Oakmont's war of attrition to deliver daunting US Open

The Pennsylvania course laps up its reputation as the sternest of tests with carnage and chaos awaiting the field

- Ewan Murray

Oakmont. OMG-mont. Over the top-mont. The prevailing sense among anybody who ponders a US Open at this site in rural Pennsylvania is how wonderfully demanding the challenge always is. Cue entertainment. As Xander Schauffele appropriately put it: "I don't think people turn the TV on to watch some of the guys just hit a 200-yard shot on the green. They turn on the US Open to see a guy shooting eight over and suffer. That's part of the enjoyment of the US Open for viewers."

Strap in and enjoy the show. This version of Oakmont has rough that is routinely more than five inches thick. Menacing, sloped greens add to the idea of inevitable carnage. The 125th staging of the major will be a war of attrition, one which will physically and mentally exhaust the finest golfers in the world. Temper tantrums are guaranteed. The job of the United States Golf Association is to ensure the environment is at least fair. Dissenting voices exist already on that front. Take Michael Kim, the world No 54. "The greens here feel a bit Mickey Mouse," Kim said. "The weird sections and overall slopes are just way more than we're used to."

This will be met with shrugs at the USGA. This is a major with a 288-yard par three, after all. The organisers seem to revel in the kind of chaos Schauffele referenced. Mike Whan, the USGA's chief executive, offered sharp historical perspective. "1,385 players have played a major championship on this venue," he said. "And 27 finished their four days under par, 2%. So that's quite a test out there."