Pinehurst No.2 ( Pinehurst, North Carolina)- 7,565 yards, Par 70

Designer: Donald Ross (1907); Ross designed, built or restored over 400 golf courses and this was his crown jewel- he called it the fairest  test of golf he’s ever designed. Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore renovated and restored the course in 2011 to its original form.

156 competitors

Defending champion: Justin Rose (+1) Merion Golf Club

Past Open winners at Pinehurst No.2: Payne Stewart, 1999, -1; Michael Campbell, 2005, Even

TV: Thursday: ESPN: 9 AM- 3 PM ET/8AM-2 PM CT. NBC: 3-5 PM ET/2-4 CT. ESPN: 6-7 PM ET/5-6 CT

        Friday: ESPN: 9-3 ET/8-2 CT. NBC: 3-5 PM ET/ 2-4 CT. ESPN: 5-7 PM ET/4-6 PM CT

        Saturday and Sunday: NBC: 12-7:30 PM ET/11 AM-6:30 PM CT or until the final round is complete.

Weather: A little questionable the first two days: Thursday: High 87, 50% chance of scattered T-storms, wind SSW 10 MPH; Friday: 86 high, 40% scattered T-storms, wind SW @ 7 MPH; Saturday: 91, 30%, SSW 3 MPH; Sunday: 86: 40%, S @ 5 MPH.

Key Holes:

No.4: 529 yards, par 4

Long par 4 with natural, waste areas on each side of the fairway for the entire hole. There is a bunker front right and on the left side of the green. Good hole for the long knockers like Bubba, Dustin Johnson and Nicolas Colsaerts. Green is on the smaller side and hitting it over the green could be problematic.

No.5: 576 yards, par 5

The fairway slopes severely from right to left. Waste areas along the entire hole on both sides of the fairway. Trees just to the side of the waste areas. A wayward drive could lead to a big number. Any shot to the left of the green will be on the short side and leave a demanding up and down. Again the long hitters, if they’re accurate, can benefit from their length and play for an eagle possibly, or a sure birdie if they hit the green in two.

No.9: 191 yards, Par 3

Club selection is huge on this hole as there is trouble left and ling. There is a big bunker and waste area on the left, a bunker behind the green and one right in front. The two-tiered green is wide, but not that deep. Tricky par 3.

No.15, 202 yards, Par 3

I watched some players practice on this hole and they all had trouble getting the ball on this green. It’s a tough hole. It’s a crowned green which makes it hard to get it close and if you hit it over the green, it’s pretty much a guaranteed bogey for most players. Hitting it to the front of the green is the best option. Par here looks like a good score.

No.17, 205 yards, Par 3

This hole played a pivotal role in the Opens in 1999 and 2005 with Payne Stewart and Michael Campbell both birdieing this hole on their way to sealing their victories. The hole has a waste area and bunkers on the front right of the green. There is a pretty large bunker to the left and the green falls off to both sides. Challenging hole that could determine the outcome.

No. 18, 451 yards, Par 4

In 1999, the late Payne Stewart hit his drive into the right hand rough, punched out short of the green, hit a wedge to 18 feet and calmly sank the uphill putt to win his second U.S. Open, which happened four months prior to the tragic plane crash that took his life.  He also won in 1991 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota and he won the PGA in 1989 @ Kemper Lakes Golf Club in Illinois. Players need to avoid the fairway bunker down the right side of the fairway, The greenside bunker is particularly tough. There is waste area on the front right and the bunker on the left side along with one in back. It could come down to a clutch chip and putt to win this Open.

 The contenders:

Retief Goosen:

Retief has come back on the scene lately. He’s had some decent finishes including a T-31 last week at Memphis in the St. Jude Classic. He’s 18th in strokes gained putting, which is a solid number–he’s always been a good putter–and his history is rich at the Open having won at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa in 2001, and again in 2004 at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, NY. He putted so well on the lightning fast, actually bathtub like conditions at Shinnecock and that bodes well for Pinehurst where the greens will be Stimping  at 13.5; putting will be at a premium. Goosen has the game and the mental calmness and focus to handle the toughest test in golf.

Martin Kaymer:

The Players Championship winner a month ago, Kaymer has his game back to where it was in 2010 when he won the PGA. He’s long off the tee and is an excellent putter. Made a clutch 25 footer at 17 at the Players that helped clinch that championship as well as sinking a clutch putt in the playoff at the PGA in ’10, and a huge 16 footer at the Ryder Cup in 2012 at Medinah in Chicago to clinch the Cup once again for Europe. Clutch player who has a good shot to win it.

Webb Simpson:

The 2012 U.S. Open champion at Olympic in San Francisco, Webb is ninth on the tour in strokes gained putting, an excellent stat for heading into this major. He finished tied for third at Memphis last week, so he has a lot of momentum and he’s a native North Carolinian, who has played Pinehurst numerous times. Should be a big advantage for Webb. See him right there on Sunday.

Jordan Spieth:

The 20-year old is getting closer and closer to capturing his first major. He finished second at Augusta with the lead on Sunday only to have Bubba play out of his mind and clip him by three. He was right there in the mix at the Players and finished in the top 5. Jordan is 11th in scrambling which will be critical at No.2, and 29th in strokes gained putting. He’s an excellent putter. Don’t think Jordan is going to get a major here, but he’ll be right there, and will have a major championship in the next year and two months.

Projected winner:

This 33-year old is so on top of his game right now. He is 15th in strokes gained putting on tour, which is excellent. He’s an exceptional ball striker; he’s always been that. If his chipping holds up, he will hoist the trophy on Sunday. He’s won a major in 2013 and won three weeks ago at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth and had a couple of huge wins at a couple of the majors on the Australian Tour in November of 2013. And there are similarities in the Australian courses and what you get at Pinehurst with the sandy, waste areas, and numerous bunkers and contoured greens that are sloping different directions. He’s used to the heat too, as he plays in it all the time. I watched him in the practice round sink six footer after six footer on the putting green. I see this young man prevailing and hoisting his first United States Open championship in what could be one of several majors he could capture before his career ends, which is a long time from now.

Adam Scott