U.S. Open 2025: Is this proof that par is just a number?
There's a mantra in certain golf architecture circles that par is just a number. In other words, a hole, and its difficulty or quality, is not defined by the par on the scorecard but rather the design, challenge and options a hole provides.
The eighth hole at Oakmont has people divided. Playing up to 300 yards, it is the longest par 3 in U.S. Open history. Many players, fans and pundits dislike the hole.
Two weeks ago at The Memorial, Viktor Hovland was asked about his thoughts on Oakmont's mammoth par 3 and long par 3s in general.
"I just think all the best par 3s are under 200 yards. As soon as you start to take headcovers off, I think it just starts to get silly."
So is the eighth at Oakmont silly? I wanted to see what the data would say.
I took all scores from the first round of the U.S. Open on the eighth hole, which played 276 yards on Thursday and could be extended to 300-plus on the weekend, and compared it to other famous holes on the PGA Tour that are a similar length, regardless of par.
This is what I found.
Despite playing as the fifth hardest hole in Round 1, the eighth hole at Oakmont saw more 2s that every other hole on the list, other than the difficult par-3 16th at Muirfield Village.
Beyond the birdies, or 2s, 61 percent of the field on Thursday made 3 or better.
Compare that to the 306-yard, par-4 14th at Kapalua, where 63 percent of the field (albeit a condensed field) made 2 or 3.
And what about the other side of the scores? Dropped shots. Four players at Oakmont made a double bogey. No one made 6 or worse. Compare that a hole like the ninth at Harbor Town, a par 4 that played 310 yards in the third round of this year's RBC Heritage. That day the ninth hole saw just four 5s made also.
While less than a third of the field (31 percent) at the U.S. Open found the green off the tee at the eighth hole, nearly two thirds (61 percent) made par or better. The length of the hole is clearly balanced with the challenge and design around the green. It's a give and take.
So what is the takeaway here?
While it's hard to argue that the numbers make the eighth at Oakmont a great hole, it does prove the notion that par is just a number. The best golfers in the world are very good. They can attack holes based more on length and design, than par. For a lot of pros, par is irrelevant.