Michael Kim says which greens are harder to play on out of Oakmont or Augusta and claims it’s not close

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The thick rough at Oakmont Country Club has been the biggest talking point ahead of the 2025 US Open.

Fans have been calling for tougher conditions at the US Open for several years, and it looks like Oakmont has delivered.

But it’s not just the rough that makes the golf course challenging. The greens are also difficult to navigate.

PGA Tour player Michael Kim has now compared the putting surfaces at Oakmont to the iconic Augusta National.

• READ MORE: Five top players who missed the cut last time the US Open was held at Oakmont including Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson

Michael Kim compares the greens at Oakmont and Augusta

Everyone knows that the greens at Augusta are challenging. It’s probably the biggest reason why amateur golfers struggle there.

Not only are they extremely fast, but the undulations make them almost impossible to read unless you have significant experience.

Well, Kim explained after his practice round on Tuesday at the US Open that the greens at Oakmont are actually much tougher.

“The greens here feel a bit Mickey Mouse,” he wrote on X. “The slopes, the weird sections, and overall slopes are just way more than we’re used to.

“In order to test the world’s best players these days, especially at a US Open, in the ways that most want, you need a lot of what Oakmont has. A lot of the time, if you’re out of position, you have to take ur 15ft for par and be content with it.

“Even [Augusta] greens feel pretty benign compared to these greens. Augusta has big sections, but if you get into those sections, the putts aren’t bad. It’s similar to Oakmont, but way tougher to get to that section because of the rough and the contouring of the green.”

Michael Kim assesses three holes at Oakmont before the US Open

Kim also shared his thoughts on three specific holes at Oakmont after his latest US Open practice round.

He explained why the par-5 12th hole is “really cool” and why the 18th is a “tough finishing hole.”

And much has been made of the extremely long par-4 8th at Oakmont, but Kim thinks the par-3 16th might be more difficult.

“Par-5 12th is a really cool hole,” he added. “Can get there in two if downwind, but the green is crazy front to back and hard to the right. There’s this tiny shelf on the left that they’ll absolutely place a pin and it’s gonna be hilarious to see guys try to get close to that pin because of how hard it tilts to the back right part of the green.

“16 might be a harder par 3 than 8. 230 into the wind, big false front, but if you go long, you’re absolutely dead. Short right isn’t very good either.

“18, what a tough finishing hole to try and close out a US Open. Putted a couple off the green today and it rolls off 35 yds haha.”