Nothing is helping the golfers at Oakmont, it seems. After piles of complaints, U.S. Open officials mobilized an army of greenkeepers to meticulously work through the five-inch rough, using customized mowers to stand the grass up and cut it back. They even pushed the rough down to 4¾ inches on Monday, with additional passes planned. Yet, players like Jhonattan Vegas still find it “unplayable”, with balls disappearing into the thick grass. Despite efforts to assert control, Oakmont’s rough remains a tough test of skills, and Bryson DeChambeau has failed miserably. And the changes, everyone was so hyped up about, couldn’t do much to help.

Per the latest tweet by Pete Pappas on X, Bryson DeChambeau is having a bit of a meltdown on the greens at Oakmont – and it’s just a practice round! The normally unflappable golfer is reportedly “snapping” at volunteers and questioning the pace of play. On No. 4, DeChambeau was overheard telling a volunteer to “call the USGA and have someone out here telling us when it’s okay to go.” One can almost imagine the frustration radiating from his golf cart.

He had initially talked about Oakmont’s mean roughs. DeChambeau described Oakmont’s conditions as “the hardest this golf course could ever play right now,” praising the course’s notorious rough, lightning-fast greens, and plethora of bunkers. Now, Bryson has been routinely missing short putts, including five and six-footers, and even leaving longer putts short by a good five or six feet. At LIV Golf Virginia, DeChambeau lost 0.25 strokes in putting.

It’s a strange sight to see one of the game’s most precise players struggling with the flat stick. Hopefully, it’s just a case of nerves on the practice round, and DeChambeau can dial it back a notch and find his putting stroke before the real competition begins.

Until then, the Oakmont greens will continue to confound him, it seems. But there is something that may feel like a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day.

Local Rule gives some relief on Oakmont’s putting greens

The US Open is set to get underway at Oakmont Country Club, and with it comes a unique local rule that’s causing a stir. Due to the course’s eccentricities, a portion of the massive ninth green has been designated as a practice putting surface. This area, marked by blue stakes and a blue dot, allows players to hit a few final putts before teeing off without penalty.

According to the USGA, “If a ball ends up with interference from one of the practice holes, whether the hole is on the line of play or the ball falls into a hole, the player can take free relief under Rule 16.1d by placing a ball at the nearest point of complete relief.” But there’s a catch.

Players need to be careful not to cross over to the front section of the green beyond the blue stakes/dot, or they could face discipline for breaking Rule 5.2b and potentially get DQ’d from the tournament. With over a dozen practice holes cut into the green, things could get interesting if a player’s ball lands in one of these holes.

Will the players be able to navigate this quirky rule and avoid any penalties, or will Oakmont’s ninth green prove to be more challenging than they anticipated? Let us know in the comment section below!