THE OAKMONT PLAYOFF Prior to the 1994 US Open won by Ernie Els, there had been just two non-American champions in the previous 68 years – Gary Player (1965) and Australian David Graham (1981). In the last 30 years there have been 10 different foreign champions, from South Africa, England, Australia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Argentina, Germany and Spain. The entire final round of that 1994 Oakmont championship, and the playoff, can be viewed on YouTube, with rare commentary by the late, great Peter Alliss in his eloquently humorous manner. A delight to listen to his voice. It’s a riveting broadcast, as the golf course was certainly bossing the players, notably around the greens, which non-members describe as “diabolical.” This was pre-big- headed drivers and the Pro V1 ball, and players automatically going for par 5s in two.
WATCH ONLINE 1994 U.S. Open (Playoff): Ernie Els, Loren Roberts, and Colin Montgomerie Face Off
rendering many venues obsolete and thus boring to watch. Thank goodness therefore for the constancy, tension, and excitement that the high-profile tournaments continue to provide for six months of the year. Much of that is due to the host courses being carefully chosen and prepared as an appropriate challenge to test great golfers. The more demand- ing the conditions, the more likely the best players will stand out from the rest and delight audiences. And the more likely that many of the contenders will implode. Oakmont will be hosting its tenth US Open in June (it has also had two US Women’s Opens), and Portrush (Dun- luce Course) only its third Open five weeks later. Both courses have long maintained an iconic status in world golf as celebrated championship des- tinations. Oakmont is No 5 in Golf Digest’s ranking of America’s 100 Great- est Courses, and Portrush No 4 in Golf Digest’s World 100 Greatest. Portrush’s THOUSANDS OF TREES REMOVED
Above: Stands surround the 18th green at Royal Portrush in the 2019 Open. Below: The infamous Church Pews bunker stretches almost 100 metres between the third and fourth holes at Oakmont. There are 12 Pews within the bunker.
WATCH ONLINE Every hole at Oakmont
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 27
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
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