When Oakmont Country Club was given the National Historic Landmark award in the 1980s – awarded to those ‘buildings, districts, objects, sites or structures of outstanding historical significance’, it was undoubtedly a decision made by those who don’t necessarily play their golf there.
This was the site of Angel Cabrera’s 2007 US Open win with a score of +5; the most successful figure in 50 years of devilish competition.
When it returned to Oakmont in 2016, Dustin Johnson lifted the trophy after scoring 4 points; one of only four players to finish under 72 holes.
The US Open will return to Oakmont in 2025, so here’s an early look at one of the most testing courses in North America.
18 Holes of Hell
Sports bettors will be looking for the players best equipped to face the challenges at Oakmont: Scottie Scheffler (5/1), Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele (all 10/1) consider the top players in the ante post odds. .
But as predictions made by sites like Paddy Power News will testify, Oakmont Country Club is such a tough test that, in the end, the US Open in 2025 may be defined by one hole – very few and far between birdie opportunities available.
The building, designed by Henry Fownes in 1903 (and reinforced by Tom Fazio and Gil Hanse), stood for a long time. It plays to around 7,300 yards for its Par 70, which is incredibly long, but has the distinct distinction of being almost treeless and boasting few water hazards.
So where does the challenge come from? Yes, there are 175 first tees – making Oakmont one of the best golf courses around. The Church Pews bunker is notorious: played on both the third and fourth holes, the sand trap measures 100 x 40 yards and has more than a dozen grass-covered bunkers, or ‘pews’.
Green buildings also play a role. Along with the impressive slopes, it is also covered with Poa Annua, which is one of the hardiest places to put in – especially in hot weather, when the grass can explode. If the conditions hold up in Pittsburgh, the greens will play lightning fast and… a problem both in approach and in putting.
At the 2016 US Open, 14 of the 18 holes rated above par. The most difficult was the opening hole, a 482-yard Par 4 that saw twice as many bogeys (or worse) than birdies during the week.
According to Golf Digest, Oakmont Country Club is the second hardest course in America. It’s a well-deserved honor…
Winning the Hard Way
Flash back to the 54-hole round of the 2016 US Open and Shane Lowry found himself three shots off the green.
But the complexity of Oakmont, coupled with the pressure to win big, saw the Irishman collapse in the final round – one birdie and seven bogeys in his closing 76 a microcosm of what could go wrong over these 18 holes.
And in 2007, a score of +11 would have seen you finish in the top ten on the leaderboard – across four days, the average was broken just eight times in total.
Brad Faxon once described the Oakmont greens as ‘the hardest I’ve ever played’, while Phil Mickelson – who has seen a lot in his three decades as a professional – classified the layout as ‘the hardest course ever played by a professional’.
So good luck, and Godspeed, to the 2025 US Open qualifiers.
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