Facts and figures for the 111th US Open golf championship:
Dates: June 16-19.
Site: Congressional Country Club (Blue Course).
The course: Devereux Emmet designed the original course, which opened in 1924. The club was used for training by the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. After the war, the club hired Robert Trent Jones to revamp the course and make it worthy of a US Open. His son, Rees Jones, has since remodelled the course. It has hosted the US Open in 1964, 1997 and 2011, along with the 1976 PGA Championship. The PGA Tour has held 10 tournaments at Congressional — the Kemper Open, Booz Allen Classic and AT&T National.
Length: 7,574 yards.
Par: 36-35—71.
Format: 72 holes of stroke play.
Cut: Top 60 and ties, and anyone within 10 strokes of the lead after 36 holes.
Playoff, if necessary: 18 holes of stroke play on June 20.
Field: 156 players.
Purse: TBA ($7.5 million in 2010).
Winner's share: TBA ($1.35 million in 2010)
Defending champion: Graeme McDowell.
Last year: Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland became the first European in 40 years to win the US Open. He made only one birdie in a final round of 3-over 74 for a one-shot victory over Gregory Havret. Dustin Johnson began the final round with a three-shot lead, only to make triple bogey on the second hole on his way to an 82, opening the way for Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods to take advantage. Woods bogeyed five of his opening 10 holes. Els and Mickelson stayed in the game through the back nine. No one could catch McDowell, who finished at even-par 284.
Last time at Congressional: Ernie Els won his second US Open by closing with a 1-under 69. He hit 5-iron into the dangerous 17th for par, then made a 5-foot par putt on the 18th. Tom Lehman hit into the water on the 17th, while Colin Montgomerie missed a par putt on the 17th to miss another chance in a major.
Us Open champions at Congressional: Ken Venturi (1964), Ernie Els (1997).
Tiger Tales: Tiger Woods will not play the US Open (leg injuries) for the first time since 1994.
Noteworthy: Americans have not finished among the top three in three of the last four majors.
Quoteworthy: "I hear so many guys say that his golf course doesn't suit them. It's not supposed to. The whole idea of why they move to different places is so that you can adjust your golf game to suit the venue. And that's the secret to the game." — Jack Nicklaus.
Key statistic: Ten players have won the last 10 majors.
Television (all times EDT): Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., ESPN. 3-5 p.m., NBC Sports, 5-7 p.m. ESPN. Saturday, 2-8 p.m., NBC Sports. Sunday, 1:30-7:30 p.m., NBC Sports.
