The 18th at Olympic

Here are some interesting facts and figures from the 112th U.S. Open at the Olympic Club:

The Players

Among the 156 golfers in the 2012 U.S. Open there are 10 former champions who between them have won the Major 14 times. They are:  Angel Cabrera (2007), Michael Campbell (2005), Ernie Els (1994, ’97), Jim Furyk (2003), Lucas Glover (2009), Retief Goosen (2001, ’04), Graeme McDowell (2010), Rory McIlroy (2011), Geoff Ogilvy (2006) and Tiger Woods (2000, ’02, ’08).

The players in the field with the most appearances include: Davis Love III (23), Phil Mickelson (22), Ernie Els (20), Jim Furyk (18), Stewart Cink (17), Steve Stricker (17), Tiger Woods (17), David Toms (16), Retief Goosen (15) and Padraig Harrington (15).

The most consecutive appearances come from Ernie Els (20), Phil Mickelson (19), Stewart Cink (17) and Jim Furyk (17).

The Qualifying

The USGA accepted 9,006 entries in 2012. Local qualifying over 18 holes was held at 109 sites, primarily in May, in the attempt to advance to sectional qualifying. Sectional qualifying over 36 holes was held at 13 sites. The England and Japan sectionals were held on May 21 and May 28, respectively. Eleven sectionals in the United States were conducted on Monday, June 4.

The Aussies

Aaron Baddeley, Jason Day, Geoff Ogilvy, John Senden and Adam Scott were all automatically exempt while Anthony Summers, Alistair Presnell and Rod Pampling made it through the sectional qualifying process. Brendan Jones claimed his spot through international qualifying in Japan.

The Amateurs

Eight amateurs have made the 156-player field — the lowest total since 2002.

The Course

The Olympic Club’s Lake Course is set up at 7,170 yards (6,556 metres) and plays to a par of 70 (34-36). Based on the course setup for the championship, the Course Rating is 77.1 and the slope Rating is 150.

The tournament will feature the longest par five in U.S. Open history. The 670-yard (613-metres) 16th hole is the first of consecutive par fives on the inward nine.

The first 6-hole stretch is one of the toughest the TOUR players see all year. Sloped fairways, slick greens and plenty of thick rough make it a true challenge, and will prove to play well over par.

The History

This is the 112th U.S. Open Championship. The U.S. Open, which was first played in 1895, was not contested for two years (1917-18) during World War I and for four years (1942-45) during World War II. The youngest winner of the U.S. Open was 19-year-old John McDermott, who won in 1911. The oldest winner is Hale Irwin, who was 45 and playing on a special exemption when he won his third U.S. Open title in 1990.

The Prize

The 2012 U.S. Open champion will receive approximately $1.4 million from a purse of $7.85 million. In addition, the winner will get the newly-announced Nicklaus Medal, as well as the US Open Trophy.

The Young and the Old

Michael Allen, 53, is the oldest player in this year’s U.S. Open field.  Andy Zhang, 14, is the youngest golfer.

Fun facts

The 2012 U.S. Open will have a daily attendance of 33,500, the 26th consecutive sellout. There are 16,050 bleacher seats, 29 corporate hospitality tents and 122 corporate tables.

There are 19 concession sites, and examples of prices ranging from U.S. $7.50 for a cheeseburger to $2.50 for a bottle of water. At the 36,000-square-foot (3,345 sq metre) Merchandise Pavilion, the average price is $27 for a hat and $65 for a golf shirt.

More than 5,000 volunteers are assisting with the management and operations of the U.S. Open Championship.

(With OneAsia, PGA and USGA)

About Richard Fellner

A four-time winner of the Australian Golf Media Awards, including Best Photojournalism, Best Opinion, Best Column and Best Photographic Presentation, Inside Golf Group Editor Richard Fellner is the quintessential Golf Tragic, having played the game for over 50 years (but has never gotten any better!) He has played and reviewed courses all over the world, and has interviewed many of the great players of the game (including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Greg Norman). Richard is a member of both the Australian Golf Media Association and the Golf Society of Australia, and has been a featured guest on many Australian "sports talk" radio shows and networks, including ABC Grandstand, SEN 1116, Melbourne Talk Radio 1377, 2GB and others. Follow Richard Fellner on Quora

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