Video: Oakmont 1st And 2nd Holes

We're off and running to Oakmont Country Club for the U.S. Open and the USGA is again posting flyovers on YouTube. So two holes at a time, here is one of America's great courses, this time as seen from a drone giving us some nice tee perspective to start off, followed by a hole flyover.

I'm not sure there is a tougher starter and certainly no green as difficult to start on as this one:

One of the few birdie opportunities at Oakmont, assuming you hit the fairway and keep it below the hole, the par-4 2nd:

Membership Closes In Annual World Top 50 Club

There's something increasingly absurd about the year-end World Top 50 Club. Not that it's the fault of the Official World Golf Ranking. Or even the precious algorithm guiding year-end standings that carry entirely too much meaning by qualifying people into majors and other events.

It's always seemed strange to be handing out passes for major championship field spots for the previous year's top 50. They also secure $300,000-or-so in guaranteed appearance money for the coming year, all because the calendar switched to a new year January 1st.

Yes, people need to plan schedules and make travel plans at some point, but I don't get why this New Year's Eve mythical milestone of world top 50 status is still used by events such as the Masters. The idea of rewarding folks in such a substantial way while restricting others, all for finishing the year one one side of the top 50 line, just seems like an outdated notion.

Nick Menta reports on those who slipped in and those no longer with access to the club. And then there's Tiger down at 416th.