The outcome of the 125th U.S. Open revealed how unforgiving the Oakmont Country Club could be to competitive golfers. After four rounds, only the winner, J.J. Spaun, was barely under par. While the entire 18-hole course at Plum, Pennsylvania, can be grueling, Oakmont’s 8th hole drew more attention due to its length.
According to Oakmont’s official website, the eighth hole is 289 yards long, making it one of the longest par 3s in the world. However, its distance has changed over time. The BBC’s Peter Scrivener wrote that in the 1953 U.S. Open, Oakmont’s 8th hole was 253 yards long. During Angel Cabrera’s 2007 U.S. Open victory at Oakmont, it became the first 300-yard par-3 hole.
For the 2025 U.S. Open, course designer Gil Hanse renovated the landscape by extending the massive bunker to the left of the hole. Likewise, five-inch rough grass replaced the bunkers on the green’s far end. Hence, its distance fluctuated from 276 yards in the first round to 299 in the second, 253 in the third, and 301 in the final round.
To highlight how challenging Oakmont’s 8th hole can be, it was the eighth toughest hole during the 2016 U.S. Open, with only 24 birdies made. Likewise, competitors took an average of 3.3 shots to complete the hole. Written like a warning, Oakmont’s official website states, “Par is an excellent score here.”
Furthermore, it was the toughest green to hit in both the 2007 (27 percent) and the 2016 (36.3 percent) U.S. Opens. In the 2025 U.S. Open, official stats from the tournament’s official website reveal that Oakmont’s 8th hole saw only 12 birdies through four rounds, including one in the final round. No wonder the average ranged from 3.34 in round 3 to 3.65 in round 2.
Oakmont’s 8th Hole Received Criticism from Golf Pros and Legends Alike
Given the obstacles in hitting par on this long and complicated hole, it’s unsurprising that golf pros and legends can’t get Oakmont’s 8th hole out of their minds for unfavorable reasons.
According to Golf.com’s Kevin Cunningham, Viktor Hovland described the par 3 hole before the 125th U.S. Open, “Yeah, I mean, it just becomes hard. I just don’t think when you must make a hole that long, it just doesn’t become that great. It just becomes like, okay, you got a certain target here and then you got to hit a shot around there and make a par and get out of there instead of a shorter par-3 that entices you to get close to it, but if you’re a little bit off, you’re either in the water or in a short-sided spot or if you bail out, yeah, you still have a tricky little putt.”
Meanwhile, 18-time golf major winner Jack Nicklaus commented after a reporter said that the 8th is 299 yards long, “Well, that’s crazy. But that’s what they do. But it is downhill.”
Nicklaus added that he isn’t fond of long par-3s when designing golf courses. “I don’t know. I don’t have any on my golf courses. But do you need them? Probably not. I can’t answer your question because I don’t like them. How is that?”
Xander Schauffele Gives Advice on How to Play the 8th Hole at Oakmont
Elite golfers like Xander Schauffele make a living by conquering mind-boggling challenges like Oakmont’s 8th hole. However, the third-best golfer in the world spoke his mind in navigating one of the world’s longest par 3s.
In a video posted on the U.S. Open’s official Facebook account, Schauffele said, “At the end of the day, however you feel like you’re going to make the best score there is, that’s how you should play it. Whether it’s laying up with an iron out to the right and trying to wedge and close, being aggressive with the driver. However you feel like you can make a good score is how you should play the hole.”
Luckily for Schauffele and other golfers, the U.S. Open won’t be back at Oakmont until 2033, giving them more time to come up with ways to beat the 8th hole.
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