Next Thursday sees the start of the second major golf tournament of the year, as The US Open gets underway.
This will be the 115th edition of the tournament, and will be held at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, which will be the first major tournament ever played in the state.
Last years Champion was German Martin Kaymer, who finished 8 shouts ahead of his nearest challengers.
The US Open however has been fairly good to the British players as of late, with 3 different winners in the last 5 years, with those being Graeme McDowell in 2010, Rory Mcllroy in 2011, and Justin Rose in 2013, and it must also be noted that the 2 of the current 4 major titles are held by Northern Ireland’s Mcllroy.
There should be a 156 strong field of competitors taking to the fairways and greens with the winner of the tournament picking up the Open Trophy and a cool $1.7 million, which is stark contrast to the first ever tournament in 1895 when Englishman Horace Rawlins took home a prize of $150 and a $50 gold medal.
The course which only open 8 years ago is regarded as fairly tough even by the professionals is noted for the fact that the greens do not have fringes - it is a transparent transition from fairway to green, and that there is only 1 tree on the course – a Douglas Fir behind the 15th green.
The holes of Chambers Bay.
Out
1. Puget Sound 598 or 496 yards Par 5 or 4
2. Foxy 399 yards Par 4
3. Blown Out 198 yards Par 3
4. Hazard’s Ascent 495 yards Par 4
5. Free Fall 455 yards Par 4
6. Deception Point 495 yards Par 4
7. Humpback 508 yards Par 4
8. High Row Low Road 614 yards Par 5
9. Olympus 224 or 217 yards Par 3
In
10. High Dunes 436 yards Par 4
11. Shadows 537 yards Par 4
12. The Narrows 311 yards Par 4
13. Eagle Eye 534 yards Par 4
14. Cape Fear 546 yards Par 4
15. Lone Fir 246 or 167 yards Par 3
16. Beached 423 yards Par 4
17. Derailed 218 yards Par 3
18. Tahoma 604 or 525 yards Par 5 or 4
Total yards = 7874 or 7607 Par 71 or 69