The Battle Of Brookline II?

From critical holes and surprising trends, to the 1999 Ryder Cup and one of the shortest par 3s in Major history, we address eight of the major talking points ahead of the 122nd US Open

- Michael Catling

1 US OPEN GOLF COURSES TEND TO BE DIFFICULT. WILL BROOKLINE BE ANY DIFFERENT?

The USGA take pride in the US Open being seen as the toughest test in golf and this year is unlikely to be any different at The Country Club, which has undergone more facelifts than your average Love Island star. Originally part of a horse racing track, the modern-day championship course in Brookline, Massachusetts, is more European in flavour than most American venues, with rugged bunkering, rocky outcropping and some of the smallest greens in the country. The latest iteration of changes, led by Gil Hanse, have created a far more muscular (and open) track that will play just under 7,300 yards to a par of 70, but it remains a course of extremes, with three driveable par 4s offset by the perils of fierce slopes and club-tangling rough which, as tradition dictates at US Opens, is expected to be five inches deep in some places. The thought is to put some level of premium on driving the golf ball in the fairway and controlling your golf ball up around the greens, says Jeff Hall, the USGA's Managing Director, Rules and Open Championships. It's an important element of the overall test of the US Open.

2 WHAT DO THE HISTORY BOOKS SAY?