The 2016 US Open is just around the corner and the Dennis Highlands and Pines courses are buzzing with debates regarding who is going to come out on top, in what some call the “hardest test in golf”. Dating back to 1895, this year will make the tournament 116 year old. Rich in history and an integral part in golf culture the US Open has many stories to tell. We have composed a list of the top fun facts regarding the unique past of the US Open and what is going to make its 116th year so special.
One day to one week
On October 4, 1985 the first US Open was played on the 9-hole Newport, Rhode Island golf course. It lasted for only a day and consisted of a sole 4 rounds of golf. A 21 year old assistant at the course, Horace Rawlins, was the first champion, winning a $150. Sense it’s start the US Open has been transformed into a week long production and consists of 4 championship rounds. With the winner’s purse in 2015 equaling around $1.8 million.
The Oakmont Country Club
The US Open has been played on a variety of the nation’s top courses but this year for the 9th time the Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania will host the tournament. It has hosted more US Opens than any other club. Designed and founded by Henry Clay Fownes, this course is the first course in the United States to be recognized as a National Historic Landmark and is considered by many the most difficult course in North America. Oakmont is also the the site where Johnny Miller posted a score of 63, which is considered the US Open’s most famous final round. It is a great honor for your course to be chosen as the site for the US Open, and the locations for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 tournament have already been revealed.
Much more than Golf
The production of the 2016 US Open will consist of a lot more than the top golfers in the world playing championship rounds of golf. A lot of behind the scenes work will be happening in order to create the complete experience of the US Open. The TV channel, FOX, will air more than 4o hours of live tournament footage. Along with constant live streaming on the FOX and USAGA website. There is also a US Open app available for download on your smart phone with featured group and hole channels. The US Open will be available to watch not only on location in Oakmont, Pennsylvania but throughout six continents and 170 different countries.
