U.S. Open: Miller ranks Oakmont best
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Johnny Miller said he can't wait to come back to Oakmont for the 107th U.S. Open and believes all the changes, including the dramatic treeless look, have made the club "probably the best course in the world."
Past U.S. Open champ Johnny Miller discusses the course at Oakmont -- where he shot an Open record 63 -- with golf writer Gerry Dulac:
The No. 1 course in AmericaA great test
Miller, whose final-round 63 in the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont was voted the greatest round in golf history, will return to the site of his only major championship. Miller is golf analyst for NBC Sports, which will televise the event. When the Open is over, Miller said Oakmont, currently ranked the No. 5 course in America by Golf Digest, will surpass Pine Valley, Augusta National, Shinnecock Hills and Pebble Beach as the top course in the country.
"It's magnificent," Miller said yesterday, sitting inside an NBC trailer during the first round of The Players. "I really believe with the work they did, it deserves to be the No. 1 course in America. It's just a masterpiece, is what it is.
"People are going to go crazy when the see the course on TV. And I'll be a good promoter of it."
Miller hasn't been to Oakmont since more than 5,000 trees have been removed, all the sand bunkers were enlarged and deepened and the course was lengthened by 250 yards. He predicted the winning score at Oakmont will be around 4-over 284, even if the conditions are benign.
"I think it's the best course, probably in the world, from all the studying I've done," Miller said.
"I can't wait. I think it's going to be the best test. If the USGA doesn't get crazy, and they don't get the greens too fast and too hard, the players will say, 'this is the greatest course I've ever played.' "
First Published May 10, 2007 11:00 pm
