– Just after two o’clock on Wednesday afternoon, those in charge of the set up for the US Open were making some final checks on the greens. The average speed was 13.1 feet. This means that some test putts went over 14… Gulp!
– Yes, the greens are going to be fast and hard, but with nuances, let’s not go crazy or exaggerate the dimensions of the monster. It’s big enough already. The greens at Pinehurst No.2 are not at the limit, far from it. For example, they are not like Shinnecock Hills in 2018. They are hard, but on Wednesday afternoon they were still receptive. And yes, they are fast, but especially on putts with the grain in favour. There it is a case of every man for himself. Against the grain, they are not so demonic.
– The greens can be made harder, but the USGA does not want either of these two things to happen: ridiculous situations to be seen, nor to run the risk of being left with corner flag positions, which are very interesting, and which you could not use with marble surfaces.
– Note this flag position. Hole 3, twelve steps from the front and five from the right. If they put it there one day, which is expected, if you go past the flag, you have all the chances of ending up in the bunker. There is no brake. Past the hole everything is with the grain. The same happens with a position on the 5. The most complicated thing of all is that it does not give you the feeling. Yes, it looks fast, but not ultra fast.
– Remember this concept for this week: lay up with the putt. You’re going to see a lot of that. It’s player and caddie jargon. Normally the lay up is used on par 5s, when you can’t reach in two, or when you miss the fairway and there’s no way to reach the green. It’s simple. It’s about positioning the first putt. Don’t even think about putting to hole, just get it close, sink the second and run away from there. We insist, this will happen with putts with the grain in favour and downhill…
– The lay up on the greens is directly related to another key concept this week: control your recovery hunger. Patience. If you plan to recover a stroke by making an aggressive putt or making approaches that are not necessary, you will probably end up off the green… or playing ping pong.
– A great curiosity that is not usually common in the preparation of a golf tournament and that is directly related to the issue of the grain of the famous ultra-dwarf bermuda of the Pinehurst greens. It turns out that there will be times when it will be better to fail on the bad/aggressive side than to do so on the good/conservative side of the green. The grain rules. If the flag is on the right and you miss on the left, yes, you have a lot of green to work with, but if the grain is in favour, it will be almost a feat to get it close… and again you can end up off the green. However, from the right, with the grain against, although also very difficult, there will be more margin of success with the putter.
– It’s a green shots course. Whoever is sharper with the irons, will have a lot won this week. Don’t lose sight of the strokes gained approach statistic. Whoever is up there, will also be fighting for the top spots.
– Another key area this week: strokes gained around the green. No matter how fine a player is with the irons, those who know best assure, it will be difficult to see golfers with more than eleven or twelve greens in regulation per day. This means between six and seven recoveries from the rough or the bunkers. Essential to be sharp in this area.
– The fairways are generous. In this sense, it is a different course, against style. Normally, any self-respecting US Open goes through having narrow and very well defended fairways. Pinehurst doesn’t need them. It’s rather wide and doesn’t intimidate from the tee. However, whoever goes astray is going to get more than one and two disappointments with the tufts…
– It’s not very complicated from the tee and this is also due to the lines. Whatever the wind, they don’t differ much. The line is going to be almost always the same, as long as they don’t move some tee forward, as will probably happen. Note, in this sense, the hole 7. We might see players hitting the green with the driver this week.
– We continue on the tees… The course is not short, but as it’s going to be hard, we’re going to see quite a few irons off the tee. This is not going to be drive and hit, although obviously in the end it will depend on the confidence of each specific player with the longest club in the bag.
– One last detail for the real enthusiasts: the course, visually, reminds in some aspects of hole 8 of El Saler. (If you haven’t played it, you’re already late).
