The US Open steps into the unknown once again this year as Erin Hills makes its debut as a host and the USGA will be hoping that the course will be received more positively than the last debutant – 2015’s Chambers Bay.
Two years ago the greens were ‘like broccoli’ according to some players and Gary Player skewered the set-up calling it one of the worst he had ever seen for a Major championship. This year, in the rolling farmlands in the heart of Wisconsin, the USGA are confident the course will produce a tough test and a worthy winner and that the conversations afterwards will be on how well the course played rather than how lousy it was for a national championship.
2011 US Amateur Competitors who will tee it up:
While Erin Hills makes its debut as a US Open venue there will be at least three players who have played it before in competition. Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Emiliano Grillo all teed it up at the 2011 US Amateur and are all fully exempt for the year’s second Major.
Kelly Kraft won the title while Spieth advanced to the quarter finals. Other notables from the 2011 tournament include 2015 US Amateur winner Bryson DeChambeau, European Tour winner Peter Uihlein and US PGA Tour winner Harris English. Just like Kraft, they will all need to get through qualifying to earn their spot in the US Open field.
1895
The US Open began in 1895 with just 11 players competing in a 36-hole stroke play tournament at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island. England’s Horace Rawlins won with a 173 total, two shots clear of Scotland’s Willie Dunn. Rawlins won $150 and Dunn received $100.
Play-off
The US Open remains the only Major that retains a full 18-hole play-off the following day should there be a tie at the end of 72 holes. The last play-off was back in 2008 when Tiger Woods famously downed Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines. Prior to that, Retief Goosen won in a play-off with Mark Brooks at Southern Hills in 2001. Dating back to 1901 there have been 32 US Opens settled in a play-off.
US OPEN FORMBOOK
Sergio Garcia ripped up the script to become a Major champion for the first time at this year’s Masters, aged 37, and in doing so continued the run of first-time Major winners dating back to Jason Day at the 2015 US PGA Championship. We take a look at the form of some of the game’s big-hitters heading into this year’s US Open.
With another year of great shots on the horizon, let’s take a look back at the best of the best from the 2016 #USOpen. pic.twitter.com/aMS6RU2gAD
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 12, 2017