The first shot of the 125th U.S. Open on Thursday embodied so much of what this championship is about. Matt Vogt, an Indiana dentist who went through 54 holes of qualifying, sent his tee shot soaring into the rough at Oakmont.
Vogt, who once caddied at Oakmont before moving on to root canals, managed to use the severe slope of the first fairway for his ball to tumble onto the green for a par.
There are high expectations everywhere at the major known as the toughest test in golf - for Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 for Bryson DeChambeau, the defending champion and for everyone to face an Oakmont course reputed to be the toughest in the land.
"Oakmont is relentless," said John Bodenhamer, the chief championships officer at the USGA who sets up the course. "There's no let up. It's a grind. That's the U.S. Open."
The USGA is particularly fond of Oakmont, a big reason why the U.S. Open returns to his course for a record 10th time.