e is no more time left.
Arriving at Pinehurst Resort almost a week ago for this week's U.S Open which begins tonight, Oliver Goss has covered as much practice as he can, including rounds with Jason Day and Robert Allenby.
The Perth amateur, who plays for the University of Tennessee, will tee off alongside compatriots Aaron Baddeley and Aron Price just before 10.30pm AEST tonight.
"I’ve played the course a bunch," Goss said. "I got here on Friday afternoon and I’ve played nine holes every single day. The course is quite brutal. It’s quite long – it’s 7500 yards which is 6800 metres and it’s only a par 70. There are a couple of par 4s that are 480-490 metres and it makes it quite tough especially when I consider myself a longer player and I’m even hitting 4 irons into par 4s."
Goss, who finished as the leading amateur at Augusta National in April, said he was ready for a test of all areas of his game.
"It’s going to be very difficult even for the shorter guys. Around the greens it’s very difficult as well. The greens are raised up 8 feet at some points so it makes chipping and putting quite difficult as well. It’s going to be a test of all areas of the game," Goss said.
"Some of the bunkers and the way the fairways are cut in, you can’t hit driver on the long holes. I played a practice round with Jason Day and he’s hitting 2 irons and 3 woods off 500 plus yard par 4's. It just makes it that much longer. Even though it’s playing 6800 metres, it might play even longer if it’s windy."
Goss is not overawed by the occasion. Having dealt with the pressures of big crowds at The Masters, he's more at ease now in front of the galleries. All that experience counts at a U.S Open.
"The biggest thing I probably took from the Masters experience was dealing with the amount of people that were on the course. So the pressures of the situation – the US Amateur was obviously pressure-packed but it’s not a Masters and even though I was competing as an amateur, it’s still a lot of pressure to take in. So I think I took the most out of the Masters and I’m looking to take what I learnt into this week.