I think most golfing enthusiasts- myself included- were surprised at just how hard Aronimink played a few weeks back.
The PGA Championship is generally more of a balanced test that invites some decent scoring. The tight pin placements and rock-hard greens were curiously reminiscent of your modern US Open grind-fest. The sadists at the USGA probably had one thought on their minds as they watched the best players in the world toil away in Pennsylvania: just you wait. In the 21st century, only five US Open winners have ended with double-digits under-par. With the US Open a little over two weeks away, I decided to look at some of the most difficult tests in recent memory. Using scoring averages, I have ranked the five hardest editions staged this century.
5. 2013: Merion Golf Club- Justin Rose won at +1 (+4.6 avg score)
This was a typical example of the USGA overcompensating for a perceived ‘lack’ in a golf course. Thinking that Merion wasn’t long enough by modern standards, the USGA went to town on making every other aspect of the course nigh-on impossible. It was incredibly tight, with thick, coarse rough that was virtually impossible to escape from unscathed. Nobody finished under par, with only 23 rounds under par out of 457 rounds played all week. Justin Rose just showed greater resolve then most, notably parring the frightful par-4 18th to win by two strokes over Day and Mickelson. It marked the first time since 1970 that an Englishman had claimed the US Open crown (Tony Jacklin romped home to victory by seven shots at Hazeltine).
4. 2018: Shinnecock Hills- Brooks Koepka won at +1 (4.7 avg score)
The USGA had revenge on their minds after Kopeka romped to a 16-under-par winning score at Erin Hills in 2017. Enter this year’s US Open venue: Shinnecock Hills. The New York, links-style test has always been considered one of the most exacting tests on tour, with lightening greens amplified by the gusts of wind coming from the Peconic Bay and Atlantic Ocean. The USGA overcorrected dramatically, setting up inaccessible pins on the cusp of dramatic slopes. They were forced to do something that they barely ever do- apologize. They ended up having to water the greens between groups to prevent it from becoming unplayable. Ironically, Koepka managed to defend his title despite it being played in such drastically different conditions. This year, the organizers are apparently going to let ‘Shinnecock be Shinnecock’. That is golfing parlance for ‘Houston, we have a problem’.
3. 2002: Bethpage Black- Tiger Woods won at -3 (+4.9 avg score)
The scene of last year’s ‘colourful’ Ryder Cup, Bethpage Black is as daunting as it sounds. The first public golf course to host the national open, the Black Course at Bethpage Black was considered a monstrosity when it hosted the 2002 US Open. Though quaint by modern standards, a length of 7,214 yards made it the longest golf course to ever host a major at the time (it’s basically the average now). Rain is usually a gift to players on US Open venues, softening conditions. It just made Bethpage longer and the rough heavier, and Tiger ended up being the only player to break par (he was at the height of his superhuman domination).
2. 2006: Winged Foot Golf Club- Geoff Ogilvy won at 5-over-par (+5.0 avg score)
The 2006 US Open at Winged Foot was the stuff of nightmare fuel, producing several era-defining mental collapses. It was just textbook US Open fiendishness: narrow fairways, glacial greens and Jumanji-like rough. Both Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie just needed par on the 72nd hole to win. They both walked away with doubles. Lefty would now be a Career Grand Slam winner if he hadn’t choked. But I think Monty’s was the most painful. He hit a gorgeous drive down the 18th before hitting the chunkiest 7-iron you will ever see. It was a double bogey that defined his entire major career. Geoff Ogilvy was the fortunate beneficiary of all this misery, chipping in for par on 17 before another par save on the last.
1. 2007: Oakmont Country Club- Angel Cabrera won at 5-over-par (+5.6 avg score)
Tiger Woods famously said that a 10-handicapper would not have broken 100 at Oakmont during the 2007 US Open. Long considered one of the most brutal tests on the US Open roster, Oakmont took no prisoners during a wild 2007 edition. The narrow fairways, juicy rough and comically quick greens made it a borderline fiasco. Angel Cabrera- prior to his villain arc- posted a score of 5-over-par score in the clubhouse, nervously waiting it out while Tiger and Furyk tried to chase him down. He held on to collect the first of his two major titles. Fascinatingly, this was the 4th successive US Open won by someone from the Southern Hemisphere (Goosen, Campbell and Ogilvy had won the previous three renewals). I doubt whether that will ever happen again.
