Hasn’t the U.S.G.A. done everything right?
For instance, moving the tees around on holes like the 2nd, 8th, 10th, 12th, and 17th has added great variety to how these holes play (exactly what the 07 Masters was missing). Variety and U.S. Open conditions are rarely synonymous but they have been this week. The eagle hole location on the 2nd on Sunday was a neat decision.
The U.S.G.A. kept control of the course. Watering the greens on Friday and Saturday nights were prudent moves, ones that the U.S.G.A. has not always made. The fall-away greens like the 1st, 10th, and 12th are playing to perfection.
The fairway width is fine, with canted fairways like the 12th playing well.
There has been a range of interesting hole locations, which in turn gave players chances from time to time.
Obviously, other things are contributing to making this a great U.S. Open: a treeless Oakmont with its bunker and ditch restoration is the ultimate venue (its wide variety of holes seems unmatched, at least to me), the weather has cooperated and John Zimmer and his crew carry on North America’s most famous tradition of presenting ideal turf/playing conditions.
All told, these factors have come together to present a perfect U. S. Open test, the best I can recall.
Other times and other places, the U.S.G.A. has famously got the set-up wrong (10th tee at Bethpage Black, Home greens at Southern Hills and Olympic, Shinnecock). The U.S.G.A. has been called out on such occasions in this Discussion Group and other places.
So it’s great to be given this opportunity to applaud them too.
Cheers,