Pebble Beach: 6 key holes that will determine U.S. Open champion
Pebble Beach - one of the most iconic venues on earth - is set to host the 119th running of the U.S. Open.
Hugging the coast of the Pacific Ocean near Monterey, Calif., Pebble Beach Golf Links is stunning from all angles. But don't let its beauty trick you - Pebble can become a daunting beast when the winds pick up.
Playing as a 7,075-yard par 71, the course will give golfers of all styles the opportunity to win. Distance isn't a prerequisite for success like it is at other major championship venues. Similar to most U.S. Opens, accuracy will be at a premium with thick and penalizing rough lining the narrow fairways.
Here are six key holes at Pebble Beach that'll determine the U.S. Open champion:
No. 2 - Par 4, 516 yards
The difficult second hole played nearly half a stroke over par in 2010, and the USGA decided to lengthen it by 14 yards to make it even more difficult. Hitting the fairway is a player's only hope for a birdie, and if they somehow walk away with a three, they could be picking up 1.5 shots on the field.
No. 6 - Par 5, 523 yards
The sixth at Pebble presents golfers with their first real chance at birdie on the round, as it played as the easiest hole on the property in 2010. A 300-yard drive leaves a 220-yard blind approach shot into the severely elevated green. Fireworks are a guarantee on No. 6 and could propel someone into contention early Sunday.
No. 7 - Par 3, 109 yards
The seventh at Pebble Beach is easily one of the world's most recognizable holes. The par 3 certainly isn't long, but since it's completely exposed to the ocean, players will be forced to accurately judge the wind or find themselves in serious trouble. It yielded more bogeys than birdies in 2010, and the odd five is out there if the wind is swirling.
No. 14 - Par 5, 580 yards
Typically, par 5s are the holes players look to attack and pick up a routine birdie. But that's not the case on No. 14. The 580-yard hole played nearly half a stroke over par in 2010, giving up the most double-bogeys of any hole and also conceded 14 triple-bogeys or worse. The 14th has the opportunity to really shake up the leaderboard late Sunday.
No. 17 - Par 3, 208 yards
Nothing screams pressure like facing the most difficult hole on the course with a one-shot lead. One can hope that's the scene on Sunday, as the 17th will almost certainly determine the winner. Coming in at 208 yards with a green surrounded by bunkers and fully exposed to the wind, all sorts of drama can - and likely will - unfold here during the final round.
No. 18 - Par 5, 543 yards
The par-5 finishing hole at Pebble Beach presents golfers with the opportunity of reaching the green in two, but it'll depend on how much water they want to take on with their tee shot while avoiding the tree in the middle of the fairway. There may be no more nerve-racking shot than trying to attack the small green at 18 with the U.S. Open title on the line.