A religious experience (Part two)

The course staged its first US Open in 1927 and Tommy Armour took the honours in a play-off against Harry Cooper. The winning aggregate was 301 - Bobby Jones never broke 76. Eight years later Sam Parks, a local who knew the course inside out, was the only player to break 300.

In its first post-war US Open Hogan followed his five-shot win at Augusta with a six-stroke success at Oakmont. With a slender lead over Snead, who had won the US PGA Championship on the same course two years previously, albeit under a matchplay format, he finished like a train.

Four years on from a near-fatal car accident Hogan sunk a 20-footer for a par at the 15th, collected a three at the 230-yard next after a towering four wood, drove the 17th for two-putt birdie and then knocked in a six iron to six feet at the 72nd hole. Another three and a fourth US Open crown.

A month later he would triumph at Carnoustie - his only visit to the Open Championship - though the opportunity to land a record-breaking Grand Slam was an impossibility with the final of the PGA held the day before Carnoustie got under way.
In 1962 a legend was born. Masters champion and Pennsylvania native Arnold Palmer arrived as the hot favourite only to be upstaged by, as some people referred to him, 'Fat Jack'.

Nicklaus had come close as an amateur at Cherry Hills in 1960 and the reigning US Amateur champion landed the first of 18 Major titles after coming through an 18-hole play-off with 'The King'. Phil Rodgers could have upset everything had he taken an unplayable lie from a small evergreen at the 17th on the opening day. He chose not to and three hacks later saw him tot up an eight - he finished the week two behind the leaders.

Palmer might have triumphed but for some ordinary putting - he finished the week with 11 three-putts to Nicklaus' one - and he also missed from 12 feet at 17 and 18 in the fourth round.

"Are there any good putters in the crowd?" asked Palmer. "He can give me a lesson tonight."

At just 22 years Nicklaus matched par in the play-off, to Palmer's 74, and the changing of the guard had just begun. As was now becoming the norm something extraordinary happened again in 1973.

With torrential rain having taken the sting out of the course Miller came flying through the field with the only eight-under round ever to be recorded in the championship. Six shots off the pace the American picked up his first Major victory
with a sizzling 63, a score so good the entire field had to suffer the following year at Winged Foot where Hale Irwin won with a seven-over aggregate.

More records again tumbled in 1983 as Larry Nelson played the final 36 holes in 65, 67 to beat Tom Watson with Seve Ballesteros tied for fourth.

And then there was Els' maiden win in the big ones, which you can read more about on page 63, and OJ Simpson's court case almost denying golf fans the opportunity to watch the sudden-death play-off.

Wherever you turn when looking at Oakmont the word that keeps popping up is tough. Be it the stifling June weather, the vast number of bunkers, the marble-like undulating greens, the narrow fairways or simply the fact that it's the US Open and the chance of Major glory, it's going to be a battle for the 156 competitors.

We've already had one over-par winner at Augusta while Geoff Ogilvy prevailed at Winged Foot with a five-over total. You would be a brave man to back anyone to finish in red figures on June 17.