Scatterplots: Friday at the 2025 U.S. Open

Television can't do justice to the true size of Oakmont Country Club's greens. They are some of the largest in professional golf and their recent expansion as a part of Gil Hanse's restoration added even more pin positions to the expansive surfaces. Changing a pin can drastically impact how players play a hole.

On Friday at the 2025 U.S. Open, the USGA tucked the pin on the par-4 14th way up in the front-right corner, shortening the hole by some 30 yards compared to Thursday's back pin.

The 14th played 368 yards on Friday compared to roughly 400 yards on Thursday. Friday also played downwind in the afternoon, leading to some players being able to drive the green through the narrow neck in the run-up area.

‍

There was a very high percentage of players who hit driver on the 14th. Some did lay back, but the vast majority pushed their tee shots up knowing they had green to work with short of the pin. By tucking the pin on the front-right side, the USGA forced players to rethink their approach to the shortish par 4. Many chose to hit a shorter club off the tee and allow themselves a fuller wedge to spin in while others still chose to push their tee shots up. Those who missed the fairway right routinely suffered poor angles and many made bogeys.

{{inline-course}}

As Garrett laid out in his Oakmont Course Profile above, there is more to Oakmont than thick rough. I'm glad the USGA is taking advantage of the course's strategic elements through two rounds, highlighting different pins along the way.