Oakmont Country Club promises to provide an extraordinary test to the world’s best players at the US Open this week.
The winning score at the US Open has been lower than fans want for several years now, and it’s finally about to change.
The eventual winner on Sunday afternoon could even be over par, such is the brutal test that Oakmont provides.
In the build-up to the tournament, Jon Rahm picked out the single biggest contributor to the difficulty of the golf course.

Jon Rahm says ‘one thing’ at Oakmont stands out as the most difficult aspect
Much has been made about the five-inch-long rough and the penal bunkers at Oakmont before the US Open.
But what people tend to overlook are the undulations and speeds of the greens, which make them extremely tough to navigate.
Rahm thinks that amateur golfers would struggle with the putter more than any other club at Oakmont.
“I don’t know if there’s one thing,” the Spaniard explained. “Assuming the rough is lower on an average day at Oakmont, in a non-US Open year, the biggest challenge off the tee will be those fairway bunkers. They’re usually very penal.
“They’re very often just deep enough that you don’t have a chance to get to the green due to the length.
“But if there’s just one thing, it’s the greens. It’s very complicated and intricate greens that, if you were to make them flat, this golf course would be very, very different.”

Jon Rahm describes Oakmont as ‘iconic’ in glowing review
Rahm is a keen golf historian who regularly pays tribute to the greatest players, events, and venues in the game.
The LIV Golf superstar shared that he feels “fortunate” to play at Oakmont because it’s such an “iconic” golf course.
“It’s early in the week,” he said. “It’s been great so far. It’s a place that every time you come, and having been able to be fortunate to play here for the second time, it never ceases to amaze, in the sense of the history, the old school feel of the clubhouse.
“I think I saw a scale in there that’s probably older than every building around here. Then the golf course itself, with some new changes that still maintain the essence of what it’s all about and what Oakmont is. Extreme challenge.
“Even when you just stand on the putting green, seeing the whole property, you know you’re somewhere special. It’s quite iconic. It’s one of those things that makes it a great venue and a great championship.”
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
