U.S. Open 2025: This one mind-blowing stat proves how difficult Oakmont's greens are

OAKMONT, Pa. — If you've been watching the U.S. Open this week, chances are good you don't need rock-solid proof that the greens at Oakmont Country Club are difficult. Not only are they fast, not only are they big, and not only are they undulating, but judging by the mystified reactions from almost every player in the field, they're not even breaking the way anyone expects.

That said, in the hierarchy of "difficult things at Oakmont," we have to be honest and say that the rough is stealing the show and has been since Monday. That's what happens when dozens of players pre-complain about how impossibly thick it is, and then the first two rounds prove them exactly right, with clip of after clip of clubs hacking into the country club equivalent of a mangrove swamp and squibbing the ball six yards ahead.

Thanks to a mind-blowing statistic flashed broadcast by NBC Sports on Saturday morning, though, we think the greens may be about to get their due. It turns out stats are kept for the number of three-putts per tournament, for the entire field, through 36 holes. Here was the "leaderboard" coming into the U.S. Open:

Farmers Insurance Open (Torrey Pines): 242
PGA Championship (Quail Hollow): 208
Sony Open (Waialae): 167
Houston Open (Memorial Park): 153

It makes sense, at least at the top—Torrey Pines is no joke, and Quail Hollow's greens were running quick at the PGA. But you may want to be seated for Oakmont's number:

378.

!!!!

There are no words, but we'll try: Through 36 holes, we saw more than double the number of three-putts of any other event on tour this year save for two, and even those two were left way in the dust by what Oakmont cooked up.

We knew this course was beastly—only three men were under par after 36 holes—but that little piece of data alone shows just how diabolical the greens have been. Meanwhile, ahead of the Saturday's third round, the USGA triple cut and triple rolled the greens so that they would land in the 14.5 range on the Stimpmeter even with an inch of rain falling overnight.

Things may get slightly easier as the weekend goes along due to the wet conditions, but considering the new irrigation system that came with the Gil Hanse restoration, we have a feeling the club will be able to dry them out lickety split and keep the speeds treacherous. Which is only appropriate, because the word "easy" doesn't belong anywhere near this course.