Oakmont member: ‘We love to punish our guests’

It was suggested to Ernie Els that the US Golf Association should make Oakmont Country Club its marquee US Open venue and provide the sort of reverence that the R&A extends to the Old Course in St Andrews.

In other words, have the US Open every five years at Oakmont.

Els smiled and offered a light laugh. While he clearly didn’t think it would be an idea that would come to fruition, he sought a diplomatic answer. He settled on “we make kind of a mess when we leave”, suggesting that all the infrastructure that comes with hosting a national championship makes every-five-years a tall order.