Spieth Explains Where Erin Hills And Chambers Bay Differ

Nick Menta at GolfChannel.com reporting from the Memorial where Jordan Spieth explained the differences between 2015 U.S. Open venue Chambers Bay (where he won) and 2017 host Erin Hills.

From his pre-tourney press conference:

“Chambers Bay, you had big mounds to play off onto the greens. [Erin] is kind of rolling hills. Although, neither one has a tree that I remember on the golf course. It was kind of a new-style American Links type. They both are. But I think they’ll play tremendously different.”

I believe the flyovers highlight what Spieth speaks to, but this is a great distinction to keep in mind. The greens at Erin Hills are more exposed and require way more aerial play than Chambers Bay. Plus, by all accounts the course is lush and we won't see the extreme ground speed we saw in 2015. That should please players and those who prefer a traditional inland U.S. Open "test", but annoy links enthusiasts.