'07 Open Preview
By Joe Giardina

From June 11-17, the golf world will be focused on top of Hulton Road again, as Oakmont Country Club will host its record eighth U.S. Open.

Throughout the club's history, it has hosted a total of 13 USGA Championships, the most recent being the 2003 U.S. Amateur. The last time an Open was played at Oakmont was in 1994 as Ernie Els won in an 18-hole playoff over Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie.

The course has had a reputation as being one of the toughest in the world. In the seven previous Opens that have been played at Oakmont, only 23 players have finished under par after 72 holes. The best winning score was five under par, achieved five times: by Ben Hogan in 1953, Johnny Miller in 1973, and by Els, Roberts and Montgomerie in 1994.

And over the past year the grounds crew has made sure it won't get any easier for the field of 156 golfers. More than 5,000 trees have been cut down, making wind a major factor. Tees have been pushed back, adding to the length of the course. In fact, Oakmont now boasts the longest par 3 (hole 8, 288 yards) and par 5 (hole 12, 667 yards) in Open history. Bunkers have been added, giving the course a total of 210. And if the eight famous "Church Pews" weren't difficult enough, there are now 12, and they have all been widened and deepened.

In late April, Tiger Woods had a chance to test out the new digs at Oakmont, and he came away believing that it is indeed one of the toughest, if not the toughest, U.S. Open venue in the world. Specifically, the speed and slopes of the greens are what stood out to him.

Mike Davis, the USGA's Senior Director of Rules and Competitions, believes that if there is no wet weather, Oakmont's greens will be among the "scariest" in golf.

While Woods is a favorite to win this year's Open, which would be his third Open overall, Phil Mickelson will also be near the top of most people's lists. He has recently hired a new instructor to help him with his sometimes erratic drives that cost him last year's Open, in which he let a two-stroke lead with three holes to play disappear.

Geoff Ogilvy was the beneficiary of Mickelson's collapse last year. While leaders Mickelson and Montgomerie both double bogied the final hole, the Australian Ogilvy made par, capturing his first major championship.

Now Ogilvy will have the daunting task of trying to defend his title. Since 1991, only two players have finished in the top 40 in an attempt to repeat. Retief Goosen tied for 11th in 2005 after winning in '04. Woods finished 12th in '01 after winning in 2000, and tied for 20th in 2003 after coming away victorious in '02. In the last Open held at Oakmont in '94, defending champion Lee Janzen failed to even make the cut.

Along with Els, Woods, Goosen, Janzen and Ogilvy, there will be two other past champions teeing off at Oakmont-Michael Campbell, who won in 2005, and Jim Furyk, the 2003 champion.

When Els won in 1994, the 24-year old South American took home a first place prize of $320,000 after one of the most dramatic U.S. Opens-on one of the toughest courses-in history. While this Open will be hard-pressed to match the excitement of the 18-hole playoff of '94, whoever walks away from Oakmont a champion this year should find pleasure knowing he mastered an updated version of one of the toughest courses in the world. It also won't hurt knowing he will take home the first place prize of at least $1,225,000.

Joe Giardina wrote about the Pirates homegrown pitchers in PSR's May issue.