My first impression of Oakmont is Holy Shit! The talking heads chat endlessly about US Open courses and how they are set up but you have to see one to understand. Oakmont is said to be the toughest golf course in the US US Open or not. I'm told that with few modifications, this is the way the members play it regularly. They are obviously masochists of the highest order.
Oakmont is enormous. I walked it today. I pray for the caddies as it is in the mid 80s and humid. You have to know the hills of Western PA to understand. When Johnny Miller says the green has a 50' elevation, he isn't kidding. You just cannot see it on television.
#12 is 667 yards long and the landing area for drives is 20 yards wide between two bunkers. And the bunkers! They are hopeless. Be sure to see the Church Pew bunkers on 15. They are just crazy.
They (whoever 'they' are) cut down 400 trees to take the course back more to its original design. I hear it was done in the middle of the night so the members wouldn't freak out. Geez, do you think they freaked out in the morning? There is almost no shade which is scary in this weather. I'm glad I can go into the volunteers' hospitality tent to get out of the heat.
It is of course it is what seems like miles from the back nine.
The crowd today was large. There were places you literally could not move through and guess what? The grandstands were almost empty! I cannot even imagine what it will be like this weekend. They are having a golf
Phil Mickelson seemed to follow me all over the course today That was weird. Every time I turned around, he was on the hole I was at. I wonder what Arnold Palmer thinks about Phil and his 'swing coach' and his 'short game coach' entourage. Reminded me of Mike Tyson. Dave Pelz, the short guy, carried this little suitcase around all day with their very own version
of the stimp meter and they measured the greens from all directions. Like
that is going to help. Today the greens were about 11 and this weekend they will be 13 to 13.5. It is like putting on your windshield. And it rained last evening. There were huge thunderstorms this evening as well and the temperature dropped 20 degrees. They say that is the end of the rain for the week. Poor guys there will be screaming and heads beaten against walls by the end of the week.
My job is cashier. The merchandise tent is 36,000 square feet - that's Right, 36,000! It is huge. Stuff is not stupidly priced which is good and it is air conditioned. I'm happy. At 4 pm when three of my shifts are, it will be hot and humid! The good news is volunteers get to bring in a USGA issued water bottle. Doesn't sound like much but with little shade and the heat, you could spend a month's salary on water over the four days.
Tiger was absent today - didn't hear anyone say they had seen him.
Feel badly for the guys playing along side guys like Phil or Tiger - they are totally invisible to the vast majority of the gallery.
Heard Michael Jordan is on site.
It is amazing what people in the gallery say.
Got Sean O'Hair's autograph on my visor so doubtless, he is going to win :)
Gotta hit it - long, hot day tomorrow.
Mel
Maryellen Korn
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