GOLF
The incredible Pinehurst No. 2 stat that shows the difficulty of the US Open
The US Open is famously one of the toughest golf tournaments of the year, as illustrated by previous editions of the event.
The 2024 US Open gets underway on Thursday (13 June) at Pinehurst No. 2, one of 10 courses (nine 18-hole courses, one nine-hole course) at the Pinehurst golf resort in North Carolina. This will be the fourth time the tournament is held at the venue, with previous editions, as well as one astonishing stat, suggesting the field is in for a tough challenge.
Previous US Open winners at Pinehurst No. 2
The US Open is, of course, known for being set up with a premium placed on accurate driving and is normally one of the most challenging events of the year.
At the first edition of the tournament played at Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999, champion Payne Stewart (-1) finished as the only player under par, with a score of +8 good enough to finish in the top 10.
When the US Open returned to the resort six years later, Michael Campbell of New Zealand won his only major of his career, ending the tournament at even par, two strokes better than nearest challenger Tiger Woods.
The most recent visit to Pinehurst No. 2, in 2014, was rather different, but only because of the brilliance of one man.
Germany’s Martin Kaymer (-9) won his second major with a sensational performance, finishing a whopping eight shots better off than Erik Compton and Rickie Fowler (-1), who were tied for second. They were the only three men to shoot under par, and three of only four men to have done so in US Opens.
Only five bogey-free rounds in US Open history at Pinehurst No. 2
The difficulty of the task at Pinehurst No. 2 has been neatly summarised by the USGA in the run-up tp the 2024 event. Of the 1,368 rounds played in US Opens on the course, only five have been bogey-free. Former world number one David Duval was first to achieve the feat in 1999 (before we knew how much of an achievement it was), with Kaymer, unsurprisingly, the most recent to do so.
Bogey-free rounds at Pinehurst No. 2 at the US Open
- David Duval (1999, Round 1, 67, finished T-7)
- Arron Oberholser (2005, Round 2, 67, T-9)
- Brendon Todd (2014, Round 2, 67, T-17)
- Jason Day (2014, Round 2, 68, T-4)
- Martin Kaymer (2014, Round 2, 65, won).
Which players, if any, will be able to join the exclusive club in 2024? Relatively calm conditions are expected on three of the four days in North Carolina, but will that result in better-than-expected scoring?