Snedeker: “(the bunkers) are probably the hardest thing on this golf course”

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are practice for the U.S. Open maintenance crew to perfect their jobs for the 3 a.m. wake-up calls during the actual championship. What spectators are actually coming to the Pittsburgh suburb for is to watch the players dial-in their games as they participate in practice rounds.

Brandt Snedeker knows how tough this course can be during a U.S. Open. He finished  T-23rd at +15 the last time Oakmont hosted the championship in 2007, the same year he won the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

We talked to Snedeker after his Tuesday practice round about course conditions.

“(The course) is good, they put some water on it and softened it up a little bit” says Snedeker. “You know it’s right where they want it. Depending on the weather and what happens it’s in great shape. I wish we could tee off tomorrow but we’ll see how it turns out on Thursday.”

On social media, there have been plenty of pictures and videos about the speed of the greens and how thick the rough is but Snedeker is more concerned about another hazard on the course.

“(The greens) were good. They were a little slower than the weekend before but they put some water on them and softened them up. They’re perfect right now,” says Snedeker. “The rough isn’t as bad as people are making it out to be. I’ve had some lies where you can hit it on the greens and advance it forward a bit. So I’m sure come Friday and Saturday it will be a little thicker than it is right now, but it’s manageable now. The bunkers are deep and tough, and they are probably the hardest thing on this golf course.”

He adds, “They made them more of a penalty this year. So it’s harder to get a good lie and it’s harder to spin them. I understand their thinking, they are trying to make them play like a true hazard. You never feel like you have a good lie and you can’t dictate how the ball is going to get out. The greens are so fast and firm so you can’t spin them and you can’t control so you don’t know if you are going to keep them close to the hole.”

Photos: Golfdom