Pebble Beach proved a worthy challenge for U.S. Open

Two weeks ago, we were treated to one heck of a U.S. Open. Gary Woodland’s chip from the green on the 71st hole was one of the gutsiest shots I’ve ever seen.

I was surprised two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka didn’t birdie the last hole and put extra pressure on Woodland’s finish.

In the end, Pebble Beach proved a worthy test. The USGA avoided set-up controversies for the first time in years. And Woodland was a deserving champion.

Three weeks ago, I brought up the distance debate. I looked at the PGA Championship setup at Bethpage Black. It was a very long golf course with decently wide fairways and large greens. Yes, the rough was penal, but with those characteristics I expected the eventual Koepka–Dustin Johnson 1-2 finish.

Leading up to the U.S. Open, I was hoping to see the USGA prove to the golf world that courses don’t have to be 7,500-plus yards to be a worthy major championship venue. Looking back on it, I give the USGA an A- on the overall Pebble Beach setup.

To address the distance question, Pebble once again proved that, at 7,075 yards, it has the formula to challenge the world’s best players.

In my opinion, it all starts with the greens. At only 3,500 square feet on average, Pebble’s greens are the smallest the PGA Tour plays all year. Add in some pretty severe slope coupled with U.S. Open firmness and you can understand why hitting greens in regulation becomes so difficult, and important, at a U.S. Open at Pebble.

If hitting greens in regulation is the goal, approaching the greens from the fairway is a must. Once again, Pebble proved that well-designed holes with strategic hazards, elevation changes, forced lay-ups and doglegs places the emphasis on smart decisions and good ball contact from the tee rather than distance.

To me, Pebble is as close to a perfect design as it gets. There are holes like 1 and 3 where doglegs force players to choose a line and a ball flight to fit the hole. There are longer holes like 9 and 10, where players need to step up and rip long tee shots in the fairway or face a probable bogey.

There are holes like 6 and 8 that force players to lay up in the perfect spot off the tee. And to me, the fourth hole was one of the most underrated, and under-attacked holes of the week. At only 300 yards, I thought it was a great short par four that more players should have gone for off the tee.

Add in a great mix of par threes, an exciting finishing hole, several great risk-reward holes that force decisions to be made from the tee, and of course, the ocean and those views, and I just think Pebble is a perfect U.S. Open course.

The only complaint that I had throughout the week was that, in my opinion, the rough was just a hair too playable. I know these players are bigger and stronger than ever. And I know technology is continuing to make advancing the ball from the rough easier.

But when I think of the U.S. Open, I still want the rough to be that “six-inch, hard to find your ball, can’t see your shoes” rough that’s darn near impossible to advance a ball more than 100 yards from.

In the end, however, the USGA got this one right. Gary Woodland was the world’s best player that week. And as the USGA has said in the past, the 2019 US Open certainly accomplished their goal of identifying the world’s best player.

Jonah Karzmer is a former golf professional who writes a Sunday golf column for The Vindicator. In his spare time, he sells commercial insurance and loves getting feedback on his weekly columns via email at Jonah@thekarzmerinsurance.com.