'US Open to deliver exacting test of technique and temperament'

Level par is invariably nan target astatine nan US Open. Competitors tin of matching that are usually firmly successful nan operation for 1 golf’s astir coveted titles.

There are exceptional years, specified arsenic 2023 erstwhile Wyndham Clark posted 10 nether to triumph and 17 others hit par. But it was an uncharacteristically forgiving Los Angeles Country Club, wherever nan awesome grounds debased people of 62 was doubly equalled successful nan first round.

Rory McIlroy (2011), Brooks Koepka (2017) and Gary Woodland (2019) besides went debased erstwhile courses and conditions proved conducive.

But nan norm is an exacting trial of method and, possibly much importantly, temperament. And we tin expect this to beryllium nan lawsuit connected nan famed Pinehurst Number Two people wherever Clark defends his title this week.

It whitethorn look overseas to make specified an assertion because nan past clip this North Carolina layout hosted nan United States' nationalist title it was decently taken isolated by nan champion.

Martin Kaymer played a marque of US Open play that has been seldom matched and won by an bonzer 8 strokes. It was arsenic notable a awesome capacity arsenic immoderate produced by a European golfer.

The man pinch nan champion position of nan German’s masterclass successful 2014 was his caddie Craig Connelly. “It was Tigeresque,” nan Scottish bagman told BBC Sport.

“It was astonishing and I deliberation if it was personification other they mightiness person been talking astir it forever.”

Prior to competing for illustration nan awesome Tiger Woods successful his pomp, Kaymer had arrived astatine Pinehurst having dominated nan Players Championship pinch a superb wire-to-wire triumph astatine Sawgrass a mates of months earlier.

“I retrieve being surrounded by media aft Martin won nan Players and saying, possibly a spot arrogantly, that you guys mightiness person been amazed by this but I had been expecting it,” Connelly said.

“I said, ‘don’t beryllium amazed if he doesn’t triumph again soon aft this’. But small did I deliberation that it would beryllium a specified fewer weeks later and that it would beryllium nan US Open.”

Starting pinch a brace of stellar 65s, Kaymer was six clear of American Brendan Todd astatine nan halfway stage. The 3rd information was tougher, pinch a number of near pin placements which hampered his attack play because he likes to slice nan shot from near to right.

But Kaymer’s composed 72 constricted imaginable harm and he was still 5 up pinch 1 information to go. “He deed that galore awesome play shots and he was putting really, really well,” Connelly recalled.

Unusually for him, nan caddie had scouted pin positions each greeting barroom nan 2nd information erstwhile nan erstwhile world number 1 had an early tee time. “I deliberation group hide really good he putted,” Connelly added.

The last 69 was a comparative cruise. “It was good and genuinely successful nan container for astatine slightest 4 aliases 5 holes earlier nan last,” nan caddie said.

“But you tin ne'er remainder connected your laurels. He three-putted 16 and he was huffy pinch himself.

“He had travel retired that greeting saying ‘right we’ve sewage a 5 changeable lead, let’s make it a six changeable lead, let’s get to double digits and let’s spot really debased we tin really go’. So he stayed ace fierce without being silly.”

Connelly added: “At nan past he didn’t want to decorativeness pinch a bogey truthful correct to nan extremity he was mounting himself mini goals. When he holed that putt (a 20 footer for par), evidently it was thing for illustration Payne Stewart’s putt successful 1999, but it felt similar.

“Obviously we had nan cushion, Payne holed his putt to triumph by one.”

The precocious Stewart’s iconic ceremony has gone down successful Pinehurst folklore and is commemorated by a statue extracurricular nan North Carolina clubhouse. He pipped Phil Mickelson by finishing 1 nether par.

Six years later Michael Campbell held disconnected a charging Tiger Woods to triumph astatine level par connected nan aforesaid people and it is worthy remembering Kaymer would person won pinch 2 under.

But his ascendant brilliance connected this Donald Ross masterpiece complete those 4 days meant his 9 nether full was 8 strokes amended than his closest rivals successful a title wherever each barroom 3 players were complete par.

This is simply a crippled wherever cleanable does not exist, but for Connelly this was arsenic adjacent to golfing perfection arsenic he has ever witnessed. “Definitely,” said nan seasoned bagman.

“He did deed immoderate shots disconnected statement but you’re ne'er going to play 4 rounds and deed each changeable arsenic you’d want to deed it. There will beryllium times erstwhile you are tested.”

For that 2014 arena nan people had been taken backmost to its original shape by designers Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. Sandy autochthonal areas populated by ligament writer plants situation fairways alternatively than penal rough.

It looked scruffy but made for a due trial pinch turtle backmost greens rejecting each but nan astir meticulous approaches and chips. Kaymer besides profited from being capable to putt from disconnected nan greenish alternatively than having to chip.

“It's a tree-lined play people without a character successful play,” 4 times US Open victor Jack Nicklaus observed past week. “It's nan epitome of repelling golf.

“Donald Ross liked repelling golf, that's rather obvious, because everything there, if you miss it, disconnected it goes. I emotion Pinehurst.”

So what are nan cardinal ingredients this week? “Picking your target and hitting nan correct spots is very, very difficult,” Connelly said.

So look for golfers successful bid of their robust play. “Absolutely, it’s rather a generous people disconnected nan tee but it’s an attack changeable play course,” he added.

“[You person to] person your region power sorted and [hit nan ball] successful nan correct spot connected nan greenish because location are only mini portions that you tin deed to.

“Run offs tin beryllium fatal. You tin deed a decent changeable wherever connected immoderate different people you tin easy get it up and down. But astatine Pinehurst nan shot runs disconnected for miles and you are each of a abrupt short sided.”

Mental fortitude allied to unerring shot striking are hallmarks of nan existent world number 1 Scottie Scheffler. He has nan components that afloat warrant his short likelihood favouritism and he tuned up successful good manner pinch triumph successful Sunday's Memorial Tournament - his 5th title of nan year.

Assuming his journeys to and from nan people are not arsenic incident packed arsenic they were astatine Valhalla for past month’s US PGA Championship, wherever he was eighth, Scheffler - nan Masters champion - is undoubtedly nan man to beat.

Like Kaymer a decade ago, he is besides nan reigning Players champion. Others to see see Xander Schauffele, nan man who collapsed his awesome duck astatine Valhalla, a resurgent Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa, who pushed Scheffler truthful adjacent past week astatine nan notoriously reliable Muirfield Village.

“You’ve sewage to beryllium fierce to blimpish areas and springiness yourself each opportunity to make nan par,” Connelly advised.

“As bully arsenic these guys are, I deliberation it will beryllium emblematic US Open scores wherever either broadside of moreover par could beryllium nan number. Unless personification does a Martin Kaymer past you’ll person a chance astatine level par.”

Whoever wins, they will person conquered a due US Open challenge, which should look much photogenic pinch autochthonal pineweed filling successful gaps betwixt nan penal ligament writer bushes which, by design, will beryllium astir populous adjacent to expected landing areas.

The bentgrass greens utilized a decade agone person been replaced by harder wearing 'ultradwarf bermudagrass' that should spend accelerated and patient surfaces if nan upwind behaves. The forecast is beautiful encouraging connected that beforehand pinch lukewarm and barren conditions expected.

Kaymer is possibly astir celebrated for his heroics astatine nan 2012 Ryder Cup by holing nan putt that meant Europe retained nan trophy against each nan likelihood astatine Medinah.

But it is for really he conquered 1 of nan awesome tests of American play that he should astir beryllium remembered. He returns this twelvemonth arsenic a LIV subordinate successful nan last twelvemonth of his decade-long US Open exemption that accompanied that epic Pinehurst triumph.

"I ever get asked what’s your favourite ever moment,” Connelly mused. “And for a full big of reasons it remains nan champion acquisition I’ve ever had.

“Some mightiness deliberation that Medinah was it, that putt connected 18 and what it meant. Absolutely, but it had been a mediocre week otherwise.

“Whereas that US Open from commencement to decorativeness was conscionable immense.”

The caddie they telephone 'The Wee Man' added: “I’m judge each nan memories will travel flooding backmost erstwhile we scope nan spot and we’re connected that scope and connected that tee. So I’m really looking guardant to it.”

Shouldn’t we all? It feels arsenic though this could beryllium a classical US Open.