Adam Scott played two rounds at Oakmont when the course last had the U.S. Open in 2007, failing to make the cut and finishing tied for 127th with a score of 18-over-par.<\/p>\n
For better or worse, Scott doesn\u2019t think the course has changed significantly from nine years ago. If anything, it might be more difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe the rough is a little thicker this time around,\u201d he said Wednesday.\u00a0\u201dHowever, I found it quite difficult in 2007 as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott hasn\u2019t been shy to voice his concern about the difficulty of the course.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether it is Oakmont or any other golf course, the players now and the distance and consistency they hit it \u2026\u00a0if par or worse wins and that\u2019s the best of the best that week, then something silly is probably happening out there,\u201d\u00a0the Australian told the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this week.\u00a0\u201cWhen we have a 2-yard gap to hit a 250-yard tee shot to keep it in a fairway or where the ball will only roll down into this one bit of rough. That\u2019s when it can be unfair and then we have gone too far.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the 35-year-old golfer\u2019s shaky history at Oakmont and his criticism of the difficulty of the course, he believes his game is suited to navigate the challenging terrain.\u00a0\u201cI really feel that if I can execute and play my style of golf this U.S. Open, I haven\u2019t seen a better setup for me personally than this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
On the 2016 PGA Tour, Scott ranks first in average shots from the tee to the green at 2.087. He said if he can drive the ball how he usually does, he\u2019ll have a bit of an advantage playing from down the fairway. The key, he said, will be playing a complete game, from the tee to the fairway to the green.<\/p>\n
A common theme among golfers Wednesday was that hitting tee shots safely to the fairway \u2014 away from the rough and bunkers \u2014\u00a0is important, if not the most important shot on every hole.\u00a0But advancing to the fairway is only half of the battle. The sloping greens at Oakmont are notoriously quick.<\/p>\n
\u201c[They\u2019re] probably the most severe greens we\u2019re going to putt on this year,\u201d Scott said. \u201cI certainly prefer putting on faster greens with my style of putting, so that doesn\u2019t bother me at all. But it\u2019s going to be difficult because we\u2019re not always used to seeing so much slope on the greens.\u201d<\/p>\n
He called the greens a\u00a0\u201cleveler,\u201d an element of Oakmont that evens the playing field. No one is immune from a bad break on a ball. A 40-foot putt that\u2019s a foot off-target could end up 12 feet away from the hole, making the putt appear worse than it actually was.\u00a0\u201cEvery aspect of this course is asking a lot out of the player,\u201d Scott said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s going to test everyone ultimately mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott plans is to reciprocate that challenge to the course, beginning at 2:20 p.m. today, when he takes the course with fellow Australian Jason Day and former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you need to challenge this course,\u201d Scott said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t necessarily mean attack. You\u2019ve got to be a little bit smart, of course, but I think my plan certainly is to challenge this golf course this week.\u201d<\/p>\n