PGA Tour Pro Invokes SNL Reaction to US Open Brutal Conditions
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Based on the reactions circulating on social media, Oakmont Country Club is poised to be the main star of the 2025 U.S. Open. Everything indicates that the course is set to be one of the toughest golf challenges in recent memory.
The most recent reaction came from Michael Kim, an expert sharing his impressions through his X account, followed by more than 166,000 fans. In this case, the one-time PGA Tour winner reacted with a tongue-in-cheek Saturday Night Live GIF to a post by Golf Channel's Todd Lewis:
"According to the @USGA the green speeds for the @usopengolf at Oakmont will be between 14' 5" and 14' 9" on the Stimpmeter. The primary rough is dense and uniformed at five inches," Lewis posted.
There's no doubt these aren't very attractive conditions, hence Kim's lukewarm reaction. Lewis' report of the green speed means reading the trajectory and speed of putts will be difficult at Oakmont. Meanwhile, the height and thickness of the rough will easily cover a golf ball.
Kim qualified for the 2025 U.S. Open thanks to reaching the 52nd spot on the world ranking. This will be his third appearance in the event, following his 17th-place finish at Merion in 2013 and missing the cut in Los Angeles in 2023.
Players have also reported the challenging conditions expected at Oakmont. Recently, Ben Griffin, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott said they played practice rounds and described the many challenges they faced on the course.
A general view of the 18th green during the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on June 19, 2016 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.
A general view of the 18th green during the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on June 19, 2016 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.Defending U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau not only played a practice round but also filmed it and posted the video on his YouTube channel, which has more than 2 million subscribers. The video clearly shows the many difficulties competitors in the third major tournament of the season will face.
Oakmont Country Club was founded in 1903, and its golf course was designed by Henry Fownes in 1904. The course currently measures 7,431 yards, is par 71, and boasts a course rating of 77.7 and a slope rating of 142.
Johnny Miller set the course record of 63 at the 1973 US Open.
Considered by many to be the world's hardest golf course, it has hosted numerous top-level events, including nine US Opens. The 2025 tournament will mark Oakmont's 10th hosting of the event, with the club scheduled to host again as early as 2033.
More Golf: Keegan Bradley Offers Strong Opinion on First Ryder Cup Lock
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
34 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Sabalenka wins first set against Gauff in French Open women's final
PARIS (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka won the first set 7-6 (5) against No. 2 Coco Gauff in the French Open women's final on Saturday. The match has been full of tension and momentum swings so far, amplified by the windy conditions. Sabalenka came out strong on Court Philippe-Chatrier, finding her stride early and pushing Gauff onto the back foot with deep groundstrokes and assertive net play. Sabalenka quickly built a 4-1 lead but a string of errors and double-faults allowed Gauff to get back into the match. Sabalenka managed to break again for a 5-4 lead yet her game continued to fluctuate between unforced errors and flashes of brilliance. Gauff stayed patient and composed, breaking back to level the score once more. They traded breaks again and the set, which lasted around 80 minutes, was decided by a tiebreaker. Sabalenka trailed 3-0 but recovered from the poor start to close out the set at the net. Despite a chance of rain later Saturday afternoon, organizers opted to keep the retractable roof open. Both women are aiming to win the title for the first time. Gauff lost the 2022 French Open final at age 18 but the American beat Sabalenka in the 2023 U.S. Open final, Gauff's only major so far. The 27-year-old Sabalenka, who is from Belarus, has won three majors but is appearing in her first French Open final. It is the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 final in Paris since 2013, when Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova, and just the second in the last 30 years. Sabalenka and Gauff have split their 10 previous matchups evenly, but Sabalenka won their most recent encounter, also on a clay court at the Madrid Open a month ago. ___ AP tennis:
USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
Don't miss these 8 great Father's Day golf gifts that Dad will love
Don't miss these 8 great Father's Day golf gifts that Dad will love Father's Day is Sunday, June 15. Don't let Dad go home empty-handed this year. If your dad is a golfer, and it seems to be a law that most dads are, we've found some great gift ideas that he'll enjoy and will make you look good. Whether Dad needs some new golf apparel, an update to his bag, some personalized golf balls, or a number of other golf tech gadgets, we've got you covered. Better yet, a few of these gift ideas are on big Father's Day sales, so take advantage while you can. Shop Father's Day golf gifts at Golf Galaxy 1) 2025 U.S. Open Walter Hagen Men's Classic Stripe Polo The U.S. Open and Father's Day go together every year, so get dad something topical from the upcoming 2025 U.S. Open. 2) REWIND Golf Happy Gilmore 18 Jersey Driver Headcover Pay tribute to a classic with this "Happy Gilmore" driver headcover. Plus, get it before the sequel comes out later this year to stay ahead of the trend. 3) Golf Daddy - Golf At Home Simulator An easy-to-use golf simulator for less than $100? A great gift and one that might have Dad thinking you shelled out. 4) FootJoy Men's HyperFlex Golf Shoes Justin Thomas' golf shoe of choice is on a major sale for Father's Day. 5) Maxfli Tour Personalized Golf Balls - 48 Pack Your dad is one of a kind, so let him show that off on the golf course with personalized golf balls. You can add a symbol, a message, or even his face, all on a Tour-quality golf ball. Act now as the 26% off deal ends soon. 6) Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor A good launch monitor will drastically improve Dad's golf game. This option from Rapsodo is 50% off for Father's Day. 7) Nike Men's Tour 8" Chino Golf Shorts Summer is here, and we all know your dad could use some new golf shorts. These Nike shorts come in 10 different colors, so you can pick the one that works best for your pops. 8) TaylorMade Spider Tour Custom Putter Scottie Scheffler's putter has improved during his recent hot stretch. Maybe he's onto something with his TaylorMade Spider Tour putter.
San Francisco Chronicle
35 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
US Open '25: DeChambeau's sand save an all-time memory at golf's most punishing major
It only feels right that the reigning titleholder at the golf championship that, at least in theory, anyone can win is the player who leans into the role of the sport's most relatable everyman, Bryson DeChambeau. And it only feels right that at the U.S. Open — a tournament built to humble and punish the best in the game as much as celebrate them — DeChambeau earned his title by hitting a shot that virtually no man can hit. A plaque now sits outside the bunker on the 18th hole at Pinehurst No. 2, enshrining the spot where DeChambeau placed his name in the history books with what he called 'the shot of my life' — a 55-yard blast from the sand to 4 feet with the trophy hanging in the balance on Sunday at last year's Open. Defense of the title begins Thursday at Oakmont, getting ready to host its record 10th U.S. Open and a course with a longtime reputation for being as difficult as they come. All of which seems to suit the 31-year-old pro golfer/social media star just fine. His first U.S. Open title came in 2020 at Winged Foot, the course best known for producing the 1974 'Massacre at Winged Foot' along with Phil Mickelson's meltdown in the trees and trash cans more than 30 years later. Then, last year, that bunker at Pinehurst. What would golf's everyman say to his millions of YouTube followers who someday might encounter their own version of the 50-yard bunker shot, widely recognized as one of the most difficult in the game, even under normal circumstances? 'The best piece of advice I give them is, just practice in weird, unique situations for maybe an hour a week, 20 minutes, whatever,' DeChambeau said. 'But try to be different and don't just hit the same stock shot every time.' A history-making shot in a tournament that does not produce them All the major championships have their own personalities. The Masters produces roars through the pines during back-nine charges on Sunday. The British Open is a brittle links-style test where players have to think differently about getting from Point A to Point B. America's golf championship has a reputation for forcing the best players to suffer like the rest of us. As a result, the list of 'greatest shots of all time' at the U.S. Open is a short one: — Ben Hogan's 1-iron on the 72nd hole that helped force a playoff at Merion in 1950. — Arnold Palmer's lash with driver to the first green at Cherry Hills in 1960. — Jack Nicklaus' 1-iron that hit the flagstick on No. 17 at Pebble Beach in 1972. — Tom Watson's chip from the rough on the same hole 10 years later to beat Nicklaus. — Tiger Woods' 12-foot putt at Torrey Pines in 2008 to force a playoff he eventually won over Rocco Mediate. And now, there is DeChambeau's bunker shot. 'When he took this big swing, the amount of confidence that you have to have to hit it that close to the golf ball and not accidentally catch too much ball and send it on top of the clubhouse, it's a very fine line," said NBC golf analyst Smylie Kaufman, whose biggest brush with pressure came when he played in the final group Sunday at the 2016 Masters. 'They work every single day, every week at these facets of the game in hopes they will have an opportunity to try it,' said Notah Begay, also of NBC. 'I think one of the most overlooked things about professional golf is all the calculation that happens on the fly in evaluating certain shots, which way the grass is lying, where the ball's going to land, and on top of all the normal things.' A tournament for everyone could come down to Bryson, Rory, Scottie Maybe the biggest irony is what the U.S. Open officially sells itself as, versus what always ends up happening. More than 10,000 players signed up to qualify for the U.S. Open which is, officially, open to any professional, or amateur with a handicap of 0.4 or lower. There will be good stories to tell among those who went through qualifying to make the 156-man field: a 17-year-old high schooler from Georgia, a dentist in Indiana who used to caddie at Oakmont. The cold facts: The last man to run the gauntlet of local and sectional qualifying to win the title was Orville Moody in 1969. (Lucas Glover went through sectional qualifying only when he won in 2009.) By the time the sun starts going down on Sunday, the tournament almost certainly will come down to a handful of players who virtually all golf fans have heard of. Though Scottie Scheffler is playing the best right now and Rory McIlroy recently won the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam, it's plausible to think that DeChambeau captures the attention of more of those fans than anyone. He recently surpassed 2 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. He is making golf feel like everyman's sport, posting videos in which he makes a hole-in-one with a wedge shot over his house, plays with off-the-rack clubs to see how they stack up and tries to beat a scratch golfer while playing left-handed. All of it sounds nutty, but it all goes back to that piece of advice he offered when asked how to replicate the improbable under impossible circumstances — i.e., a 50-yard bunker shot with the U.S. Open on the line. 'Once you get a stock shot down and you're comfortable with it, go have some fun,' DeChambeau said. 'Do a chipping contest with your amateur friends and throw it in the bunker from 50 yards, or throw it in a bush and see if you can get out. Stuff to that extent has suited my game very well.'
