U.S. Open hole by hole: Birdies could come calling on No. 14 at Oakmont, unless fairway bunkers get involved
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 14 breakdown
Length: 379 yards, Par 4
Handicap: 15
2016 U.S. Open stroke average: 3.99
Description
Most players will likely label No. 14 as a “birdie hole” and attempt to attack the green with hopes of improving a score that probably has taken some hits to this point in the round.
The short par 4 has a landing area that slopes right to left and narrows between 270-300 yards from the tee. Nine fairway bunkers make accuracy key. A wayward drive will drop the birdie chances greatly, especially if the 5-inch rough is involved.
A nest of bunkers surround the putting surface, which features ridges to the right, left and back but has less undulation than most greens around the course.
In the 2007 U.S. Open, No. 14 was the easiest hole with a 78% green-in-regulation success rate. There were 85 birdies on the 14th hole in 2007 and 72 in 2016. There also were 60 bogeys on this hole in 2016, meaning it’s certainly not a gimme that players will score well.
Memorable moment from U.S. Open
Jimmy Thomson, one of the game’s longest hitters at the time, made a double bogey in the third round and bogey in the final round on the 14th hole, according to the USGA. He went on to finish two strokes behind Sam Parks at the 1935 U.S. Open.
How the locals play it
Jimmy Meyers won the 2018 WPIAL Class 3A championship at Oakmont with an even-par 70. A PIAA runner-up and four-time state qualifier, he helped Central Catholic claim three WPIAL team titles. Meyers went on to play at Penn State, where he earned All-Northeast Region honors as a junior and had three top-10 finishes as a senior in 2022-23. A member at Oakmont since 2006, he will be at PGA Tour Q-School later this month as he continues on his professional career.
“Since they added the new tee box it plays about 30 yards longer. That tee shot is really tough and when it’s firm, there’s about a 15-yard (wide) landing area. It can kick down into the left rough or in the left bunkers. I have this low-cut driver I hit, and it doesn’t carry as far and it goes against the slope in the fairway. I hit in the middle with that low cut, about 290-300 and leave 100 yards. A lot of the guys will do that low bullet fairway finder or even hit 3-wood or a 3-iron stinger that gets you in the fairway. To get to a back flag, you might take one less club and play a shot that doesn’t spin as much. To get to the back pins is pretty tricky.”
Around the U.S. Open
Spotlight
Wyndham Clark
Two years ago, Wyndham Clark stepped into the national spotlight when he won the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.
He dueled with PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy before securing a one-shot victory at 10-under-par. It was a moment that thrust Clark into elite status, so much so that he was selected to be part of Netflix’s “Full Swing” documentary.
Last year, the 31-year-old American finished 56th in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst after shooting 12-over-par. He missed the cut in his first two U.S. Open appearances in 2021 and ’22.
Clark now has three PGA Tour wins and is 22nd in the Official World Golf Rankings. He is coming off a 56th-place finish at the Memorial Tournament this past week.
A two-time Colorado state champion in high school, Clark starred at Oklahoma State before transferring to Oregon, where he won the Pac-12 title and was named Golfweek’s Player of the Year. He then turned pro in 2017.
Clark played for the U.S. on the 2023 Ryder Cup and 2024 Presidents Cup teams.
By the numbers
160 — Most U.S. Open rounds all-time, a mark held by Jack Nicklaus (1957-2000)
115 — Number of U.S. Open rounds played by Arnold Palmer (1953-94), sixth all-time
22 — Most consecutive U.S. Opens completed, held by Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen and Gary Player
Quotable
“Like Oakmont, I think (Muirfield Village) is a place where if there’s a weakness in your game, this golf course is going expose it pretty quick. It’s a challenging week, and this is always a good barometer of where you’re at playing. … So there’s always opportunity to shoot great scores and hit great shots. It’s just a matter of stepping up there and hitting the shots. That’s what I think is great about this golf course, is there’s opportunity and there’s good difficulty. As far as prep work for the U.S. Open, I mean … the rough’s going to be pretty similar, and I think it’s great prep.”
— Scottie Scheffler, after winning the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club on Sunday
U.S. Open history
Here’s a look at the past 10 U.S. Open champions:
2015: Jordan Spieth, Chambers Bay, 5-under
2016: Dustin Johnson, Oakmont Country Club, 4-under
2017: Brooks Koepka, Erin Hills, 16-under
2018: Brooks Koepka, Shinnecock Hills, 1-over
2019: Gary Woodland, Pebble Beach, 13-under
2020: Bryson DeChambeau, Winged Foot, 6-under
2021: Jon Rahm, Torrey Pines, 6-under
2022: Matt Fitzpatrick, The Country Club, 6-under
2023: Wyndham Clark, Los Angeles Country Club, 10-under
2024: Bryson DeChambeau, Pinehurst, 6-under
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
No. 5: U.S. Open hole by hole: Aggressive play can be rewarded on No. 5 at Oakmont
No. 6: U.S. Open hole by hole: Danger lurks on, around No. 6 green at Oakmont
No. 7: U.S. Open hole by hole: Players will face mental test with club selection on No. 7 at Oakmont
No. 13: U.S. Open hole by hole: A short par 3, Oakmont’s No. 13 is surrounded by sand
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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