Contestative Par-3 Hole at 300 Yards in US Open Faces No Criticisms
Revamped Rant on the Beastly Par-3 at Oakmont
Ever heard of Oakmont being called "the beast"? It sure as hell deserves the title. This course is a helluva challenge, with a whopping 175 bunkers, gnarly rough, and an obscene length. You bet your backside I'll be glued to every moment of the 125th US Open, popcorn at the ready when the players conquer the par-3 8th.
The 8th might only play approximately 289 yards, but in the world of Major Championship golf, it's one of the longest par 3s out there. Yeah, there might be a couple longer ones out there, but this is the longest par 3 in Major Championship golf. And no kidding, in the 2007 US Open, this bad boy played to an even more monstrous 300 yards - that's a short par 4 for most club golfers!
Now you might think, "What's the big deal? With those drives these guys are launching these days, a 300-yard par 3 shouldn't be much trouble." But it seems plenty of people ain't too pleased about it. So let's hear what one of the best players in the world, Viktor Hovland, has to say about it:
I'm not no course expert, and I reckon 300-yard par 3s are breaking some club in the world of golf course design, but a lot of spectators and casual observers this week won't care much about that. They just want some entertainment.
When Bryson DeChambeau steps up to the tee box on Thursday (and he'll probably have a 4-iron in his hand), I'll be salivating. Will he try to blast it onto the green with his driver, or will he aim for a more conservative approach with an iron?
No doubt the commentators will have to apologize for their colorful language this week when things get a little tricky, but who doesn't love a good blow-up? And remember, par is just a number. You could call it a par 2, and it's still the same for everyone.
As Justin Thomas once said after checking out the Pennsylvania venue, it ain't about what makes a good or bad hole during a Major Championship. It's about getting our entertain-on! What really irks me is that the shortest par 3 is the 13th, which is only 182 yards. The 16th, on the other hand, is another beastly long one at 236 yards, while the 6th is a still-prominent 200 yards. I do think there's a place for short par 3s, and we don't see enough of 'em in Major Championships.
Jack Nicklaus, who won the first of his 18 Majors at Oakmont in 1962, once labeled the par-3 8th as "crazy." He claimed, "I think it's difficult to make a good, long par-3. I think it's a very difficult thing to have a hole where you're standing back, hitting a wood at a par 3."
Maybe it is a little crazy. But hey, isn't crazy sometimes just what we need for a good show? Time to stock up on popcorn.
Viktor Hovland finds the length of the 8th hole, a par-3 at Oakmont, challenging, stating that great par-3 holes are typically under 200 yards. Bryson DeChambeau's approach on the 8th hole during the 125th US Open promises entertainment, as the length and difficulty of the hole may result in an exciting display.
