Adam Scott hoping for forecast of rain at US Open at Oakmont
Last Updated: 16/06/16 10:11am
Adam Scott is hoping the weather forecast proves spot on so he can adopt a more aggressive approach than many of his US Open rivals.
Rain is predicted for Thursday's first round at Oakmont, where tournament officials felt moved to cut the rough after conceding that it was "too penal" when combined with "legendarily fast" greens.
Such conditions have prompted the likes of Jason Day and Rory McIlroy to plot a somewhat conservative game plan, but Scott is hoping the rain will help him challenge for a second major title.
"I was here a week and a half ago and it was playing nice and firm," Scott said on Wednesday. "It rained a lot that night and I played the next day with Rory, and both of us probably made five or six birdies each that day, playing really nicely.
"The fairways become slightly wider because a ball down the edge of the fairway doesn't run out into the rough. Even though it may play longer, I think it will play much easier if it rains.
"I think you've got to challenge this golf course. You look at the field, you look at the quality of players and how well a lot of the top players are playing and it's going to be a very, very difficult golf course to lay back and execute perfectly all week.
"That doesn't necessarily mean attack. You've got to be a little bit smart, of course, but I think my plan certainly is to challenge this golf course this week."
Dustin Johnson is another late starter during the opening round, featuring in a threeball with Hideki Matsuyama and Sergio Garcia.
Johnson famously three-putted the 18th at Chambers Bay last year to narrowly miss out on US Open victory, but comes into the event in good form on the back of consecutive top-five finishes at the Memorial and the St. Jude Classic.
The American has also practiced at Oakmont ahead of the second major of the year, but hopes the weather doesn't alter the course condition.
"I played last Tuesday and it had rained pretty good Monday night, so I've played when it was soft," Johnson told a pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday. "I hit a couple more drivers than I would if the conditions play like this the rest of the week.
"With softer fairways, the fairways get a little bit wider, and you can be a little more aggressive. I did get to play it when it was soft, so I do have an idea of how it plays if it does rain and it's soft on Thursday.
"The conditions right now though I think are really great so hopefully, if it does rain, it doesn't rain much."
Watch the US Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf. Or watch from £6.99 without a contract, on NOW TV.