Get ready to see some lengthy approach shots this week at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills.
The USGA has released its official scorecard yardage for this week’s event, and the Erin, Wis., layout will be listed at 7,741 yards as it hosts the tournament for the first time. Each nine will play to a par 36, with the front tipping out at 3,840 yards and the back extending as far as 3,901 yards.
That yardage would make it the longest in tournament history, topping the 7,695-yard layout players encountered two years ago at Chambers Bay. But officials reiterated that the course is not expected to play that distance for any single day, as tees will be adjusted prior to each round based on anticipated weather conditions.
In some cases, those adjustments could be significant. Based on the scorecard furnished by the USGA, the par-5 opening hole could play as short as 560 yards or as long as 630 yards. Likewise, No. 14 will play between 594 and 650 yards and the 18th hole will range from 622 to 675 yards.
With firm, fescue fairways, Erin Hills is expected to offer players plenty of roll off the tee and will likely play slightly shorter than any published yardage. But it should still be a brute of a test, with five different par-4s – Nos. 3, 5, 8, 10 and 17 – expected to measure over 500 yards for at least one round of play.
There will also be four par-5s, as this will be the first U.S. Open played on a par-72 layout since Pebble Beach in 1992.
Source: Internet
