-3-4 in the world, respectively. They begin the championship at 1:36 p.m. EDT on the first tee.

Camillo Villegas qualified for his first U.S. Open last Monday in a sectional qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, just five days after nearly withdrawing from the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley with a neck injury. He got his neck worked on two days in a row before teeing it up at Muirfield Village Golf Club, managed to somehow make the cut, and ended up tied for 31st before shooting 69-70-139 to qualify for the Open.

This week’s US Open starts the countdown of the final 10 events on the PGA TOUR’s revamped regular season before the FedExCup playoff run begins. Of the top 15 players in the points standing, 12 are among the top 25 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
 
Spanish sensation Pablo Martin made his professional debut at the Stanford St. Jude Championship after signing a multi-year endorsement deal with Nike. The former Oklahoma State standout is qualified for this week’s U.S. Open. Earlier this year at the Estoril Open de Portugal he became the first amateur to win a European Tour event. He’ll be paired at the Open with compatriots Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal.

Don’t expect Martin or any other first-time entrant to win. That hasn’t happened since Francis Ouimet in 1913. And the last champion to go through local and sectional qualifying was Orville Moody in 1969. John Goodman, in 1933, was the last amateur to capture the title.

Photo: Getty Inages

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