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The 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club outside of Pittsburgh is shaping up to be one of the most grueling major championships in recent history. But defending champion Bryson DeChambeau appears to have already hacked the course design before the tournament even begins.
Prior to the U.S. Open returning to Oakmont for a record-setting 10th time, famed course designer Gil Hanse made some notable changes to the course, which was originally opened in 1903 and has since seen several renovations. Perhaps the most notable change that Hanse made came on the Par 4, 10th hole, which played as the fourth-hardest hole on the golf course during the 2016 U.S. Open.
As part of the recent Gil Hanse renovations at Oakmont, a ravine has been added to the 10th fairway, cutting the fairway in two.
See here…
Left is pre-renovations.
Right with the addition of the ravine. pic.twitter.com/Fwsp7MoHhK
— Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) June 10, 2025
As Golf Digest Director of Digital Content Jamie Kennedy noted on X, Hanse added a sizable ravine to the middle of the 10th fairway. The ravine sits about 320 yards from the back tee box. While the hole does play downhill, the overwhelming majority of players, including world No. 1, have hit less than driver during practice rounds to lay up short of the ravine and leave an iron or wedge into the green.
Bryson DeChambeau’s U.S. Open Practice Round Shot Left Fellow Stars In Awe
But Bryson DeChambeau, as he’s proven time and time again, is one of a kind. In a video on his YouTube page of him playing a practice round, DeChambeau is seen hitting driver off the 10th tee (4:00 mark of the above video). His shot easily cleared the ravine, although it landed in the rough right of the fairway. DeChambeau then hit sand wedge from about 115 yards out and made birdie.
Prior to the tournament starting this week, members of the media asked both Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele if they planned on laying up or hitting driver on the hole. Their responses tell you everything you need to know about DeChambeau’s feat.
“I didn’t even know that was possible,” Thomas said after saying that he didn’t even think about driving the ball over the ravine.
Meanwhile, Schauffele said that he thinks “Bryson is probably the only person that would think twice about carrying it.”
Safe to say that DeChambeau will have a massive advantage, at least on the 10th hole, over the rest of his competition. He went on to shoot even-par 70 in the practice round, which was significantly better than competitors Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott. If he can repeat that feat four times this week, there’s a great chance DeChambeau will become the first back-to-back U.S. Open winner since Brooks Koepka in 2017 and 2018.