Ben Griffin is one of the 156 players in the field for the US Open at Oakmont Country Club this week.
Griffin is a rising star on the PGA Tour, winning the Charles Schwab Challenge and finishing second at the Memorial Tournament in consecutive weeks.
The 29-year-old must feel confident that he has what it takes to contend at the third major championship of the season.
What he perhaps isn’t ready for is the difficulty of Oakmont in US Open conditions, as it will be a completely new experience for him.
Griffin recently shared what he and other players encountered during practice rounds on Monday.
Ben Griffin reveals whether US Open players are struggling in practice rounds
The biggest talking point ahead of the US Open has been the difficulty of the course, with most fans desperate to see the best players in the world struggle.
Well, they will be pleased to hear what Griffin said about his and other players’ experiences playing Oakmont on Monday.
“A lot depends on Mother Nature,” Griffin said. “I think if you look back at the last two US Opens that were there, going back to 2006 or 2007, I can’t remember which year Angel won, but I believe he finished at four or five or six over par.
“It was very firm that year. The last time, when Dustin Johnson won, it was much softer, and the course played a bit easier.
“When we played it on Monday, it was not by any means firm, but it was not soft, and I don’t know of any pro that shot under par that day, at least to my knowledge. It seems like a lot of guys struggled.
“I made a few birdies, but I had my fair share of bogeys and stuff. Granted, we were coming off a tournament week, it’s a Monday, and we were just trying to have fun and see the course. But it is going to be really challenging.
“A lot of the fairways out there have a tremendous amount of slope and are also blind, so you can’t really see where the fairway line even is from the tee box. You are kind of guessing and looking at trees.
Ben Griffin says what score he would be happy with at US Open
Griffin added that he would happily sign up for four over par this week, as that should place him in contention on Sunday afternoon.
“I think if you gave me +4 for the entire week, I would probably take it right now, and I would be decently confident. I don’t know what the weather is today at Oakmont, but the course is decently firm right now.
“I would sign +4 and expect to have a chance to win. It’s just crazy. I can’t tell you the last time I went to a course and thought I would take an over-par score.”
This would be a significant shift considering the last six US Open-winning scores have been six under or better, and one that the fans would love.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
