OAKMONT, Pa. — The United States Open does not sneak up on anyone, but every year, many players feel ambushed.
The event is billed as the most demanding test in golf, and yet when it predictably leaves the world’s best players struggling, if not gasping, they nonetheless lash out with a grating chorus of complaints about unfair course conditions.
But a curious thing could happen when the 116th Open begins Thursday at the venerable Oakmont Country Club. Ballooning scores will surely turn a few stomachs, but the bellyaching might be kept to a minimum.
The reason is simple: No one dares to dis Oakmont.