Why Oakmont’s ‘CRAZY’ 8th hole is set for a historic week at the 2025 US Open
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After exactly 3,000 of Oakmont’s 7,342 yards, players at the 2025 US Open will arrive on the tee box of the par-3 eighth hole.
The shot that awaits is nothing short of ‘crazy,’ as described by four-time US Open champion, Jack Nicklaus.
Why?
Because it’s long…So blooming long in fact that the headcovers will almost certainly be coming off this week for every player.
For the first time in major championship history, a par-3 will play over 300 yards.
“I promise you we’ll play it at 301 this year,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer.
Oakmont’s 8th hole already holds the title, playing 300 yards in 2007, where only 27 percent of the field hit the green. And in 2016’s edition, only 24 birdies were recorded from 444 attempts as the hole set-up ranged from 247 yards to 299 yards across the four rounds.
With a stroke average of 3.30 in 2016, this monstrous par-3 is remarkably only ranked eighth hardest of the ‘The Beast’s’ 18. It’s likely to play a touch harder this year, though, with the addition of a strategically placed bunker increasing the difficulty of running the ball up its previously generous entrance.
And as always, anything slightly left will be gobbled up by the 100-long Sahara bunker. The hole saw 132 bogeys and 12 doubles last time around.
Even going back 72 years to the 1953 US Open, Oakmont’s 8th hole played 253 yards, which at the time was longer than the average drive on the PGA Tour. The hole was also the only bogey carded in Johnny Miller’s iconic round of 63 in the 1973 edition.
And while there are plenty of examples across golf’s major venue roster where distance and difficulty don’t always correlate – Royal Troon’s 123-yard Postage Stamp being a case in point – at bang on the current PGA Tour driving distance of 300.9 yards, this hole is in a league of its own.
Or with one other course, to be accurate.
What are the longest par-3s in US Open history?
As you can see from the list below, Oakmont and The Los Angeles Country Club are responsible for the vast majority of the US Open’s longest par-3s, with no other course including a par-3 beyond 270 yards in their setup to date.
- 300 yards – 8th hole, Oakmont Country Club – 2007, R4
- 299 yards – 8th hole, Oakmont Country Club – 2016, R4
- 299 yards – 7th hole, Los Angeles Country Club – 2023, R2
- 297 yards – 11th hole, Los Angeles Country Club – 2023, R2
- 295 yards – 11th hole, Los Angeles Country Club – 2023, R4
- 281 yards – 8th hole, Oakmont Country Club – 2007, R2
- 281 yards – 8th hole, Oakmont Country Club – 2016, R2
- 279 yards – 8th hole, Oakmont Country Club – 2007, R3
- 277 yards – 7th hole, Los Angeles Country Club – 2023, R3
- 273 yards – 11th hole, Los Angeles Country Club – 2023, R3
- 272 yards – 7th hole, Los Angeles Country Club – 2023, R4
- 266 yards – 3rd hole, Merion Golf Club – 2013, R4
- 264 yards – 2nd hole, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club – 2018, R4
- 261 yards – 8th hole, Oakmont Country Club – 2007, R1
- 258 yards – 8th hole, Oakmont Country Club – 2016, R1
At around 265 yards, Merion Hill in Pennsylvania and Shinnecock Hills in New York are the next longest par-3s on the US Open roster, with The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Valhalla in Kentucky, Chambers Bay in Washington, and Erin Hills in Wisconsin all boasting par-3s over 250 yards.
What about the other majors?
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The 8th hole will make history at the 2025 US Open
