Sunshine, Heat Replace Rain At Day 3 Of U.S. Open

OAKMONT (KDKA) -- Bottled water was in high demand at the Oakmont Country Club Saturday for Day 3 of the U.S. Open tournament.

And for a course where shady areas are few and far between, the heat was downright brutal.

For the second day in a row, weather was a crowd-pleaser at the 116th U.S. Open at Oakmont. Rain has been replaced by sunshine, but the tens of thousands of spectators lining the fairway still had to deal with the high heat and humidity.

"It makes it worthwhile, but I'm standing in the shade right now to get a little cooled off, but it's worth it," said Pam Courie of Twinsburg, Ohio.

One comfort you won't find at the Oakmont Country Club is a lot of shade. People took advantage wherever they could find it. John Funkhouser and his family from Fairmont, W.Va., found a small oasis running along the course.

"We've been out in the sun for a couple hours now," he said. "It's important to try to get in the shade so we don't get burned too quick. We're in for a long day."

But for those who can't get out of the sun, it's extremely important to stay hydrated. Volunteers from Allegheny General Hospital are operating a first aid tent. Early Saturday, they had already treated spectators overcome by the heat.

"Yes, we have with oral hydration," said Dr. Rich Kaplan with AGH. "We've been giving people fluid, we've put some IVs in people, given them some IV fluid as well."

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Meanwhile, beer sales are booming. People were ignoring the heat for a cold one or two.

"You know, they have to be smart about it," Kaplan said. "We prefer that they drink water, but I know people are drinking beer."

Many of the 215,000 attending the U.S. Open are from out of town. So far, they say Pittsburgh is a big hit.

"Love it, great city," said Jenny Statczar of Columbus, Ohio. "Super fun, tournament's great. We've been to quite a few, but this is really good."

The good news is the U.S. Open will return to Oakmont in 2025.

"I'll be zinging around in a wheelchair in 2025 probably," Pat Miesko of Johnstown said. "But I'll be here."