Take a closer look at the front 9 at Oakmont Country Club | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel

Take a closer look at the front 9 at Oakmont Country Club | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel

FEET BETWEEN THE THIRD AND 4th HOLES, ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE HAZARDS IN ALL OF GOLF, JUST ONE ELEMENT OF WHAT MAKES THIS ICONIC FOWNES LAYOUT AN OUTSTANDING CHAMPIONSHIP VENUE AS WE CONTINUE LIVE FROM THE U.S. OPEN, WE HAVE JOHN WOOD JOINING US ON THE DESK FOR A LITTLE BIT. HE HAS BEEN FAMILIARIZING HIMSELF WITH THE RELENTLESS TEST OF SKILL THAT OAKMONT PROVIDES. WITH THAT, WHAT BETTER WAY THAN TO SHOW YOU AT HOME THE BEAUTY AND THE TERROR THAT THIS COURSE PROVIDES, BY TAKING YOU UP 400 FEET IN THE AIR WITH OUR DRIVE DRONE AROUND THE FRONT NINE. TIME FOR COVERING THE COURSE, PRESENTED BY BAIRD. THERE IS NO TOUGHER OPENING HOLE IN THE GAME THAN THIS. >> FASTEN YOUR SEATBELT. EVERYTHING CANTS TO THE RIGHT. YOU CAN SEE IT IS VERY NARROW. IF YOU CAN MANAGE TO SQUEEZE A TEE SHOT BETWEEN THE BUNKERS YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE GOING DOWN A BOWLING ALLEY. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU COULD ACTUALLY PUTT THE BALL, WHICH MIGHT BE ON THE GREEN FOR FOR A WHILE BUT WOULDN’T STAY ON THE GREEN, I PROMISE YOU. VERY DIFFICULT START TO THIS COURSE. >> IT IS A PUNISHING START. TAKE US TO NUMBER TWO. >> NUMBER TWO IS ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A BIRDIE, WE GOT TO GET AFTER THIS BECAUSE THIS IS ONE WHERE YOU CAN STAND ON TEE THINKING YOU MAKE BIRDIE. COUPLE OF WAYS TO PLAY, CONSERVATIVELY, LAY SHORT OF THE BUNKERS, LEAVE YOURSELF NINE IRON, SOMEWHERE IN THERE. I THINK MOST PLAYERS WILL TAKE ON THAT NEXT SPOT, OVER THOSE BUNKERS ON THE RIGHT, AND SHORT OF THAT CROSS BUNKER COMING UP HERE. GUY LIKE BRYSON, RORY, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE ON THAT BUNKER, TAKE IT OVER THAT. IT IS 308 TO COVER THAT AND WITH WIND DIRECTION THIS WEEK, WHICH SHOULD BE HELPING RIGHT TO LEFT LITTLE BIT, THEY MAKE TAKE IT ON. THE CHALLENGE COMES ON THIS GREEN, ONE OF THE MOST SEVERE SLOPE GREEN YOU CAN CARRY A BALL 20 YARDS INTO THAT WITH TOO MUCH SPIN AND IT WILL COME 15-20 YARDS OFF OF THE GREEN. IT IS ONE OF THOSE YOU WANT TO HIT, YOU CAN’T SEE IT, BUT YOU WANT TO BE LISTENING FOR THE CROWD TO CLAP RIGHT AWAY. IF THEY START MURMURING YOU KNOW THE BALL IS COMING BACK. GOOD CHANCE TO MAKE A BIRDIE. >> HARSH. OKAY. NUMBER THREE, YOU HAVE ICONIC CHURCH PEWS COMING INTO PLAY. >> YOU SURE DO, IF THIS HOLE WASN’T HARD ENOUGH, THE RECENT RENOVATION, THEY ADDED 40 YARDS TO THIS, IT IS TOTALLY CHANGED THE DYNAMIC OF THIS HOLE. ALL PREMIUM IS ON THE TEE SHOT HERE, THE CHURCH PEWS ARE JUST GOING TO PEEK OUT FROM BEHIND THAT LITTLE BRANCH RIGHT THERE, IT IS NOT 107 YARDS FROM THE FRONT OF THE BUNKER TO THE BACK, I TELL YOU, YOU DON’T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF THAT AREA, WHETHER ON THE GRASS OR BUNKERS, IT IS NO GOOD IN THERE. THE BUNKERS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE HAVE BEEN RENOVATED, THEY ARE DEEPER, THE LIPS ARE HIGH ER, IT IS JUST FAIRWAY. WE WILL SAY IT PRETTY MUCH EVERY HOLE, YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE FAIRWAY. THIS IS A VERY DIABOLICAL GREEN NOW, FALSE FRONT, EVERYTHING FALLS OFF TO THE FRONT, IT FALLS AWAY FROM YOU ONCE INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE GREEN, DOWN THE BACKHAND SIDE. TYPICALLY I WOULD SAY THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO GO LONG HERE, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT NOW, IN TODAY’S WORLD, GOING LONG MAY BE BETTER THAN BEING SHORT. A LOT OF BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN IF THAT BALL GOES DOWN THAT SLOPE IN THE FRONT. JOHN RUDE WAS TALKING BOUT IT EARLIER, A BALL WON’T GO THREE OR FOUR YARDS, IT WILL GO 24 YARDS DOWN. GO LONG IF YOU MISS HERE AT NUMBER THREE. >> ONE OF THE ENLARGED GREENS FROM GILL HAN’S RESTORATION. NUMBER FOUR, THE PAR FIVE. >> LONG PAR FIVE, 611 YARDS, BUT IT IS A HOLE THAT I THINK, IF GUYS HIT THE FAIRWAY, SOME LONGER GUYS, ESPECIALLY, WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE A SHOT AT IT IN TWO, IF YOU ARE GOING FOR IT IN TWO, THAT SHORT RIGHT IS GOING TO BE A GOOD SHOT TO COME FROM BECAUSE IT KICKS AND KANTERS TOWARDS THE GREEN. IF YOU MISS THIS FAIRWAY, I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PLAY A REALLY CONSERVATIVE SECOND SHOT AND GET, LEAVE YOURSELF UP FOR 180 YARDS FOR YOUR THIRD BECAUSE THERE IS A BUNKER UP THERE YOU HAVE TO AVOID ON THE LEFTHAND SIDE. IF YOU CAN COVER THAT, GREAT. LEAVE YOURSELF A WEDGE. IT IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST LAYUP SHOTS ON ANY PAR FIVE I HAVE SEEN BECAUSE IT IS COMPLETELY BLIND. EVEN IF YOU HIT THE FAIRWAY AND LAY IT UP, YOU CAN’T SEE ANYTHING OVER THAT BUNKER, SO YOU HAVE, TO LOOK AT SOMETHING IN THE DISTANCE AND GAUGE WHERE AM I GOING TO LEAVE YOU? PRETTY WIDE THERE, WHERE THE BUNKER IS BUT PINCHES DOG LEG RIGHT AND YOU HAVE TO GET THAT RIGHT. ANYTHING LEFT IS MUCH TOUGHER SHOT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO OVER BUNK SXRZ DON’T HAVE AS MUCH GREEN. ANYTHING RIGHT, EVEN IN THE ROUGH, THAT OPENS UP THE WHOLE ANGLE ON THE GREEN. THERE IS NO PIN YOU CAN’T GET TO FROM THE RIGHT SIDE HERE. >> ALL ABOUT PRECISION, SPEAKING OF WHICH, THE PAR 4, 5th. >> STRETCH OF HOLES HERE WHERE THE PLAYERS ARE THINKING ABOUT MAKING BIRDIES AND THAT WILL BE THE CASE AT NUMBER FIVE, IT IS A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN IT WAS ON THE SCORE CARD IN 2016, I THINK LONGER BY MAYBE 16 YARDS NOW, THERE IS THE TEE RIGHT THERE, YOU CAN SEE IT IS SORT OF A SEMI BLIND TEE SHOT. LITTLE BIT UP THE HILL. THINGS CHOKE OFF AND GET VERY NARROW IF THEY GET UP TO BUNKERS ON BOTH OF THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT. THAT LEFT-HAND BUNKER WITH THE BIG MOUND IN THE MIDDLE IS NOT VERY GOOD AT ALL. IF YOU GET TOO FAR UP INTO THAT BUNKER. FROM THERE, IT IS JUST A SHORT SHOT. IF YOU CAN GET THE BALL INTO THE FAIRWAY, YOU CAN REALLY ATTACK FROM HERE. THIS IS THE SMALLEST GREEN ON THE ENTIRE GOLF COURSE, IT ACTUALLY FITS THE WAY THE HOLE WAS DESIGNED TO BE PLAYED. THAT IS GET IT IN PLAY OFF THE TEE, AND YOU CAN BE VERY AGGRESSIVE. SO, REALLY THIS STRETCH AT FOUR AND FIVE ARE HOLES THE PLAYERS WILL BE THINKING, LETS MAKE BIRDIES HERE. >> THE SMALLEST GREEN BUT STILL LOOKS MASSIVE, THESE GREENS ARE COMPARABLE TO ANY OTHER OUT THERE. PAR THREE, NUMBER SIX. >> FIRST PAR THREE WILL PLAY ANYWHERE FROM 180 TO 210. I THINK THEY COULD STRETCH THAT FAR BUT IT WON’T PLAY THAT LONG. IT IS A HALF A CLUB DOWNHILL, AND THE FORECAST FOR THE WIND OUT OF THE SOUTH ALL WEEK WILL BE HELPING. YOU CAN TAKE TEN OFF THOSE NUMBERS AND PLAYERS WILL BE COMING WITH LESS. REAL BIG PENAL SHOT IS IF YOU COME UP SHORT ON FALSE FRONTS, IT WILL BRING IT WAY DOWN LEFT AND THAT BUNKER ON THE LEFT IS EXTREMELY DEEP. THAT BEING SAID, YOU WOULD MUCH RATHER BE IN THE BUNKER, ANY BUNKER HERE, THAN IN THE ROUGH. THE ROUGH IS SO UNPREDICTABLE. YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET OUT OOF IT. YOU SIT THERE AND HAVE TO TAKE BIG ENOUGH SWING TO GET IT OUT, BUT A SMALL ENOUGH SWING SO IT WILL STOP. IT IS A VERY TOUGH HOLE. >> OKAY. NUMBER SEVEN, A COUPLE OF NEW STRATEGIC OPTIONS AFTER RESTORATION. >> FUNDAMENTALLY THIS HOLE PROBABLY CHANGED MORE THAN ANY OTHER IN THE RENOVATION, ALWAYS HARD PAR FOUR, IN FACT, 2016, I THINK THE MOST DIFFICULT PAR FOUR GREEN ON ENTIRE GOLF COURSE TO HIT. BUT YOU CAN SEE THE TEE SHOT SNUGGLED BACK INTO THE TREES HERE, IS THIS TEE, THE HOLE IS A DOG LEG TO THE RIGHT, THE YOU CAN SEE TROUBLE ALL THE WAY DOWN THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. IT IS SORT OF A GENTLE SERPENTINE LITTLE HOLE BUT THIS BUNKER THAT YOU SEE THAT IS IN PLAY NOW THAT WAS MOVED, LITERALLY, IS A 290-YARD CARRY. IF YOU WANT TO TRY TO HIT IT OVER THE BUNKER, OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT CAN A CLUB OTHER THAN A DRIVER. SO, I THINK A LOT OF PLAYERS MAY STILL TAKE A THREE WOOD HERE AND PLAY SAFE. LOOK HOW NARROW. GET THE BALL IN FAIRWAY NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. IF YOU SACRIFICE DISTANCE AT SEVEN TO GET IT IN THE FAIRWAY, YOU WILL BE MUCH BETTER OFF BECAUSE YOU WILL BE LAYING UP FROM THE ROUGH. THERE YOU SEE THE GREEN, A LOT GOING ON WITH THIS GREEN. TO ME, THE MOST IMPORTANT SHOT AT NUMBER SEVEN IS IS THE TEE SHOT. >> THEN WE GET TO NUMBER EIGHT, THE LONGEST PAR THREE IN MAJOR HISTORY. >> YEAH, IT IS GOING TO GET A LOT OF CHATTER WAS THE FIRST NUMBER WILL BE A THREE IN A COUPLE DAYS, PROBABLY. THAT BEING SAID, IT IS NOT A TOUGH, STRATEGIC HOLE. STEP UP WITH THREE WOOD OR DRIVER AND TRY IT HIT IT SOMEWHERE AROUND THE GREEN. ON THE GREEN, GREAT. IF YOU MISS, THERE IS NO WHERE UP THERE THAT IS SO PENAL WHERE YOU CAN’T MAKE AT LEAST A FOUR. I THINK YOU WILL BE SEEING MORE THREES AND FOURS THAN ANY PAR THREE AT ANY U.S. OPEN, FEW TWOS, FEW FIVES, THAT IS ONE OF THE FLATTEST GREENS ON THE COURSE, IF YOU HIT THE GREEN OR MISS IT, YOUR BIRDIE OR PAR PUTT WILL BE VERY STRAIGHT. IT IS NOT AS TOUGH AS THE NUMBER MIGHT DICTATE. >> LAST BUT NOT LEAST, NUMBER NINE, UPHILL, DEMANDING, BIG GREEN, DEEP BUNKERS. >> YEP. WE GO ACROSS THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE THERE AND ALL IS THE 19, THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON ON THIS HOLE. YOU HARDLY KNOW WHERE TO START. IT REALLY IS A VERY DIFFICULT AND DEMANDING TEE SHOT. EVERYTHING KIND OF PINCHES IN UP IN THE LANDING AREA AT ABOUT 300 YARDS, GETS VERY, VERY NARROW UP THERE. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS HOLE IS THIS GREEN IS SO DIFFICULT THAT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO HIT ANY KIND OF A SHOT OUT OF THE ROUGH IN APPROACHING THE GREEN, YOU HAVE ALMOST NO CHANCE AT ALL. IF YOU MISS THE FAIRWAY, IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN LAY UP HERE, WHICH THE PLAYERS WILL DO. THEY CAN LAY IT UP SHORT OF THIS BUNKER AND BE SAFE WAY BACK, OR THEY CAN TRY AND FORCE IT OVER THE SECOND BUNKER HERE ON THE LEFT AND GET IT A LITTLE FURTHER UP. EITHER WAY, YOU ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING GREEN COMPLEXES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. WHY? BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY IS THE 9th, IT IS THE PUTTING GREEN, 22,000 SQUARE FEE

The Live From crew takes a bird’s-eye view of the first 9 holes at Oakmont Country Club, including the hardest opening hole in championship golf to the potential for birdies on Nos. 4 and 5 and more. #GolfChannel #Golf #USOpen #Oakmont
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Take a closer look at the front 9 at Oakmont Country Club | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel
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