Pinehurst will demand a sharp-thinking approach

Pinehurst is a perfect example of a thinking man’s course.

Built on sand hills, the emphasis this week at the US Open will come in the form of the players consistently choosing the best position and angle from the fairway to attack flags most probably located around subtle slopes, on notoriously difficult raised greens.

More than ever, patience, creativity and a wonderful short game are a must to succeed. Without it players will simply be also-rans from the start.