UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. -- Going into the 115th U.S. Open, much of the chatter was about the mysterious Chambers Bay and how the newest major championship course would play.
Each day, we'll talk to a caddie after their round to see what they learned on the course. The caddies will remain anonymous in order to protect their strategy and get the truth about what's really happening inside the ropes.
Here's what one caddie had to say about the opening round of the second major of the season.
The biggest thing that stood out to the caddie after Round 1?
"I think the one thing that stood out was the high point/low point. We tended to miss a lot of putts, [with] everything kind of breaking down toward the 17th green. We missed on that quite a few times. [I] felt like we left a lot short, too."
When he got to the course early Thursday morning, he saw the grounds crew watering the golf course, but when they began to play, he and his player "didn't quite adjust to the green speed."
So the course isn't a brutal beast?
"I learned that you can get at some of these pins, too. You can funnel some in there. It's a fun golf course."
Just so those reading know, the caddie said "fun" after he and his player finished over par in their opening round.
Any surprises?
"[I was] really surprised at the pin on 17 today on the top right shelf. The tee was up and it was playing like 170 [yards]. [The first player to hit] laid it up into the middle of the green. I mean, he wasn't going over there at all. And that kind of threw my guy for a loop because we were going to hit an 8-iron right at it, and we ended up laying it up in the [middle of the green], too.
"[On TV in the caddie area] I think Rory [McIlroy] went at it with a 9-iron or pitching wedge and kept it on top, but there are some horror stories. We'll see what the big number of the day is out there on 17, but it's possible to make an eight, I guess."