Oakmont Open will separate men from the boys

15 June 2016 - 10:21 By MICHAEL VLISMAS

Golf balls hit with the touch of a tooth fairy are rolling off a green where ice skates would seem more appropriate. The rough on the fringes is the height of a neat English hedge. And that's just the practice green.At a time when golf is worried about all manner of Olympic pitfalls, from missing stars to the Zika virus, the real nightmare has come early as Oakmont Country Club hosts the 116th US Open.The dispatches from the front lines have already started filtering through in players' Tweets that indicate a general ban on mowers since 1903.Into this will step South Africa's Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Jaco van Zyl and Thomas Aiken.When asked about the awaiting challenge, Goosen had a chilling response."It's visually intimidating. There are a lot of blind shots where it's difficult to visualise targets. The rough will be punishing. We'll be hitting drivers on par threes. It's going to be tough."This from the man who specialises in the US Open.Tough, as in 263m par-three tough. That's the length of the eighth - the longest par-three in US Open history. The last time the US Open was played here - in 2007 - Ángel Cabrera stormed home to win with a total of five over par.Defending champion Jordan Spieth predicts you could lose a four or five-shot lead over the closing five holes if you miss the fairway.Goosen says what he loves about the US Open is it already eliminates some of the field, who are beaten mentally before they step onto the first tee.But what it also does is bring the remainder very close together, ensuring that anybody who can hold it together reasonably well is in with a chance...

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