John Bodenhamer promised the longest par 3 in U.S. Open history this week at Oakmont Country Club.
The USGA’s chief championships officer came through.
Oakmont Country Club’s No. 8 held that distinction when it played 300 yards in 2007.
Now, there is a new record.
The hole remained the same, but the new distance is 301 yards. That’s what the eighth hole played at Sunday, and it certainly impacted scoring.
“It was hard, very hard,” said Patrick Reed, who finished 8-over-par. “I was able to par it all four rounds. You had to hammer it. I believe when it is fast and firm, the play is to run it up. Saturday, the wind was in our face, and they played it up. Today, the wind was behind us.”
So how did the field fare?
They had their troubles, to the delight of the Oakmont membership.
The scoring average was 3.38 during the final round and 3.47 overall. On Sunday, it played as the fifth-toughest hole on the course.
Chris Gotterup had the lone birdie on the eighth hole Sunday but had to bury a putt from 38 feet, 9 inches. There were 42 pars, 20 bogeys and 3 doubles.
For the tournament, there were just 21 birdies there overall.
On Monday, Xander Schauffele said his strategy was to just play it as a golf hole.
“You might hurt a few egos if you see guys pulling driver or some long clubs in there,” he said. “But at the end of the day, however you feel you’re going to make the best score in there is how you should play it. Whether it’s laying up with an iron out to the right and trying to wedge it close or being aggressive with the driver, however you feel like you can make a good score is how you should play the hole.”
So how did Schauffele play the hole? He parred it Sunday and finished 2-over on it overall.
“It is a big green, so you try to make par,” Schauffele said. “It is a long hole. I hit 5-wood on Sunday.”
John Rahm had the hole figured out. He played it even par en route to a 4-over-par finish for the tournament. He bogeyed it Friday and birdied it Saturday.
Rahm was 1-under on all par 3s during his four rounds.
“I do not think many played under par on the par 3s,” Rahm said. “I played the par 3s well. Luckily, No. 8 was downwind.
“You most likely pull the head cover off one of the clubs and then hope it goes straight because, in my case today, I chose to hit a 5-wood. I think 3-wood I could have landed it closer to pin high, but it would have put long, especially right, in jeopardy. So, I hit a 5-wood trying to hit the front of the green and tried to two-putt, and that is exactly what I did.”
