Jordan Spieth To Check Oakmont Off Bucket List
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) - We all have them. Places we have not seen. People we have not met. Adventures we have not yet experienced.
Be it a vacation you have always dreamed of, a leap from an airplane, or 18 holes at one of the most challenging golf courses on the planet, we all have things we someday hope to encounter.
The second ranked golfer in the world, Jordan Spieth, has the means to do anything he wants - like an impromptu "buddy trip" to the Bahamas with three of his peers.
But, partying and playing shirtless and shoeless golf was simply a means of getting away from the grind of tournament play following a disappointing trip to Augusta in April. The next item on Spieth's agenda: Oakmont Country Club.
"It's a bucket-lister, for sure," Spieth said Tuesday at the FedEx Ground headquarters in Coraopolis.
This afternoon, the reigning U.S. Open Champion will get his first in-person glimpse of Oakmont.
"I've actually played a couple rounds on my Full-Swing golf simulator at home," Spieth joked. He admitted the astro-turf mats are probably not as perilous as some of the lies that Oakmont has to offer.
On June 16, the greatest golfers in the world, and several sectional qualifiers will tee off at Oakmont Country Club, competing to be the next U.S. Open Champion. It marks the record ninth time the event will take place at Oakmont. Legendary names such as Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and Ernie Els have won U.S. Open Championships at Oakmont. Those three legends have a combined 31 major championships between them.
Spieth already has two majors to his resume at the age of 22. Though many see a baby-faced, college-aged kid, his respect and understanding of the game are far beyond his years.
"The history of Oakmont produces champions who believe that they won at the toughest test in golf," Spieth said. "And, that is a U.S. Open at Oakmont."
Spieth will play one practice round today, going in as a blank canvas.
"[It will] be a fun round," Spieth said of what he hopes to accomplish. "Mainly just getting on the grounds, understanding what the greens are going to be like."
The 2015 U.S. Open Champion at Chambers Bay considers this tournament to be the pinnacle of the sport. But, a win at Oakmont would bring a greater sense of accomplishment.
"I already believe that we won golf's toughest test in winning any U.S. Open," Spieth said. "But, to win it at what's regarded as the day-to-day hardest course in the United States, possibly in the world, that would be something that you would look back and say 'I conquered golf right now.' So that would be really cool."
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