Oakmont pushed the world’s best golfers to their limits during the US Open and, for some, it was downright unplayable.
J.J. Spaun captured his first major title with rounds of 66, 72, 69, and 72, finishing as the only player under par for the week.
That kind of brutality is expected at the US Open, but several players felt Oakmont crossed the line at times, especially after heavy rain made conditions even more punishing during the final round.
Justin Thomas pointed to the fairway slopes on holes 11, 12, and 15 as being over the top, calling them too severe and overly penal.
So how would a skilled amateur fare under those same Sunday conditions?
What a one-handicap golfer shot around Oakmont the day after the US Open
Braden Newcomer of Golf Channel, a 0.6 handicap, got his chance to find out.
On Monday, with the course still set up exactly as it had been for the final round, Newcomer played Oakmont from the back tees and walked off with a 23-over-par 93.
That number might raise eyebrows, but in the context of what Oakmont was dishing out, it’s more impressive than it looks on paper. Every small miss was magnified. Every mistake cost double the usual penalty.
How many shots a 10-handicap golfer would receive at Oakmont?
For context, even a 10-handicap golfer would be given 21 shots at Oakmont, according to the USGA’s course handicap calculator. That number gives a sense of just how daunting the setup really is.
You can check how many strokes you’d get yourself using the USGA’s course handicap calculator.
| Handicap | Strokes received at Oakmont |
| 0 | 8 |
| 1 | 9 |
| 2 | 11 |
| 3 | 12 |
| 4 | 13 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 6 | 16 |
| 7 | 17 |
| 8 | 19 |
| 9 | 20 |
| 10 | 21 |
Newcomer’s experience proves what every pro learned the hard way: at Oakmont, nothing comes easy. And even for a scratch golfer, survival often feels like an accomplishment.
from HITC https://ift.tt/6rSYo3A
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