In the 18 days leading up to the June 18 start of the U.S. Open Golf Championship, FOX Sports.com and Golfweek will preview the Chambers Bay course -- one hole at a time.
Today’s hole: No. 4 -- par 4, 495 yards
Here’s where the tough stretch begins. The fourth is the first of four long par 4s, this one climbing 50 feet from tee to green and hooking to the right over (and alongside) a gnarly mess of sand, waste, scrub and broken ground. The paths are clear: safe left, which is much longer, or bolder right, which is shorter but riskier. A prevailing tailwind over players’ right shoulder will provide a cushion against a shot that drifts right but will not be enough to offset the intense terrain underfoot. If/when tournament officials select a front and right hole location – which will make the flagstick appear to be suspended in midair over a corner of that massive front bunker – crowds might go the whole day without seeing a second shot land within 10 feet of the hole. Par here translates to a gain of nearly half a shot on the field.
Earlier holes
No. 1 -- Par 5/4, 598/496 yards
Golfweek's complete preview
