ESPN Golf Online: 1999 U.S. Open: Hole of the day: No.5

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Round one course summary

Thursday, Jun. 17
Hole of the day: No.5

By Mike Grady
ESPN Golf Online
PINEHURST, N.C. -- It is no surprise that No. 5 played as the toughest hole Thursday. After all, the 482-yarder is one of the few Pinehurst No. 2 holes that features a sloped fairway in the landing area, and it is the longest natural par 4 on the course (Nos. 8 and 16 are playing as par 4s for the U.S. Open but are normally par 5s).
But what is surprising is that this slight dogleg left averaged nearly a half stroke over its par at 4.494. The 156 golfers recorded only five birdies and 75 pars on the hole. Meanwhile, a whopping 71 bogeys, four double-bogeys and Grant Masson's triple-bogey were carded.
"No. 5 is a brutal hole," said co-leader Phil Mickelson. "I hit two good shots there, a good drive and a good 5-iron. The 5-iron didn't hold and went down the slope about 25 feet off the edge of the green."
Of course, what Mickelson didn't mention is that he chipped that in for one of the five birdies on the hole.
The length of the hole and a small level putting surface are the main reasons No. 5 is so difficult. But Thursday's pin placement, just seven yards from the right edge of the green and toward the back, helped make it even harder.
Only 24.4 percent of the players hit the green in two shots Thursday. That's not as bad as No. 16's 17.3 percent, but it's still quite a bit below the course's overall average of 52.2 percent.