In the past, several golfers have criticized the US Open for hosting the event in a course where the fairways have been narrow and the thick rough but the upcoming edition of the major at the Pinehurst course in North Carolina could set a new trend and become a paradise for a bombarding player, according to Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open winner.
Pinehurst No. 2 has been one of the most fabled courses in the United States and after it was rebuilt, it will have wide fairways and almost no rough whatsoever.
According to the Northern Irishman, the course at Pinehurst makes it a second shot golf course or an iron shot course. He added that while the famous turtle back green have been kept unchanged and will be a test for the short game players, he fears that par 70 layout of the course will favor the power hitters of golf.
The last time Pinehurst hosted the US Open was back in 2005 and according to G-Mac, it was a little too much back then, with a wry smile, allowing his sarcasm to do the talking for him. To make matters worse, only nine players managed to break par in the opening round in a field of 156.
McDowell stated that in 2005, it didn’t need to be the punishing tee shots, adding a golfer would want to have a go at these pin positions even from outside positions.
But the primary concern for the Northern Irishman is that with absolutely no rough, the bombers will be given a bit too much space.
With Tiger Woods missing from the event and the likes of Bubba Watson, Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy all in fine form going into the event, the course adds a lot to the worries of G-Mac as well.