Two-time major champ mistakes par-3 for a par-4 during Oakmont U.S. Open prep

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It’s perhaps an easy mistake to make at the longest par-3 in major championship history, but Collin Morikawa mixed up some rather basic course information in a practice round at the nearly 300-yard 8th hole prior to the U.S. Open.

“Yeah, I completely forgot that that was the long par-3 and I honestly asked Joe, my caddie, and everyone in the group, I was like, ‘Do you go for this par-4 or do you lay up?'”

After figuring out he was serious and the laughter subsided, Morikawa figured out his plan for the week.

“Probably hit driver or 3-wood and hopefully hit the green. If not, make up-and-down,” he said. “Honestly, there’s not a ton of strategy other than like hitting your driver within 15 yards or your 3-wood within 15 yards.

“Just hit and hope, honestly.”

Morikawa said that with all the videos on social media, it’s not hard to get psyched out about a course such as Oakmont before even hitting a shot, but at this point in his career, the two-time major winner feels he has the experience necessary so that won’t happen.

“I’ve played enough majors now where I know what my game plan and how I have to attack this golf course,” he said. “Yes, there’s going to be some holes that I will take par. There’s a handful of holes this week already I would take par four days in a row. But there’s other holes where you’ve got to take advantage.”

And that all starts by knowing what par is on every single hole. And Morikawa now has that covered.