If your answer to “which hole at Oakmont was the hardest?” is “all of them,” you’re not far off. It’s been a while since we’ve seen pros humbled the way Oakmont did it this week. While birdies and eagles are fun to watch, sometimes it’s refreshing for the best players in the world to face challenges.
From the Church Pew bunkers to brutal par-4s and long par-3s, Oakmont demanded precision and punished mistakes. Here’s how every hole played, ranked from the most difficult to the least based on scoring average.
Full Hole-by-Hole breakdown at Oakmont
| Rank | Hole | Par | Yards | Avg Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 4 | 472 | 4.520 |
| 2 | 15 | 4 | 507 | 4.505 |
| 3 | 8 | 3 | 289 | 3.466 |
| 4 | 3 | 4 | 462 | 4.450 |
| 5 | 18 | 4 | 502 | 4.367 |
| 6 | 1 | 4 | 488 | 4.349 |
| 7 | 2 | 4 | 346 | 4.313 |
| 8 | 7 | 4 | 485 | 4.309 |
| 9 | 16 | 3 | 236 | 3.300 |
| 10 | 10 | 4 | 461 | 4.232 |
| 11 | 6 | 3 | 200 | 3.167 |
| 12 | 5 | 4 | 408 | 4.153 |
| 13 | 11 | 4 | 400 | 4.092 |
| 14 | 14 | 4 | 379 | 4.070 |
| 15 | 13 | 3 | 182 | 3.032 |
| 16 | 12 | 5 | 632 | 5.018 |
| 17 | 4 | 5 | 611 | 4.991 |
| 18 | 17 | 4 | 312 | 3.845 |
Brutal front nine stretch
The front nine played nearly three shots over par on average. The ninth hole was the most difficult o the tournament at +0.52 over par. Between holes 3, 8 and 9, players were simply trying to survive.
The Church Pew bunkers: Prediction vs. reality
Shot Scope warned us: If you end up in the Church Pew bunkers at Oakmont, expect real damage.
- On Hole 3, players were expected to lose 1.25 strokes after finding the Church Pews.
- On Hole 4, the expected loss was 0.61 strokes.
That prediction held up.
Hole 3 was the fourth hardest of the week, playing to +0.45 over par with 149 bogeys and 32 doubles or worse. The Church Pews were the main reason.
Hole 4, a par-5, looked easier on paper but still produced 81 bogeys and 13 doubles or worse which is high for a scoring hole.
A dangerous par-3
Hole 8, a nearly 290-yard par-3, was the third-hardest hole of the week. It played almost half a shot over par and produced 24 double bogeys or worse, with just 12 birdies made all week.
The back nine had its own trouble
The 15th hole, a long 507-yard par-4, was a scoring killer late in the round. It tied closely with No. 9 in difficulty and produced 35 double bogeys or worse. That’s not the kind of hole you want coming down the stretch trying to win the U.S. Open.
Total field stats
The 2025 U.S. Open featured 30 percent fewer birdies than the PGA Championship and 28 percent fewer than the Masters.
| Tournament | Birdies | Eagles | Bogeys | Doubles or Worse | Total to Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open (Oakmont) | 993 | 17 | 2,092 | 316 | +4.179 |
| PGA Championship (Quail Hollow) | 1,417 | 47 | 1,752 | 198 | +1.505 |
| Masters (Augusta) | 1,391 | 27 | 963 | 121 | +0.808 |
Final thoughts
Oakmont didn’t just test players; it exposed them. With just one hole under par and multiple par-4s averaging well over bogey, the 2025 U.S. Open was all about survival. While the Church Pew bunkers got the spotlight, nearly every hole demanded respect.
Nick Dunphy
1 year ago
Only 2 holes played under par 17 and 4, if you throw in hole 9 which plays as a par 5 you would have had 3. Who needs 290 yd par 3’s and holes over 500 yds as par 4″s. Oakmont’s only defense since cutting down over 3000 trees is 5 inch rough and 14 green speeds. The one hole that stuck out to me was the 2nd at only 346 yds and came in at number 7 as the hardest hole. If you need 5 inch rough to identify the best player, Oakmont has lost it’s true identity–and they should lose the logo as you will not find anymore squirrels on the golf course.