During the US Open at Oakmont Country Club, Patrick Reed made headlines by achieving a remarkable feat. He became just the fourth golfer in the history of the tournament to record a double eagle, also known as an albatross, since the event’s establishment over 40 years ago.
To pull this off, Reed needed to tackle a challenging par-5 hole. He confidently swung his three-wood on the lengthy 286-yard fourth hole. The moment he struck the ball, you could tell by his expression that he believed he had hit it perfectly. As the ball made its way toward the hole, the hush from the crowd grew palpable—it was a wait-and-see moment. When it sank, applause erupted, and Reid seemed momentarily stunned, looking around for confirmation of his success.
Interestingly, the last player to achieve such a shot in the US Open was Nick Watney back in 2012 at the Olympic Club, with Sean Michael and TC Chen preceding him in 2010 and 1985, respectively.
Initially, Reid started one over par for his round but quickly recovered to land two under, placing him high on the leaderboard. Many of the top competitors grappling with the tough conditions at Oakmont wished they could replicate Reed’s precise shots. Rory McIlroy, for instance, struggled significantly, finishing with a score of four over, while Shane Lowry’s frustration boiled over after a poor chip shot, culminating in a score of nine over.
Others like Justin Rose and Matthew Fitzpatrick also faced difficulties, with scores of seven and four over par, respectively. It became clear that Oakmont was testing even the game’s best.
