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U.S. Open 2024: The USGA is playing this hole as a drivable par 4 in Round 3. Here's what it means for the leaders
John Mummert
PINEHURST, N.C. — Players and fans were met with a nice surprise Saturday morning at the 2024 U.S. Open when the USGA moved the tees up on the third hole at Pinehurst No. 2. Now playing 316 yards—61 yards shorter than Friday’s round—the typically short par 4 will now be reachable for most of the players in the field.
After watching a few groups play through, it's safe to say a majority of players are likely to pull driver and give the green a go with the reward seemingly outweighing the risk.
So how are players tackling the now drivable par 4? There appear to be three reasonable options: short in the fairway just in front of the green, in the bunker left of the putting surface or just right in the native area.
Players leaving it just shy of the green appear to have a slight advantage as the pin is located on the back of the green, 27 paces from the front edge. That gives a long runway for their approach, similar to the scene we saw from Brendan Todd this morning.
Todd hit his drive 282 yards, leaving him with a 48-yard pitch over a piece of the left greenside bunker. But he still had a lot of green to work with and was able to land his shot about 15 feet short and let it nestle up next to the hole. That gave him a six-footer for birdie, which he made. The concern here, of course, is hit that chip a little too hard and you risk being over the green and having a challenging chip for a third shot to get it anywhere near the hole.
While the green is protected by three massive bunkers, two to the right and one to the left, they might not be the worst places to end up because the lie is consistent and allows players to spin it from the sand. That helps them hit it high and land it softly—a key for scoring on firm and fast greens like Pinehurst No. 2’s.
Luke Clanton, a All-American from Florida state and one of three amateurs to make the cut, demonstrated this morning when his 302-yard drive landed in the right bunker. Clanton hit a high, greenside bunker shot to eight feet and was able to get up-and-down for birdie.
Tee shots that drift right of the bunkers into the native area that lines the fairway could land under the few overhanging trees, making it difficult to hit a high approach shot which will be needed to hold the slippery Bermuda greens. It’s the worst “miss” of the bunch.
But as the course bakes out, players may not even need to worry about their second shot as the ball could easily roll up onto the green if you am for the small fairway opening, like Neil Shipley’s drive late this morning.
There’s always a chance we see a big number or two if players aren’t able to manage their short game. But for the most part, we can expect to see a lot of birdies on the number three today.
