Gabe Posted June 14, 2007 Report Posted June 14, 2007 LU’s Stroud eager to tame Oakmont Country ClubBob WestThe Port Arthur NewsTake it from Chris Stroud, Oakmont Country Club, site of the 107th U.S. Open, is every bit the beast that you have been hearing and reading about. “I think the winning score will be in the 7-to-10 over range," said Stroud, who tees off in his first major Thursday at 11:30 a.m. CST. "Bogeys and some double bogeys are inevitable for everybody. And birdies are going to be very hard to make. If anybody makes as many as five birdies in any round, I'll be surprised." Stroud has been at Oakmont since Monday, walking the storied, par 70 layout, playing practice rounds and mapping strategy with his caddy. He says it's essential to have a good game plan and stick to it."You really have to know where you can put the ball and where you can't put it. On some of the greens, if you are five feet above the pin, you feel fortunate if you two putt. The greens are scary fast and they have so muchbreak. It is imperative to get under the hole."The former Lamar University All-America says the atmosphere during the run-up to the U.S. Open is unike anything he's ever seen or experienced."It has a totally different feel from a regular PGA Tour event," he said. "There's just an awesome aura about it. You can literally feel the vibes."Ask if being on golf's biggest stage has him more nervous than usual, Stroud answered in the affirmative. But he said he thinks that could work in his favor."It's a different type of nervousness," he explained. "When I'm a little nervous, I can usually get into my zone easier. I'm just relishing the moment and the experience. I going to have as much fun with this as I can."Stroud, who has been known as a good grinder dating back to his days in junior golf, said he expects to make the cut and possibly contend."I have always visualized myself as a good U.S. Open player," he said. "In college, I always played my best on the hardest courses that made you think your way around them. Mental toughness is one of my strengths and this course is a great test of mental toughness."Believe me, there are some guys who are going to get discouraged and pretty much give up. The golf course is relentless. A big part of my preparation has been to get a lot of rest to be mentally fresh. It's going to be a grind."Stroud said that Oakmont is one course where distance off the tee won't be much of a factor because of the premium on keeping the ball in the fairway."Distance isn't much of a factor," he confided. "If you only hit it 250 yards off the tee, and put it in the fairway every hole, you would beat 75 percent of the field. On some holes there is no bailout. On several holes, the longer you hit it the more difficult it is to hold the fairways."As in all majors, it will come down to putting. The guy who makes all his 6 footers will be the player to beat. But again, the key is getting the ball in the right zone on the green. If you don't do that, you pay a severe price."Stroud used the 9th hole, which was changed from a medium length par 5 to a long par 4, as an example. He said if the pin is front right on the hole he's probably going to try to hit his second shot into the front right bunker."Unless you hit it up under the hole, being in the bunker probably gives you the best chance to make par. That may sound a little crazy, but it won't be the craziest thing you see this week. There are going to be some bizarreshots. There are some putts where you have to putt the ball sideways to get it trickling toward the cup."So what is Stroud's target score for himself?"I'm thinking 12 over," he said. "I would like to shoot 73 all four days. If I can do it, I will beat a lot of people."
JMay Posted June 14, 2007 Report Posted June 14, 2007 Stroud on the tee at 12:30.Complete leaderboard is here: This is the hidden content, please Sign In or Sign Up
KFDM COOP Posted June 14, 2007 Report Posted June 14, 2007 3 over at the turn, not bad.http://www.usopen.com/scoring/uni/card/120.htm
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