US Open: The Oakmont Lowdown

Prizemoney: €8.86 million (€1.6 million to the winner).

Par: 70.

Length: 7,219 yards.

Defending champion: Jordan Spieth.

Course record: 63 (Johnny Miller, final round of 1973 US Open).

Course guide: The one and only course designed by WC Fownes Jnr, Oakmont has earned a reputation as one of the toughest in championship golf. It has played host to eight previous US Opens as well as three US PGAs and two US Women's Opens. When Ernie Els won the US Open in 1994, it was on a tree-lined parkland course. Since then, all of the trees – some 15,000 – have been removed to transform the course which retains its fast, undulating greens. The course is noted for its tough opening hole but it also has the longest Par 3 on the US Open rota. The eighth hole played to a length of 300 yards on occasions in 2007 when Angel Cabrera won the title but will play at 288 yards this time.

The par five 12th – which measures 667 yards – is the second longest hole of any course on the US Open rota, just three yards shorter than the 16th at Olympic Club. The challenge for players will be to find the cambered fairways, avoid the rough and the bunkers, and find the greens. And, once there, to demonstrate a deft touch on putting surfaces running at 14 on the stimpmetre.

Irish in Action: There are three Irish players in the field, two of them past US Open champions. Graeme McDowell (6.47pm) – winner at Pebble Beach in 2010 – and Rory McIlroy (1.24pm) – who succeeded him at Congressional in 2011 – are among four Europeans who have won the title in the last six years. Shane Lowry (1.35pm), who had a top-10 finish at Chambers Bay last year, competes in his fourth US Open.

Weather: The first round's play is set to be disrupted by thunderstorms with a storm system working its way through the Ohio Valley. With heavy rain and hail expected in the afternoon, the second wave of players will be most severely affected. However, the front is due to clear overnight with an outside chance of showers Friday morning which will be replaced by sunny and dry weather for the remainder of the championship.

You bet: 7/1 Jason Day 15/2 Rory McIlroy 10/1 Jordan Spieth 16/1 Dustin Johnson 28/1 Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Justin Rose 30/1 Henrik Stenson Others: 80/1 Shane Lowry 100/1 Graeme McDowell

On TV: Sky Sports 4 (from 3.00pm Thursday & Friday, 4.00pm Saturday & Sunday).