At Oakmont Country Club, one of golf’s sternest challenges, the U.S. Open unfolded in a grueling test of stamina and skill. South African golfer Thriston Lawrence commenced his second round at 2:20 p.m., initially finding himself near the top of the leaderboard. However, after nearly six hours and 73 strokes, his lofty position had diminished, and his round was not complete. The play at Oakmont was particularly stretched on this occasion, with golfers enduring lengthy days on the course.
As storm clouds gathered, play was suspended around 8:15 p.m., leaving Lawrence standing over a 4-foot par putt amidst a downpour. When the signal to stop play sounded, he had been on the course for 5 hours and 55 minutes, yet he couldn’t finish the putt. Lawrence queried the official about completing his shot but was told no, prompting him to mark his ball and retreat to the clubhouse, umbrella in tow. “Overall, I played nicely, but frustrating day because it felt like we were out there for seven hours,” Lawrence reflected.
Oakmont’s expansive, par-70 layout aligns with a steeply contoured part of Western Pennsylvania, making it a formidable challenge for all. This included world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who acknowledged the long day after taking 5 1/2 hours for a 1-over 71, putting him seven shots behind the leader, Sam Burns. Similarly, first-round leader J.J. Spaun clocked nearly 5 hours and 40 minutes for his round, joining Burns in the final Saturday group.
Despite the sluggish pace, Scheffler, along with playing partners Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa, managed to remain patient through prolonged intervals, occasionally facing considerable waits between shots. Scheffler admitted, “I’ve got too many concerns other than the pace it takes to get around this place,” not letting delays unsettle him.
The logjam on the course required extreme patience from players like Lawrence, who experienced over an hour-long delay across three holes. Oakmont’s setup, where golfers must navigate a bridge across an interstate between holes, compounded the issue. Additionally, strategic decisions on the course often led to backups, such as at the drivable par-4 17th, causing further hold-ups. With significant stakes and pursuits of golf immortality at play, patience remained crucial.
For Hovland, making a second pass at Oakmont brought its own hurdles. His 1-under 69 featured precise play with eight pars, a pitched-in eagle, multiple birdies, bogeys, and a double. It was a journey where he adapted to distractions non-existent during regular tour events. A poorly managed drive initially threw him off course, but Friday’s elongated rounds allowed him to reset. “If it would have happened at another tournament, for example, I could have potentially lost my mind there a little bit,” he noted, yet remained composed.
The intervals allowed Hovland and others to digest mishaps and regroup. He shared the advantage of time to quell frustrations before facing subsequent challenges. “You might have had a bad hole on the last hole and then you’re sitting on the tee box for 10-20 minutes,” he explained, giving opportunities to regroup.
Looking ahead to Saturday, similar rhythms might prevail, with players competing in pairs instead of groups of three, perhaps easing the pace—or perhaps not. Still, Hovland recognized the unique grind of Oakmont and reflected with pragmatism about the slower times: “Honestly, we play pretty slow on Tour anyway. So what’s another 40 minutes to go around Oakmont.”