US Open, Torrey Pines (South Course)
Selected tee times
Thursday June 17, Hole #1 / Friday June 18, Hole #10
15:29/21:14 – Francesco Molinari, Italy; Henrik Stenson, Sweden; Shane Lowry, Ireland
15:40/21:25 – Matt Fitzpatrick, England; Tyrrell Hatton, England; Viktor Hovland, Norway
15:51/21:36 – Martin Kaymer, Germany; Webb Simpson; Gary Woodland
16:02/21:47 – Tony Finau Abraham Ancer, Mexico; Daniel Berger
16:13/ 21:58 – Si Woo Kim, Republic of Korea; Kevin Na; Bernd Wiesberger, Austria
16:24/22:09 – Jimmy Walker; Ian Poulter, England; Ryan Palmer,
21:14/15:29 – Tyler Strafaci; Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; Bryson DeChambeau.
21:36/15:51 – Dustin Johnson; Rory McIlroy, Ireland; Justin Rose, England
21:47/16:02 – Matt Jones, Australia; Brendan Steele; Cameron Smith, Australia
Thursday June 17, Hole #10 / Friday June 18, Hole #1
15:29/21:14 – Collin Morikawa; Justin Thomas; Brooks Koepka
15:51/21:36 – Max Homa; Xander Schauffele; Phil Mickelson
20:52 /15:07 – Erik van Rooyen, South Africa; Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Africa; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa
21:03/15:18 – Garrick Higgo, South Africa; (a) Cole Hammer; Joaquin Niemann, Chile
21:14/15:29 – Lee Westwood, England; Stewart Cink; Paul Casey, England
21:25/15:40 – Will Zalatoris; Scottie Scheffler; Jordan Spieth
21:36/15:51 – Marc Leishman, Australia; Jon Rahm, Spain; Patrick Reed
21:47/16:02 – Patrick Cantlay; Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa; Sungjae Im, Republic of Korea
WHAT THEY SAID
SHANE LOWRY
“A US Open for me is like a true test of golf, every part of your game, every part of your mentality will be required to do well in this game.
“You obviously need to drive the ball in the fairway. I think the longer hitters will have a bit of an advantage because there’s not much trouble out here, only rough, and the further you’re off in the rough, the easier it is.
“I think the rough is actually too thick (and) actually takes a little bit of the skill level out of it. There’s a lot of times where you get around the greens and it’s a bit of a hit-and-hope and a bit of luck involved.
“I’m quite happy where my game’s at. Tournaments are won on the greens. Give me a really good putting week, and I’ll be hopefully there or thereabouts.”
RORY McILROY
“If I went out and played this golf course any other week, you play free, and it’s just the same thing. You just have to be able to swing with that freedom, and that’s sort of what I’m trying to get back to.
“There’s no surprise that if I do have, say, not a great first day that I’m able to play well the rest of the tournament because that does free you up. It’s like, okay, well, the bad one’s out of the way, and now I can just sort of freewheel. It’s just a matter of freewheeling from the Thursday and not the Friday.
“I think the ’11 US Open was only my third one, and I played okay at Bethpage in ’09, I missed the cut at Pebble in ’10. Yeah (there was) probably just a little less going on in my head, I guess, is the best way to describe it.
“Probably a little less cynical too. Sometimes I think you can sort of get into that mindset coming into US Opens.
“First time I laid my eyes on Congressional I thought I could see myself shooting scores out here. It’s the same as here. You hit fairways, you hit greens, and you can shoot good scores. It’s just a matter of getting into a little more of a positive mindset going into the tournament.
“I’m feeling good about where my game is. It’s about going out there and playing as free as I can and having that me
WEATHER FORECAST
Low clouds and patchy fog are expected to begin the day before giving way to mainly sunny skies with highs just past 70 degrees as we return to the lighter onshore flow. Friday into the weekend continues that theme of gorgeous San Diego weather.
Hole-by-hole guide to the South Course at Torrey Pines, venue for the 121st US Open from June 17-20:
1st, 446 yards, par 4: A slight dogleg right where the two bunkers on the right are a 295-yard carry and the one on the left 290 yards to reach. The green is set at an angle with more sand either side.
2nd, 387 yards, par 4: Bunkers to be negotiated down the fairway and around the green again, with positioning of the tee shot crucial to set up a birdie chance. Putting surface has a tier in it and is much wider at the back.
3rd, 195 yards, par 3: Pacific Ocean in the background and real trouble left, right or long. A bunker guards the front and green is split-level, allowing for some devilish pin placings.
4th, 486 yards, par 4: Hole runs along the clifftop. Temptation therefore is to aim a bit further right, but two bunkers lie in wait. Pear-shaped green where par is a real achievement when the flag is tucked over the trap short left.
5th, 452 yards, par 4: Turning back the other way a straight drive is needed to avoid the trees lining both sides. Green set at an angle once more, with a steep drop into a bunker on the right and a shelf on the left.
6th, 515 yards, par 4: Hole turns sharply right around the 280-yard mark, with a series of bunkers on the outside of the corner and trees and scrub area on the right. Entrance to the green narrows in and there are fall-offs into sand both sides.
7th, 460 yards, par 4: A sweeping dogleg right again, with the view of the green obscured by trees if the drive is even slightly right of centre. Tough, tiered green to hit because the angle of it means there is little depth to work with.
8th, 173 yards, par 3: Wide, but narrow target with bunkers front and back and a ridge running all across the green. Framed by trees and that can make judging the wind much harder.
9th, 609 yards, par 5: Two big hits just to get somewhere close to the green and not one where you want to be tangling with the rough. Long, thin green once more set at a slight angle and on two levels.
10th, 449 yards, par 4: Bunkers start at 270 yards on both sides, with the hole turning left to a green tightly guarded by more sand left and right. Demands great accuracy with both the drive and the approach.
11th, 222 yards, par 3: The stream cutting across short of the green ought not to be a problem for the world’s best, but the contours of the putting surface can create all sorts of difficulties.
12th, 501 yards, par 4: Tough tree-lined hole down towards the ocean. Bunker on the right cuts into the fairway at 275 yards and the green falls away on both sides. When flag is back left, par is a great score.
13th, 612 yards, par 5: Turns away from the ocean and plays longer than its yardage because of the climb. Cluster of bunkers on the right and five more protect the green, virtually cutting off the entrance. Slopes make it harder to get close when hole is cut back left or right.
14th, 434 yards, par 4: Dramatic hole with danger all the way down the left and beyond a green set at an angle. Far from the longest par four, but it could see the highest scores.
15th, 480 yards, par 4: Tree-lined hole where a drive favouring the left-hand side of the fairway creates a much better approach angle to the two-tiered green. May also be stretched to 513 yards by using a new tee.
16th, 223 yards, par 3: Really challenging par three, especially when it plays into the wind. Scrubland and cliffs lie just beyond the green, which has bunkers on both sides and a shelf running across.
17th, 440 yards, par 4: Trouble down the length of the left side, but straying too far right leaves a much more demanding second to a green with a tiny entrance between two bunkers and all manner of contours.
18th, 568 yards, par 5: Bunkers left and right, but the real feature of the hole is the lake short of the green. Safety-first option is to lay up short, but many could be tempted by the risk-reward nature of a hole which could make or break the day.
