US OPEN hole by hole

<br>TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Hole-by-hole look at Southern Hills Country Club, site of the 101st U.S. Open championship, June 14-17: <br><br>No. 1, 454 yards, par 4: Elevated tee offers a nice view of Tulsa's

Wednesday, June 6th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Hole-by-hole look at Southern Hills Country Club, site of the 101st U.S. Open championship, June 14-17:

No. 1, 454 yards, par 4: Elevated tee offers a nice view of Tulsa's skyline, and then it's down to business. Tree-lined fairway bends slightly left with a large bunker on the right. Green slopes from front to back.

No. 2, 467 yards, par 4: The toughest hole on the front nine and the most demanding tee shot _ must carry a creek and two cross bunkers 235 yards out, with trees on the right and the creek down the left. Heavily bunkered green, with grass mowed tight on the left to create a collection area for chipping.

No. 3, 408 yards, par 4: Sharp dogleg left, with a creek down left that discourages trying to cut off too much. Best tee shot is on the right side with an iron, leaving a better angle to a two-tiered, undulating green that is well-bunkered.

No. 4, 368 yards, par 4: Another short par 4 that can be treacherous. A long iron off the tee to a fairway that has few level landing areas. Steep bunker in front of the green, and it's important to leave the ball below the hole. Good shots will lead to an easy birdie.

No. 5, 642 yards, par 5: Extended tee box makes this the longest hole in U.S. Open history, maybe even too long for Tiger Woods. Tee shot is downhill but must avoid bunkers left and right. Green is elevated, bunkered and slightly undulating.

No. 6, 175 yards, par 3: Slightly downhill and usually downwind to a shallow green guarded by bunkers, with out-of-bounds behind the relatively level green. A creek winds in front and to the left.

No. 7, 382 yards, par 4: Another short hole that requires precision off the tee with a long iron. The fairway slopes to the right at the point it starts bending to the left. A good tee shot will lead to a good chance at birdie.

No. 8, 225 yards, par 3: A tough hole added 15 yards since the 1977 U.S. Open, and plays slightly uphill. Undulating green with large bunker to the right. Toughest hole location is back left, and few players will complain about a par.

No. 9, 374 yards, par 4: A short hole that plays longer because the dogleg right is into the prevailing wind. Fairway bunker 250 yards down the right side, and the undulating green is one of the most severe on the course.

No. 10, 374 yards, par 4: Sharp dogleg right that tempts players to take it over the trees. Severe trouble awaits those who misfire. The safe shot is an iron off the tee to set up a short iron into an elevated green, where winds can swirl.

No. 11, 165 yards, par 3: Swirling winds made club selection difficult. Smallest green on the course, sloping from back to front. Left of the green has been shaved to create another chipping area similar to those at Pinehurst.

No. 12, 456 yards, par 4: Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer have called this the best par 4 in the country. A new tee 15 yards back brings the fairway bunker down the left side into play. The perfect tee shot is a draw that catches a slope. Approach to a green that has bunkers left and a creek that runs in front and to the right.

No. 13, 534 yards, par 5: Played as a par 4 in the '77 U.S. Open and '94 PGA Championship, but a par 5 makes it a good risk-reward hole. Slightly right-to-left off the tee, with most second shots from an uphill lie. Green is protected by two ponds in front of the green.

No. 14, 215 yards, par 3: Players cannot get careless because of the right-to-left prevailing wind. Trees and out-of-bounds stakes to the left of green, with six bunkers right and left of the green.

No. 15, 412 yards, par 4: Fairway bends left around a single bunker. Severely sloped green has some of the most difficult contours on the course, and the approach must be on the correct side of the hole for a decent chance at birdie.

No. 16, 491 yards, par 4: Previously played as a par 5 in majors, this now becomes the longest par 4 in U.S. Open history. Drive should carry about 275 yards and avoid a bunker on the left to reach a shelf in the fairway, the best spot to approach the green. The putting surface is relatively flat and small, designed to catch short irons.

No. 17, 365 yards, par 4: A deceptively difficult hole, in spite of its length. Fairway is tight and tumbling, lined by trees left and a creek that sneaks into play on the right. Green is small, shallow, elevated and guarded by a deep bunker. Anything long makes it extremely difficult to save par.

No. 18, 466 yards, par 4: Tee box moved back 17 yards behind the creek, making one of the most difficult closing holes in major championship golf even harder. Slight dogleg to the right, but most players will choose the safer left side, short of the creek that runs through the fairway. Approach requires medium iron to an elevated green into prevailing wind.