Scotland’s Martin Laird finished the 113th US Open with a round of 68 and some stringent criticism of tournament organisers for making players “look like an idiot” with “ridiculous” pin positions.
Laird improved from 13 over to 11 over at Merion, which had been feared too short by modern standards at under 7,000 yards but saw just one player five-time runner-up Phil Mickelson under par after 54 holes.
The USGA are renowned for setting up US Open courses with narrow fairways, thick rough and fast greens, but Laird feels they went too far in trying to protect a course which had not staged the event since 1981.
“From 14 on is the hardest finish in golf I’ve ever played,” said Laird, who won the Texas Open ahead of Rory McIlroy earlier this year thanks to a closing 63.
“It really is just brutal. There’s out of bounds in play on a couple of the holes, it’s 250-yard par threes with pins that are on slopes.”
Asked if he enjoyed the challenge, Laird said: “I enjoy it now that it’s over and I have shot two-under the final round, but I’ll be honest I do not. I think that they push the envelope a little too far in the first few rounds.
“I’m all for hard set-ups, but a few of the pin positions get a little ridiculous. And it’s a tough week. It really is just a (case of) survival out here.
“US Opens beat you up from the first tee to the last. And it can make you look like an idiot sometimes and sometimes that’s hard to handle. I can maybe see why some people (spectators) would like it.
“Definitely it brings us all back down to earth from normally thinking that 15-under par is a good score at a tournament and it definitely brings you back down to earth when you come to a US Open.
“And if they’re aiming to test all aspects of your game, they definitely do that.”