Treacherous US Open course claims caddie as victim

THE “hardest golf course” on the tour is wreaking havoc before the US Open even begins.

Christopher Crawford's caddie gets medical attention after injuring himself during a practice round prior to the US Open at Oakmont Country Club.

THE “hardest golf course” on the tour is wreaking havoc before the US Open even begins.

Amateur golfer Chris Crawford, who is playing in his first major tournament, watched his second-string caddie go down at Oakmont Country Club on Tuesday during a practice round for the major.

As Jason Day was lining up his shot on the sixth hole, Crawford’s caddie slid down a grass slope into a bunker right behind the PGA Championship winner, breaking his ankle in the process.

No matter how much pain he was in after hearing (and feeling) the “crack,” the caddie did not forget proper golf etiquette, suppressing his cries until Day completed his shot.

Pittsburgh Steelers doctor on hand - friend of @JDayGolf agent Bud Martin - to help with caddy treatment. pic.twitter.com/4VicCJ5lEB

— Benjamin Everill (@beneverill) June 14, 2016

“I’ve snapped my ankle but go ahead Jason,” posted golf writer Benjamin Everill on his Twitter account, recounting the caddie’s words. “I’ll be okay!”

Day, however, stopped his shot prep and elected to help the nameless caddie instead of finishing his round.

As Crawford’s “Tuesday caddie” recovers, he must now desperately search for a replacement before the tournament tees off on Thursday, which shouldn’t be too hard — as long as his new caddie is willing to take on the war zone that is Oakmont.

Jason Day looks on as Christopher Crawford's caddie waits for a stretcher.

The caddie receives medical attention.

Over the years, the US Open has been defined by narrow fairways, thick rough and firm greens. And that’s the definition of Oakmont.

Even with rain in the forecast ahead of the opening round Thursday, no one expects a winning score under par.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth played in unusually strong wind on Sunday and said he would have shot no better than 75 and then treated himself to a beer for a fine day of work. Ernie Els, who won at Oakmont in 1994, lamented rough so thick that not even the strongest players would be able to do more than get back into short grass.

The Masters brings excitement as the first major of the year on a course that metes out birdies and bogeys, eagles and double bogeys.

The US Open at Oakmont?

“Trepidation,” Rory McIlroy said. “It really depends on the venue that you play a U.S. Open at, as well. But yeah, this week it’s definitely not excitement. You know you’re going to be put under a lot of pressure on basically every single golf shot you hit out there. So you have to be prepared for that. You have to be prepared for how mentally demanding it’s going to be, how much concentration you’re going to need out there.

“It’s the toughest test in golf, and you know that,” he said. “And you have to do everything you can to prepare for that and try to do your best.”

This isn’t the longest US Open course, not even close. Five of the par 4s are under 400 yards, an anomaly in this era of power. It’s no less intimidating.

Branden Grace described the opening hole as “horrible”. The closing hole is among the strongest in major championship golf, and Angel Cabrera’s tee shot down the middle in 2007 is still celebrated as one of the great drives under pressure in US Open history.

The bunkers remind players of the pot bunkers in links golf, not so much by appearance but in penalty. The greens are reputed to be the fasted in the land.

“Some of the craziest greens I’ve ever played, and most penal fairway bunkers I’ve entered,” Rickie Fowler said. “It’s a fair golf course. You’ve just got to be on the right side of the hole. You’ve got to drive the ball well. A lot of characteristics of a typical, tough and hard US Open.”

— with AP