The Hlog

Hlog at the U.S. Open - Tuesday

OAKMONT, Pa. -- Maybe the trick to winning the U.S. Open is to do what Zach Johnson did here Tuesday on the par-3 13th hole.

Make a short chip for birdie, and avoid putting altogether.

The putting in the tournament here, Johnson said, is "going to be a remarkable test."

Many of the 156 players here may have put it in different, less complimentary terms. You are going to see golf balls roll here this week. And roll. And roll.

"They are by far the most difficult greens I've ever played,'' Tiger Woods said.

"These are the toughest greens we'll ever play in U.S. Open history or even any other golf tournament we play,'' said Ernie Els.

"Well, I guess this (course) is not too bad for a par-78,'' Sergio Garcia joked.

"The difficult part for me,'' Johnson said, "is the fact that you can get on a bentgrass or a Bermuda, where it is at Augusta, you see the breaks more, and you can see the speed based on the burnouts.

"Here, this poa annua, it still looks lush and green and soft when you walk on it. So it makes it very difficult to judge speed, in my opinion. Given that, the greens for the most part go one direction, and they are fast. So you know, I think all in all, it's going to be a speed test and one where you're going to have to make a lot of 3- and 4- and 5-footers for comebacks.

"Getting the speed down and making those 3- and 5- and 7-footers, whether it's for par and bogey. I think a lot of this golf course is positioning. It's giving yourself a chance at par and eliminating double.''

Or, you could just chip in and save yourself the trouble.