US Open Golf 2012: Breaking Down Holes 7-12 at the Olympic Club

After a treacherous opening six holes, golfers at the U.S. Open get a bit of a break over the next six. 

This is still Olympic Club we're talking about, so the middle six are by no means "easy," but compared to the start of the course, which has absolutely murdered scores throughout the weekend, they are a cakewalk. 

No. 7 is without a doubt the easiest on the course. Because the hole is just 288 yards away, players get to feel like Happy Gilmore, as driving the green on this Par 4 is extremely doable. Even if they miss the green, getting and up-and-down for birdie isn't the toughest of tasks.

The top golfers this weekend are really taking advantage of this hole. Jim Furyk and Fredrik Jacobson, who sit in first and third, respectively, have five total birdies in six chances at No. 7.

A good way to approach this tournament is to take advance of No. 7 and play everything else safe. It's uncharacteristically easy. 

No. 8, a Par 3, is the third shortest hole on the course. As long as golfers can hit it accurately off the tee, they will be in good shape for a birdie. The green is tough, but anything other than a par is painful here. 

The next few holes, much like the rest of the course, can be parred with good accuracy from the tee box, but they do present some interesting problems.

The ninth hole's green is on a bit of a mound, so if golfers miss, their ball will shoot 20 or 30 yards away from the hole.

No. 10 is also a fairly short Par 4 at 424 yards, and despite a tough green with bunkers around it, the leaders have birdied it all tournament long.

The 11th hole is long and has a wide fairway. It's easy to hit the green in regulation, and as long as golfers put themselves on the right level on the two-tiered green, a birdie isn't out of the question.

Finally you have No. 12, which is somewhat opposite the previous hole, as it has a very skinny fairway and small green. 

For these middle six holes to be classified as the "easy" ones shows you how daunting this course really is. 

For more videos and highlights, check out USOpen.com.