As is common apply, Gary Woodland was chipping balls out of thick tough throughout his preliminary prep at Winged Foot forward of this week’s U.S. Open. However as his caddie, Brennan Little, retrieved the golf balls and tossed them again to Woodland on Saturday, one thing turned amiss because the defending champion tried to get a gauge on the problem at hand.

“We misplaced a ball for about 5 minutes and it was proper in entrance of me,” the defending champion mentioned. “We didn’t discover it till we stepped on it.

“There was discuss of not having marshals the primary couple apply rounds. The apply rounds would have been 10 hours out right here looking for golf balls.”

Welcome to the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, the place, to correctly set the stage for the 120th taking part in of the nationwide championship, one should deal with the stage — the West Course in Mamaroneck, New York, some 25 miles from the guts of Manhattan.

The particulars? Designed by A.W. Tillinghast and restored by Gil Hanse, the course suggestions out at 7,477 yards and performs to a par of 70, with one par-Three at 243 yards, two par-4s longer than 500 yards, and one par-5 breaking the 630-yard barrier.

The historical past? In 5 earlier editions of the U.S. Open on the West Course, solely two of the greater than 700 gamers completed 72 holes beneath par (take a bow, 1984 champion Fuzzy Zoeller and runner-up Greg Norman). The final winner, Geoff Ogilvy in 2006, received at 5 over. Within the 1974 U.S. Open, dubbed the Bloodbath at Winged Foot, Hale Irwin received at 7 over.

The observations?

“The golf course is huge,” Woodland mentioned. “It’s onerous. However I feel that’s what you count on if you come to a significant championship and particularly a U.S. Open.”

“It is dependent upon how troublesome (the U.S. Golf Affiliation) wish to arrange these pins, give us an opportunity at it,” three-time U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods mentioned. “However with the forecast, it’s going to be troublesome it doesn’t matter what. This golf course goes to be one of many harder ones.”

“It’s kind of like in boxing the place Mike Tyson mentioned all people has a plan till they get punched within the face. It’s the identical factor right here,” world No. 2 Jon Rahm mentioned. “All of us have a plan, however if you happen to hit it sideways, you bought to determine it out.”

In different phrases, looks like some good quaint U.S. Open carnage is available for the 144 gamers within the discipline beginning with Thursday’s first spherical. An 18-hole migraine headache, if you’ll. What else is to be anticipated contemplating the dense tough – six inches and even increased in some locations – that may go away egos, wrists and scorecards bruised? The skeleton fairways? The huge, sloping greens which can be conscious of the smaller, wickedly troublesome placing surfaces at Augusta Nationwide?

With the event postponed three months as a result of COVID-19, the West Course was a tad on the smooth aspect on the eve of the championship. However to a person, everybody expects the structure to agency up, particularly the placing surfaces, and grow to be a daytime nightmare.

“This place exams each single side of your sport, so I don’t suppose I may single out the hardest factor that you’ll want to do or the toughest factor you’re going to have to do that week,” four-time main winner Rory McIlroy mentioned. “It’s all fairly powerful.”

However honest, the gamers say, with even-par 270 a prophesied profitable rating to chase. McIlroy, for example, doesn’t count on the course to descend into “goofy” golf. There aren’t any methods to the observe; the confrontation is correct in entrance of you (even when it seems like a darkish alley).

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“You’ve simply received to step up and hit good photographs,” Woodland mentioned. “I don’t suppose the USGA goes to get too loopy. The golf course is difficult sufficient.”

To the purpose {that a} recurring chorus shall be known as upon by the gamers this week – take your drugs, whether or not you’re within the tough off the green or close to a inexperienced; deep in one of many yawning bunkers; or going through a 50-footer with 10-feet of break. Pars are your pal. So, too, are some bogeys.

“It simply involves psychological power, proper, who can endure essentially the most and who can endure till the tip,” Rahm mentioned. “It’s that easy.”

“The place’s the best subsequent putt from and the place is the best subsequent shot from?” McIlroy mentioned. “There’s plenty of considering forward on this golf course.”

“You’ve received to drive it straight, particularly at this golf course,” mentioned world No. 1 and 2016 U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson. “You must hit fairways. However when you hit fairways, it doesn’t get a lot simpler from there.”

Story continues

In all, doesn’t sound like an entire lot of enjoyable. Properly, it doesn’t sound like an entire lot of enjoyable everybody besides world No. Three Justin Thomas.

“I completely love,” the course, Thomas mentioned. “It’s in all probability considered one of my favorites I’ve ever performed, to be sincere. It’s onerous, so it’s a special form of enjoyable, however it’s enjoyable.

“It’s not a 20-, 25-under form of enjoyable. It’s a U.S. Open. You realize it’s going to be powerful, and you recognize par is a very, actually good rating.

“I’m not going into this week afraid of Winged Foot. It’s in all probability the toughest golf course I’ve ever performed. However that being mentioned, I’m not going into it scared. It’s going to be such a grind. You simply need to embrace it, in any other case it’s going to eat you alive. You’re going to be put in some uncomfortable locations, and also you as an individual are going to really feel uncomfortable. It’s actually simply how will you handle that.”

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