U.S. Open hole by hole: Aggressive play can be rewarded on No. 5 at Oakmont
From the pristine fairways and lightning-fast greens to the punishing bunkers and club-twisting rough, Oakmont Country Club is one of the toughest tests for even the world’s best golfers, who will descend upon Western Pennsylvania for the 125th U.S. Open from June 12-15.
TribLive is producing a hole-by-hole look at what makes Oakmont Country Club one of the most popular and anticipated stops for the USGA.
Hole 5 breakdown
Length: 408 yards, Par 4
Handicap: 12
2016 U.S. Open stroke average: 4.13
Description
A blind tee shot makes the relatively short fifth hole a wild card for the upcoming U.S. Open. Players will need to spend time during practice rounds studying the sightlines and landing areas off the tee to give themselves the best chance to attack pins throughout the week.
Like many other holes around Oakmont, the landing zone is narrow and surrounded by trouble. In this case, there are three large bunkers on the left of the landing zone, with another group of four smaller bunkers on the right.
Most players will be left with a wedge into the green, which has two deep bunkers to the left and a long narrow trap to the right with more trouble behind the putting surface with thanks to grass and more sand.
The green is nestled behind grassy ditches and contours that will make for some interesting bounces on approach shots.
Birdies are on the table, but putts will slide on the putting surface that slopes from right to left. There were 54 birdies on the fifth hole in 2016, as well as 85 bogeys and 13 doubles.
Memorable moment from U.S. Open
Dustin Johnson was accessed a delayed 1-shot penalty after the final round of the 2016 U.S. Open when his ball moved on the fifth green. A USGA official deemed his ball moved prior to his 6-foot par putt. He still shot 4-under-par for the tournament and won by three strokes, but it was one of the most talked about moments of the 2016 U.S. Open.
How the locals play it
Sean Knapp began his golf career as a caddie at Oakmont Country Club, and the Oakmont resident has since played more rounds there than he can remember over 40-plus years. One of the area’s most decorated amateur golfers: He has won nine West Penn Amateur titles and claimed victory six times at Pennsylvania Amateur Links. He also won the U.S. Senior Amateur in 2017 and qualified for the U.S. Amateur in 2021 at Oakmont.
“One of the things you have to analyze when you approach Oakmont is there aren’t that many birdie holes. My thought on that particular hole as well as a few others, the approach is to play it more aggressively. It is an awkward sightline. It’s mostly blind in terms of the landing area. It’s tough to get your bearings on where to hit it.
“Historically, you can line up with some sightlines over No. 3. There’s a pole on the horizon that sits there. Getting a sightline is really important. You can’t be in the fairway bunkers. The green is really menacing. It has three components. There’s a front part where they’ll probably have a pin. One in the back. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are two in the middle. Having a short iron in there really lends yourself to where it’s one of the few holes where you can birdie.”
Around the U.S. Open
Spotlight
Collin Morikawa
Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa is hunting another trophy to add to his growing collection.
The 28-year-old American won the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 British Open and has six PGA Tour victories overall.
Morikawa began his pro career by making 22 consecutive cuts, a mark only surpassed by Tiger Woods with 25. And that consistency has continued.
He has made five cuts in six U.S. Open appearances. His best finish in the U.S. Open was when he tied for fourth in 2021 at Torrey Pines and tied for fifth in 2022 at The Country Club. Last year, he finished tied for 14th at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst after shooting 2-over-par.
Currently, Morikawa is fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking behind only Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele.
A four-time All-American at Cal-Berkeley, he has gone on to play for the U.S. on victorious Palmer Cup teams (2017, 2018), the 2021 and ’23 Ryder Cup teams and the winning 2022 and ’24 Presidents Cup teams.
By the numbers
156: Number of golfers who will compete in the U.S. Open
6: Number of white poles at Oakmont used as sightlines for blind tee shots
1895: Year of the first contested U.S. Open
Quotable
“It matters where the pros win their championships. That’s one of the many reasons why Oakmont is on the rotation and is considered an anchor site.”
— John Lynch, president of Oakmont Country Club
U.S. Open history
Here’s a look at the highest scores among winners of the U.S. Open:
17-over par: Walter Hagen, Brae Burn Country Club (Mass.), 1919
13-over par: Tommy Armour, Oakmont Country Club, 1927
13-over par: Olin Dutra, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa., 1934
12-over par: Francis Oimet, The Country Club (Mass.), 1913
11-over par: Sam Parks Jr., Oakmont Country Club, 1935
10-over par: Johnny Farrell, Olympia Fields (Ill.), 1928
9-over par: Jim Barens, Columbia Country Club (Md.), 1921
9-over par: Cyril Walker, Oakland Hills (Mich.), 1924
9-over par: Julius Boros, The Country Club (Mass.), 1963
8-over par: Gene Sarazen, Skokie Country Club (Ill.), 1922
8-over par: Bobby Jones, Inwood Country Club (N.Y.), 1923
8-over par: Billy Burke, Inverness Club (Ohio), 1931
8-over par: Byron Nelson, Philadelphia Country Club, 1939
If you missed it
No. 1: U.S. Open hole by hole: No. 1 at Oakmont among world’s toughest opening tests
No. 2: U.S. Open hole by hole: Sloping green among challenges on No. 2 at Oakmont
No. 3: U.S. Open hole by hole: Church Pews a landmark hazard on No. 3 at Oakmont Country Club
No. 4: U.S. Open hole by hole: Birdie opportunity within reach on No. 4 at Oakmont
Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.
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