Interesting trivia to watch out at the US Open in Oakmont Country Club

This is a special feature by Anand Datla on what makes the US Open 2016 at Oakmont Country Club most exciting. India has two players in the field – Anirban Lahiri and Jeev Milkha Singh.

• Anirban Lahiri, ranked 55th in the world, is set to play his second US Open and the ninth major tournament of his glittering career.
• Jeev Milkha Singh has been a path breaking Indian golfer. At 44, he is still at it, back this year to play his 14th major tournament and a fifth US Open
• Interestingly, Jeev was at Oakmont in 2007 too, finishing a creditable tied 36th with Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

Gaurav Ghei became the first Indian to play a major tournament in 1997

• Jordan Spieth, still only 22, is the defending champion of the US Open. It will be interesting to see how he does. Only four defending champions have finished inside the top 20 at the US Open, none has managed to defend the title
• Tiger Woods is still a big draw on the course. But he will be absent for a third time in six years, this time due to his continuing rehab from back surgery. Woods won the tournament three times – including that famous victory in 2008 on literally one leg, his last and 14th major victory
• The US Open is back at Oakmont Country Club, one of the toughest tests in all of golf. The lowest score at Oakmont has been five under. Angel Cabrera won it in 2007 with an overall score of 5-over 285.
• The US Open has a great emotional connect in the US and around the world, as it is always held the same weekend as Father’s day, the Sunday of the tournament
• Only four Indians have featured at the US Open – Jeev Milkha Singh (2002, 2006, 2007 & 2009), Arjun Atwal (2010), Shiv Kapur (2014) and Anirban Lahiri (2015)
• The first Indian to play the US Open was Jeev Milkha Singh in 2002. His qualification came just five years after Gaurav Ghei became the first Indian to play a major tournament in 1997
• In 2009, Jeev Milkha Singh was ranked inside the top 40 of the world, making him the highest ranked Indian entrant at the US Open