The U.S. Open has always prided itself in being the toughest major tournament in golf, and this year, the course could be the toughest it has been in a while because the rough and greens of Oakmont could make things get ugly for the world’s best golfers. The conditions on the course will likely lead to a lot of high scores, which will have an effect on sportsbetting golf odds.
The U.S. Open is considered one of the greatest golfing events, and it is open to anyone with a 1.4 handicap or better. Almost every year, there are people that nobody has ever heard of playing against some of the biggest names in golf. Some of those people go on to become famous (Jordan Spieth), while others are never heard from again.
Playing in the Masters is considered to be more prestigious, but Augusta National isn’t open to the public. The U.S. Open on the other hand is usually played on public courses so on a good day, Joe Nobody could post a better score on a course used for the Open than some pros have.
What separates the U.S. Open from the other major golf tournaments is the fact that the USGA goes out of its way to make it the most difficult test in golf. However, the USGA sometimes outsmarts itself and the course ends up playing easier than they had hoped, or becomes just too difficult, making the tournament difficult for viewers to follow on television.
Last year’s event at Chambers Bay is a great example of the USGA messing up. The course was so difficult, that numerous golfers complained about it, and some even threatened to withdraw instead of risking injury playing on the bumpy greens of the course.
Fortunately, Oakmont is a better course than Chambers Bay, and has hosted the U.S. Open in the past. The course is always pristine, but it also has the fastest greens in the world. Unlike Chambers Bay, which golfers had a lot to complain about, the only thing anyone will likely complain about at Oakmont this weekend is the length of the rough.
The only thing that can affect what is expected to be a great course this weekend is the weather, which will slow down the speed of the greens if it rains. So far, it looks like there might be some rains in Thursday and Friday, but clear skies on the weekend, which means we are in for some high scores.
Jordan Spieth, who won the U.S. Open last year, predicted a winning score of +5. With some strong winds expected this weekend, the winning score might even be higher.
With clear skies expected on Saturday and Sunday, look for the winner of the tournament to make a move on Thursday and Friday when the rain softens up the greens. However, despite the rain being more conducive for lower scores, it will also prove to be a nightmare for anyone that finds themselves in the rough, because the soft ground will make it more difficult for them to salvage bad shots.
One thing is for sure, no matter how the weather plays out this weekend, golf fans are in for a very exciting show at Oakmont from Thursday to Sunday.
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