Thursday 16 June 2016 16:55, UK
Colin Montgomerie explains the best way to tackle Oakmont and reveals who he expects to shine at the US Open.
Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines can get windy and Winged Foot is tough, but this place is probably the most difficult ofthe US Open courses and the USGA pride themselves in making this the hardest test of them all.
We have to remember that when Angel Cabrera won here last time the winning score was five over and only six players broke ten over all week!
The par-three eighth is almost three times the length of the shortest hole at Pebble Beach and is bordering on bizarre, but the advantage is that the green is facing the player. There'll be a lot of players who find the front of that and then two-putt up the slope to cross the Turnpike with a par.
In contrast, the short par-four 17th is only 10 feet longer than the eighth but plays almost 50 feet up the feel. You'll see many players finding the green but then rolling off it, but it's a great drivable par-four at the right time of the course. You feel you can make a birdie, but there'll be a lot of bogeys posted there.
"Day is in my eyes the undoubted favourite. Can he do it? We'll have to wait and see."
It's all about the greens this week as they're playing this at 14 on the stimpmetre, which is set to be very, very quick. You quickly realise that pars are vital and mean a hell of a lot, so the guy who keeps the three putts off his card and keeps below the hole is going to do well, if not win it.
I had one decent score around here, when I shot 65 back in 1994. It is possible if you hit the fairways, hit the greens and hole a few putts, but that's on paper. Once you try it you realise it's anything but!
There will be people who score well around here, but can they do it over four rounds? Probably not, but there will be plenty of players who fancy their chances coming in to this week.
It's a great draw for Danny Willett, playing alongside Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler. That will calm down playing with a good friend and colleague in McIlroy and should help him get off to a good start.
All of the world's top three have won and come in to the week with a lot confidence, but I do feel the one in the best shape of those is Jason Day. He drives the ball well, he is putting well as well as Tiger Woods ever did in his prime and his head is in the right place. Day is in my eyes the undoubted favourite. Can he do it? We'll have to wait and see.
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