Understatement: "I think you will see the U.S. Open won or lost on those two holes."

That's what Mike Davis is saying about the two finishing par-5s at 16 and 17. As I pointed out in videos posted earlier today, I'm sensing the same thing but not necessarily in a good way due to the awkward chute for the new 670-yard tee on 16 and the excessive severity of the 17th's greenside chipping area. (Also up for debate is the fairway width if things dry out.)

AP's Antonio Gonzalez explored the issue.

The USGA's Davis expects to use the new tee for two of the four rounds, including Sunday's final. He also plans to put tees out at 570 and 630 yards, and the shortest of those could make "golf's toughest test" even trickier.

On that day, players with long - and straight - drives could be forced into an interesting dynamic: going for the green in two or laying up with the 522-yard 17th - playing at par 5 for the first time - setting up as the next birdie opportunity.

"Now with back-to-back par 5s," Davis said, "I think you will see the U.S. Open won or lost on those two holes."

Ron Kroichick also looked at the potential impact of these holes and noted a few observations, including this one:

-- Brendan Jones purposely sent a few golf balls skidding off the right side of the green, to see what would happen. All of them raced down the shaved slope (a new wrinkle), as if this were the Indy 500, and stopped beneath the giant trees. Jones struggled to keep his ensuing chip shots on the course's most treacherous green.

This doesn't happen on the local muni.

-- Another player carefully tapped a downhill putt of maybe 20 feet. The ball inched closer and closer to the hole, looking better and better ... and then zoomed about 8 feet past. Yikes.