Auclair: Brutes enjoy edge on Bethpage's 3 beastly long par 4s

Remember when only par 5s measured more than 500 yards? Those days are long gone in major championship golf, much like the chances of any player who cannot muster the muscle to score well at Bethpage Black's big seventh, 10th and 12th holes.

By T.J. Auclair, PGA.com Interactive Producer

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Bethpage Black is a par-70 with just two par 5s. However, if you're just scanning the scorecard and looking at yardage alone, you might think there were five par 5s.

That's because three par 4s at Bethpage Black -- Nos. 7, 10 and 12 -- measure more than 500 yards apiece. It's the first time in U.S. Open history that three par-4 holes will play more than five football fields long.

"There are a lot of long par 4s," defending U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods said. "I believe there's three that are over 500 yards. That's long. I remember growing up and a 420-yard hole was a long par 4. It's amazing how golf has changed. But it's just a number and you just have to go out there and obviously hit good shots."

It may very well be "just a number," but it's a lot of big numbers.

The seventh hole, one of the few at Bethpage Black without an elevated green, is the longest of the par 4s, measuring 525 yards -- or, eight yards longer than the 517-yard, par-5 fourth hole. 

"The seventh is obviously very long," said PLAYERS Champion Henrik Stenson, who estimates he'll probably only hit driver a couple of times each round. "It doesn't feel like it's any different compared to the fourth. I think they're about the same length or even if the seventh is a touch longer and the fourth plays more uphill but it's almost like it's two par 5s and one got a 4 and one got a 5 on it. It's just numbers, really.

"It takes a good drive and there's probably a 5-wood left or something on No. 7. It's playing long. And obviously with the ball stopping straightaway, it's playing really long, some of the shots and some of the holes out there."

No. 10 required a 265-yard carry to reach the fairway off the tee in 2002, but has since been made more playable with the fairway brought 35 yards back to the tee, and will play 508 yards. There's trouble everywhere on this hole. It's separated from the adjacent 11th hole by six enormous and sprawling bunkers, as well as fescue and grass bunkers.

"In terms of hardest hole, I think 10 is pretty long and could potentially be a pretty tough hole," Stenson said.

Finally there's the "mini" 12th hole. It will play at 504 yards this week. With a severe dogleg left, No. 12 might be the most difficult driving hole on the course. Drives that go too straight can easily run through the fairway and into heavy rough.

So who has the advantage in the U.S. Open, especially when these three mammoth holes are taken into consideration? It would seem to be a no-brainer that it's the longer hitters, who also happen to be the usual suspects at majors -- guys like Tiger, Stenson, Phil Mickelson, Geoff Ogilvy, Masters champion Angel Cabrera and Sergio Garcia.

"Length is a legitimate part of golf these days," said Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champ from just up the road at Winged Foot. "And hitting it long should be an advantage at times. But I would set it out with a bit more interest. I'd move the par-3s they're incredibly long. If you play it on the back. Mess with the par 3s and holes that are interesting if you move them up… I'd mess around with some par 4 tees. I don't know. I don't know the course well enough. But I'd definitely move the par-3s around quite a lot. Play them short one day and long another day, and I'd move some of the longer par 4s up every now and then to create a bit of indecision."

Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who is looking for his third major win in four starts, hasn't played particularly well on the PGA TOUR in 2009. Coming into this week, Harrington has made 12 starts, hasn't finished in the top 10 at all and has missed the cut on five occasions, including his last two starts.

It's clear that Bethpage Black isn't the place where a lost game is likely to be found. Even still, Harrington knows what it will take to get the job done.

"If you drive it straight and long, you're going to be a happy man this week," Harrington said. "Outside of that, you've got to play very well. Certainly in 2002 these were the quickest greens I've ever putted on before or since. So I expect them to be very quick again this week. And that's something we've got to prepare for. So in those two fronts, obviously you've got to putt very well, and if you do drive it straight -- even though I say drive it straight, you've got to make sure, there are certain holes you can get away with missing some fairways out there, but just not the wrong ones."

Rocco Mediate, the runner-up in 2008 who forced Tiger to an incredible 91 holes, is far from one of the biggest hitters teeing it up this week. For everyone who thinks the bombers are the only ones who can win here, Mediate says, think again.

"A lot of people have been saying there's only five or 10 guys that can win," he said. "That's wrong. That's wrong. Especially when it's soft because you can stop the ball. I'm hitting a hybrid or 3-wood, they're not going to hit much closer [with a long iron], because it's not going to happen. Not that I'm that good, but it's a long way away 200, 300 yards. Get it on the green and make four; that's what you want to do. I've never seen par kill you at one of these things."