Tournament at a glance
When: Thursday-Sunday.
Where: Erin Hills Golf Club in Erin, Wis. — an 11-year-old public course about 40 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
TV: Ch. 9 and FS1.
More about the course: Par 36 and 7,741 yards — the longest layout in U.S. Open history. Rolling terrain, no trees. The fairways are wider than usual, and there is no rough around the greens. The bunkers are raggedy-edged, irregularly shaped pits and cavities, and most are to be avoided at all costs.
Hole to watch: The par-3 ninth. It may play as short as 135 yards, but with a sloping green, crosswinds and seven deep, irregular and vexing bunkers, it has turned out to be a tiny terror.
The field: 156 players, including Wisconsin natives Steve Stricker and Jordan Niebrugge.
Cut: Top 60 players and ties.
Playoff (if necessary): 18 holes on Monday.
Purse: $12 million (first prize $2.16 million).
Last year: Dustin Johnson won his first major title by closing with a 1-under 69 for a three-shot victory at Oakmont.
Chip shots: The last player to defend his title at the U.S. Open was Curtis Strange in 1989. … Rory McIlroy returns to action after missing six weeks because of a recurring injury in his rib. … Phil Mickelson's expected withdrawal would mean the first major championship without him or Tiger Woods since the 1994 Masters. … There is a chance of precipitation every day.
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