Robert MacIntyre had an impressive opening round at the US Open, carding an even-par 70 at Oakmont Country Club.
J.J. Spaun’s stunning four-under 66 is certainly misleading because the average score at Oakmont on Thursday was around 74.
It seems highly unlikely that he, or anyone else, will get further under par throughout the week, as the course continues to dry out.
On that note, MacIntyre has shared a pessimistic prediction on the US Open-winning score on Sunday afternoon.
- READ MORE: Bryson DeChambeau pinpoints the one area of his game which let him down on day one of the US Open
Robert MacIntyre names the score that should win the US Open
MacIntyre was asked in his post-round interview on Thursday whether he would sign up for three more even-par rounds.
“You shoot four level-par rounds, you’re walking away with a medal and a trophy,” he replied. “I’m sure I’d take that.”
The Scotsman then explained why Oakmont will be so difficult for even the world’s best players at this week’s US Open.
“Off the tee,” he named the most challenging aspect. “I think into the greens, yeah, it’s difficult because they’re sloped, but at the end of the day, you just hit the green and then just try and two-putt it. But off the tee, I’ve never played a golf course as hard.
“Yeah, there’s a couple… I mean, 17th hole, for instance, I’m not even… you’re going to see 95 percent of the players not even try and hit the fairway. They’re just going to shell it in the left rough, try and get it on the green, walk off there with par.
“It’s a drivable par-4, but there’s just nowhere… You can’t lay it up. It’s too tight. If you do hit the fairway on the lay-up, it’s too short a shot with a green sloping away from you.
“There are just little things like that where on a hole that’s short and people are thinking, there’s going to be lots of birdies, there’s going to be lots of bogeys. I just think of the tee, it’s the most demanding golf course I’ve ever played, and I’ve played Royal Lytham.”
Robert MacIntyre says where US Open round one ranks in his professional golf career
MacIntyre further highlighted just how tricky Oakmont is in US Open conditions with his answer to another question.
He decided that his opening round of 70 would make his top 10 best rounds, even though he has shot in the mid-to-low 60s several times.
“That’s up there, up there in the top 10 of any rounds that I’ve played,” said the 29-year-old. “It is just so hard… honestly, every shot you’re on a knife’s edge.
“If you miss it… even if you miss the green, you miss it by too much, you then try to play an eight-yard pitch over the rough onto a green that’s brick hard running away from you.
“Every shot, I’m trying to keep flights as neutral as I can, and sometimes I’ve not got the club to get to the hole. But I just can’t bring it over the green or short of the green. I hit it to 30, 40 feet and try and two-putt it. It just feels like every shot is on a knife’s edge.”
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
