U.S. Open hole by hole: There is less sand on No. 11 at Oakmont, but other hazards will impact play
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 11 breakdown
Length: 400 yards, Par 4
Handicap: 14
2016 U.S. Open stroke average: 4.07
Description
Players get a bit of a break from beach conditions on No. 11, but that doesn’t mean it’s hazard free. Just a small collection of sand bunkers sits along the left side of the fairway, and there are “only” three greenside bunkers. However, strategy around this hole revolves around a ditch that runs along the right side of the fairway and crosses through the landing zone for tee shots, making club selection paramount from the tee box.
It’s a short par 4 that plays uphill into a contoured green. A deep bunker sits in front with additional sand to the left and right, as well as a grassy mound to the back left.
Smart play on No. 11 is stay along the left side off the tee, likely with a long iron. That also provides a good angle into the green where players can avoid the front bunker that could cause some to play backwards or sideways depending on positioning.
In the 2016 U.S. Open, there were 66 birdies on the 11th hole, as well as 70 bogeys and 13 double bogeys.
Memorable moment from U.S. Open
Ernie Els’ par on No. 11 during a sudden-death playoff with Loren Roberts secured the 24-year-old South African the U.S. Open title in 1994. Roberts’ tee shot landed in the rough, and his approach was in the greenside bunker. Els hit iron off the tee into the fairway and put his approach to within 25 feet. His two-putt gave him his first U.S. Open title.
How the locals play it
Lindsey Powanda became Mt. Lebanon’s first girls golfer to win a WPIAL title when she claimed the Class 3A crown at Oakmont in 2020.
A 2022 USGA Women’s Four Ball and Jr. PGA Championship qualifier, she was inducted into the Mt. Lebanon High School Hall of Champions in 2022. Powanda just finished her junior season at Duquesne, where she helped the first-year program finish fourth at the A-10 championships.
“I didn’t have a good hole here (in 2020). This was one of the double bogeys I made. It spooked me a bit. I had to get my composure back to win the tournament. Off the tee, I always pick a target that’s far off in the distance. I tried to hit down the right side so I would have a better angle at the green, because the pin was on the left. My goal was to go down the right side. I pulled it to the left and it was almost in the ditch with how far up the tees were. I didn’t have a lot of green to work with. I hit it in the bunker and made a gnarly six. I viewed it as a positive I didn’t make 8. That green is very difficult. You have to hit to where the flag is. There’s a lot of undulation. It’s a really challenging hole where you have to place the ball correctly on every shot.”
Around the U.S. Open
Spotlight
Tommy Fleetwood
With four top-10 finishes this year, Tommy Fleetwood enters the U.S. Open among the top contenders.
The 34-year-old Southport, England, native is searching for his first major but has been close. He was the U.S. Open runner-up to Brooks Koepka in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills after he shot a 7-under-par 63 in the final round. He also finished fourth in 2017 at Erin Hills and fifth in 2023 at Los Angeles Country Club.
Last year at Pinehurst, he finished tied for 16th at 3-over. Fleetwood has made the cut in seven of nine appearances at the U.S. Open.
Fleetwood turned pro in 2010 after he won the English Amateur title. He also played in the 2009 Walker Cup.
He has seven wins on the European Tour and also plays on the PGA Tour. He ranks 13th in the FedExCup standings this year.
Fleetwood has played for the European team three times at the Ryder Cup and represented England in the Olympic Games in 2021 and 2024, when he earned a silver medal.
By the numbers
33 – Number of playoff rounds held in 124 U.S. Open championships
64 – Arnold Palmer’s age when he competed in the 1994 U.S. Open, the oldest competitor in the field since 1982
62 – Lowest score in a U.S. Open round, posted by Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele in 2023 at Los Angeles C.C.
Quotable
“You’re going to find the fairways a little soft-ish, you’re going to find the rough very deep, and you’re going to find the greens very firm, which is you’re going to find the same conditions (at Muirfield Village Golf Club). But Oakmont, it’s a really stern test of golf.”
—Jack Nicklaus, who won the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont, while speaking at a news conference before the Memorial Tournament on Tuesday in Dublin, Ohio
U.S. Open history
Here’s a look at players with the most appearances in a U.S. Open:
44, Jack Nicklaus (1957-2000)
34, Hale Irwin (1966-2003)
33, Tom Kite (1970-2004)
33, Phil Mickelson (1990-2024)
33, Gene Sarazen (1920-58)
32, Arnold Palmer (1953-94)
31, Raymond Floyd (1964-2004)
31, Sam Snead (1937-77)
31, Tom Watson (1972-2010)
29, Gary Player (1958-89)
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
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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