US Open: Oakland Hills to host the 2034 and 2051 editions, despite clubhouse devastated by fire | Golf News

Venue last hosted the US Open in 1996, having all been the site of three PGA Championships, two US Senior Opens and the Ryder Cup; Michigan course saw its clubhouse damaged by fire last month

Oakland Hills Country Club was damaged by fire last month

Oakland Hills has been selected as the host venue for the US Open in 2034 and 2051, weeks after the course’s clubhouse was devastated by a major fire.

A large amount of golf memorabilia was lost in the blaze on February 17, which Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said had caused an estimated $80m (£60m) in damages.

Club president Rick Palmer said: “This is a significant and meaningful day for all of us at Oakland Hills. The commitment of two US Opens as well as four top amateur championships is a testament to the fabulous work of everyone at Oakland Hills.”

In addition to the two US Opens – and the US Women’s Opens in 2031 and 2042, which were announced in January – the South Course at Oakland Hills will host the 2024 US Junior Amateur, 2029 US Women’s Amateur, 2038 US Girls’ Junior and 2047 US Amateur.

The Michigan venue has previously hosted the US Open on six occasions, most recently in 1996, along with three PGA Championships and two editions of the US Senior Open.

Padraig Harrington is among the former major winners at Oakland Hills

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington won the US PGA Championship in 2008 and a European Ryder Cup team captained by Bernhard Langer beat the United States by a record nine points at the Detroit venue in 2004.

‘A century of memorabilia lost’

Breath-taking eyewitness videos and images showed the wooden structure – based 15 miles outside Detroit, Michigan – ablaze on February 17 and engulfed by plumes of black smoke as firefighters worked to douse the flames, with Brad Galli, sports director at Detroit-based TV station WXYZ, reporting a century of golfing memorabilia had been lost.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

One of America’s most famous golf clubhouses was engulfed in a huge fire, leading to a big collection of golf memorabilia being lost

“Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, you name any golfer that has been relevant over the last century, they have played at Oakland Hills and more than likely had success there,” Galli told Sky Sports News immediately after the fire.

“This course which has welcomed many of the biggest names in golf is suffering; the roof has almost completely caved in, there are still pockets of fire in the clubhouse, and the fire hydrants are having a tough time trying to get some of the fire contained.

“The good news is that everybody onsite is safe, the big disappointment is that a centuries-worth of memorabilia has been lost. Miniature Ryder Cup trophies, autographed photos, clubs that were used by some of the greats of the game, those are just some of the things that have been lost.”