11 Investigates gets a behind the scenes look at U.S. Open at Oakmont security measures
With more than 200,000 visitors expected to attend the US Open at Oakmont Country Club, the USGA told Chief Investigator Rick Earle that the safety and security of fans and golfers is a top concern.
Earle recently visited Oakmont to meet with a representative from the USGA to talk about security measures.
Advertisement
As workers were putting the finishing touches on the fairways and buildings around the golf course, the USGA was fine-tuning the security plan.
'For us, the thing that's first in paramount importance is the safety, the security and the health of anyone coming to the championship over the course of those seven days,' said Eric Steimer, the USGA Senior Director for US Open Championships.
For months now, the USGA has been working with local and state law enforcement on a detailed security plan.
'So, we're good at operating golf championships, but we know our role in security. We really turn to our law enforcement partners to make sure that our plans are buttoned up, leaning into their expertise and what their recommendations are,' Steimer said.
Advertisement
Plum Borough Police Department is the lead agency, but they'll get help from other local departments, including Oakmont, Allegheny County and Pennsylvania State Police.
'You may have resources brought in from the county, whether it's the command post, mobile command post area,' said John Hudson, a retired Secret Service agent and security consultant.
Hudson helped with security during the last US Open by operating drones for the District Attorney's office.
The USGA said a 360-degree perimeter will be set up around the sprawling 380-acre course that is enclosed by a fence.
Earle: Because it's such a big layout, is it harder to secure?
Advertisement
Hudson: No, it's actually easier to secure because they have a physical boundary around there with the fence and the limited access points.
Police officers, some working undercover, will be stationed inside and outside the course.
Fans must go through a metal detector system that the USGA began using a couple of years ago that allows more people in at one time.
'Ultimately, that magnetometer is going to pick up on any items that it hits on that will require potentially a second security measure, whether it's a hand wand or a divest situation where ultimately once that item is rendered safe, you'll be allowed to bring it in,' Steimer said.
Advertisement
Surveillance cameras and drones will also be used this year.
'So we'll have eyes in the sky, so to speak, which allows us to really be able to respond to any incidents, whether it's a security issue, whether it is a health issue, but really it takes a small army of security out here to make sure that everything is going smoothly and that's not something we're going to skimp on,' Steimer said.
In addition to local and state law enforcement officers, the USGA told Earle they will have nearly 300 private security guards to help out as well.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Lawnmowers at ‘unplayable' US Open golf course go viral
Lawn lovers, behold the wild scenes playing out at the US Open golf tournament this week. The US Open has long been renowned as arguably the most difficult of the four golf majors, with birdies hard to come by on the course chosen for the major. It's no different at this year's course, the Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, where keeping the ball on the fairway will be more important than usual. 6 A line of greenskeepers mowing the rough at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa., on Monday. X / @usopengolf US Open organisers are notorious for keeping the rough on the edge of the fairway so tall that it's nearly impossible to find your ball if it lands in the long grass, and even harder to hit it out of there. Footage shared by the US Open this week of the thick rough being tamed by greenkeepers shows just how tricky it will be to play at Oakmont. An army of Oakmont Country Club greenkeepers armed with lawnmowers have been wading through the rough to try and make things slightly easier. Videos circulating on social media show that a ball dropped from knee height into the rough is almost completely lost in the thick stuff. 6 Footage shared by the US Open this week of the thick rough being tamed by greenkeepers shows just how tricky it will be to play at Oakmont. AP 6 An army of Oakmont Country Club greenkeepers armed with lawnmowers have been wading through the rough to try and make things slightly easier. X / @usopengolf Sportswriter Chris Harlan described the scene: 'Oakmont Country Club has a fleet of lawnmowers out today for the US Open.' Golf fans were stunned by the rough grass, as well as the fact the ground staff opted to used push mowers instead of tractor mowers. One person commented: 'I can't think of a more inefficient way to do things than mowing a golf course with push mowers.' Another said: 'There's gotta be a better way in today's world.' Golfer Jhonattan Vegas wrote on X: 'Good news guys, they are cutting the rough but, it's still unplayable. Have fun.' Fox Sports golf expert Paul Gow told he expects it to a golfer's nightmare this week, and the player that keeps their cool the most will come out on top. 'This is the best week of the year, you get to watch golf pros get upset with themselves,' Gow chuckled. 'Oakmont is one of the hardest golf courses in the world. It requires a player to hit so many different shots. 'It's a frustrating golf course because there's a lot of different angles and 175 bunkers around the golf course. You've got to navigate yourself around 'The rough is nice and deep so there's an emphasis on hitting it on the fairway. 6 The rough surrounding a fairway bunker on the 18th hole gets cut during a practice round for the 2025 US Open golf championship at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa., Monday, June 9, 2025. AP 'Some of the scores to win the US Open here have been over par. 'It's one of those golf courses the players love to hate because the greens get up ridiculously quick — quicker than Royal Melbourne. 'The greens will be running at 14 and a half to 15 on the stint meter. That will make difficult putting. And they're big, large greens that move the ball around a lot. And there's these little subtle breaks that will really frustrate the players. 'It's one of those places that a player needs to turn up with a really, really good attitude. If they don't, well, the most will pack their bags on Friday afternoon and go home.' Fresh off his PGA Championship win, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is chasing his fourth major title and first US Open victory. 6 A general view of the third hole during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 10, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Getty Images Scheffler is in a stellar patch of form having won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the PGA Championship and the Memorial Tournament in the past month. 'You can't go past Scheffler,' Gow said. 'I like Jon Rahm, he definitely is trending towards a better week. He played well at the PGA Championships at Quail Hollow. He fell over the last couple of holes, but he drove the ball really well. 'But you can't go away from Scottie Scheffler, it's just ridiculous how good he's playing, he's definitely the in-form player.' Australia's Marc Leishman will play his first major since 2022, while Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Cameron Smith, Cameron Davis and Jason Day are the other Aussies playing this week. It will be Scott's 96th consecutive appearance at a major. 6 US Open organisers are notorious for keeping the rough on the edge of the fairway so tall that it's nearly impossible to find your ball if it lands in the long grass, and even harder to hit it out of there. X / @usopengolf Players have voiced their concerns for just how difficult it will be to play in the conditions at Oakmont this week. Rory McIlroy, chasing his second major of the year after his Masters triumph, struggled playing the course during a practice round last week. 'Last Monday felt impossible,' McIlroy said. 'I birdied the last two holes for 81. It felt pretty good, it didn't feel like I played that badly. It's much more benign right now than it was that Monday. They had the pins in dicey locations and greens were running at 15.5 (on the stimpmeter measuring green speed). 'It was nearly impossible. This morning it was a little softer. The pins aren't going to be on 3 or 4 per cent slopes all the time. 'If you put it in the fairway, it's certainly playable. But then you just have to think about leaving your ball below the hole and just trying to make as many pars as you can. You get yourself in the way of a few birdies, that's a bonus. 'I'm glad we have spotters out there because last Monday you hit a ball off the fairway and you were looking for a good couple of minutes just to find it. It's very penal if you miss. Sometimes it's penal if you don't miss. 'The person with the most patience and the best attitude this week is the one that's going to win.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
US Open Course Renovations Expected To Give Former Champion Major Advantage
US Open Course Renovations Expected To Give Former Champion Major Advantage originally appeared on Athlon Sports. As part of a recent renovation led by architect Gil Hanse, Oakmont Country Club, home of the 2025 U.S. Open golf championship, has introduced a significant change to its 10th hole ahead of the tournament. With the action set to begin Thursday, there is now a ravine that cuts through the fairway. Advertisement Previously, players could hit a driver or a fairway wood and let the ball run downhill toward the green. With the new ravine placed approximately 320 yards from the tee, that strategy is no longer as straightforward, according to Golf Digest's Jamie Kennedy. Players preparing for the 2025 U.S. Open have mostly opted for conservative approaches. On Monday, Scottie Scheffler hit a fairway wood and came up just short of the ravine, landing around 300 yards. From there, he missed the fairway right and faced what looked to be a 7-iron into the green. The new setup introduces a clear choice: lay up short of the ravine or attempt to carry it. Advertisement One player has already tested the aggressive option, giving him a major advantage coming in. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, currently the longest driver in professional golf with a 331.9-yard average on LIV Golf, shared a recent practice round at Oakmont on his YouTube channel, starting on the 10th hole and hitting driver. Professional golfers Scottie Scheffler and Team USA player Bryson DeChambeau.© Kyle Terada-Imagn Images He managed to carry the ravine despite chilly morning conditions. Though he missed the fairway, his drive left just 115 yards to the hole. The 31-year-old then hit a sand wedge to make birdie. The act drew reactions across the field. 'I didn't even know that was possible,' said Justin Thomas in his press conference. Advertisement When asked whether he plans to play short of the ravine or carry it with a three-wood, Xander Schauffele immediately referenced Bryson DeChambeau by name, responding: "Oh, the ravine? Oh, no, no. I mean, I think Bryson's probably the only person that would think twice about carrying it," Schauffele said. "It, it might just be an iron from off the tee." The recent renovations present a new obstacle on the already notoriously difficult U.S. Open course, making players' decisions something to keep an eye on this week. Related: Collin Morikawa, Max Homa Among Pros Featured in New Apple TV+ Series, Stick This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Justin Thomas Makes Request Before U.S. Open
Justin Thomas Makes Request Before U.S. Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Among the 156 players vying for a victory at this week's 125th U.S. Open is Justin Thomas, who currently ranks as the No. 5 player in the world. Advertisement The 32-year-old two-time major winner is looking to pick up his second victory of the year, as he was the last man standing at April's RBC Heritage. While Thomas and the rest of the field are the best golfers in the world, this year's U.S. open is being played at the alway-challenging Oakmont Country Club. The course has been going viral for its aggressively thick rough which only gets worse with wet conditions, quick greens and difficult hole lengths that even has pros like Min Woo Lee a bit frazzled. According to PGA Tour staff writer Paul Hodowanic, this year's course is expected to play like it did in 2007, which saw Angel Cabrera with a score of 5 over par. Advertisement With so many reporters questioning how hard this would be for the average or even above average golfer, Thomas took to X and urged the United States Golf Association (USGA) to find out. Justin Thomas at the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images "So much talk about 'what would X handicap shoot at Oakmont," wrote Thomas. "Why don't we find a way to make it happen? Have a 5, 10, 18 whatever handicap play Monday after the @usopengolf. Back tees full rules of golf, and see what happens? May have to let a few groups thru and allow for 6-7 hours but I think we're all here for it, no?? 😂" The USGA's social media account did entertain his idea by writing, "Should we?" Advertisement Although it is highly unlikely to have a random civilian out playing with the likes of Thomas or FanDuel's overwhelming favorite (+280) Scottie Scheffler, it would be quite an entertaining sight to see. As for Thomas he has 40-1 odds to win it all. Thomas will tee off at 1:03 p.m on Thursday, and is paired with Lee and Brooks Koepka. Related: US Open Course Renovations Expected To Give Former Champion Major Advantage This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
