In case you've been hiding in one of the incredibly deep bunkers at Chambers Bay, I've put together a few things here that you need to know about the 2015 US Open.

It feels like the US Open gets a little lost on the sports calendar, even if it shouldn't. The NBA Finals, Women's World Cup and College World Series are all going on, and the Open doesn't generate the hype that the Masters does.

No matter, though. Come the weekend, everyone will be buzzing about this year's strange, wacky event. Especially with the leaderboard I suspect we'll see. Let's jump into a little primer on what to expect this week from Chambers Bay.

1. Pacific Northwest finally gets its national championship: Remarkably, the US Open has never visited the Pacific Northwest. Chambers Bay is going to make for some great scenery and incredible TV viewing. One USGA staffer goes a lot further than that. "This will be the most stunning sports venue ever televised."

I'm not sure about ever (Augusta is pretty decent every year), but Chambers Bay is sure to have some "wow factor" to it. It's also one of the youngest courses to ever host a major (it opened in 2007).

2. Hillier than Augusta National? The course is also going to have an "ow" factor it (tip your waitresses, please). Some have called it the hilliest tournament of the 2014-15 season. There's probably some validity to that. 

Tiger Woods even noted that he didn't want to play 18-hole practice rounds. "Every hole seems like it is uphill," Woods joked. "I don't want to walk eight miles each day. Feels like we played 18 today."

3. Tiger Woods will not win: I don't know how to break this to you, Tiger fanboys, but the Big Cat is just not very good anymore. He'll make the cut because this field is top-heavy, but to expect Woods (a 50-1 favorite) to contend at his national championship is just plain silliness. That said, I don't know what in the world to do with him this week.

Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods will be main attractions at Chambers Bay. (Getty Images)
Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods will be main attractions at Chambers Bay. (Getty Images)

4. Field breakdown: There are 86 Americans in the field compared to just 70 non-Americans. Fun fact here. For 40 years, no European won this event. Europeans (Graeme McDowell in 2010, Rory McIlroy in 2011, Justin Rose in 2013 and Martin Kaymer in 2014) have now won four of the last five. Even more startling? This fact.

5. There are some great amateur storylines: This tournament will feature the most amateurs (17) since 1981 at Merion. I looked at a few of the compelling amateur stories on Monday. It feels like one of them will emerge on the weekend as a serious-but-not-that-serious contender for the trophy. That's going to be awesome.

6. The hometown angle is being drowned in the Puget Sound: Look, I understand. The Pacific Northwest hasn't had a US Open since ... ever. It's cool that Micahel Putnam qualified for the event (even if his former instructor doesn't like your dumb questions). It's great that Ryan Moore is from the area and has a legitimate chance to win. 

The story that's being driven into the ground, however, is about Michael Greller. Greller caddies for Jordan Spieth and used to caddie at Chambers Bay. That's great. It's not going to win Spieth his second-straight major. But hey, math!

7. You're old (so am I):

8. The USGA changed the course from the 2010 US Amateur: The 2010 US Amateur (won by Peter Uihlein) at Chambers Bay was a bit of a test run for this year's tournament. The USGA has since changed a few things. A moved green here, an added bunker there. It's going to be intriguing to hear how the 11 golfers who will have played in both evaluate the work the USGA has done.

9. This will be the second-longest US Open ever: The longest (by barely 50 yards) will remain the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines. Chambers Bay could play up to 7,600 yards and will feature four of the five longest par 4s in the history of the tournament. Also, because Chambers Bay will play as a par 70, it will actually be longer than Torrey Pines on a yards-per-stroke basis by about a yard. (108 yards per stroke to 107 yards per stroke.)

10. How do you win? Brad Faxon said you have to laugh a lot. Jack Nicklaus and Hale Irwin said you have to stop complaining. Ian Poulter said he's (finally) going to stop complaining. 

I presume he hadn't seen the greens yet when he tweeted that. Regardless, you're going to have to be long off the tee and not let bad bounces affect you because they will be abundant.

11. This will be the first of two 2015 British Opens: "It's everything like a British Open," Mickelson told the New York Times. "I've never seen this type of fescue in the United States. I've never seen greens with fescue grass in the United States. The ball runs like the British. You're hitting the same shots as the British." He even compared it to St. Andrews (!) at one point.

12. Creativity around the greens: The greens, if you haven't seen this wild Bubba Watson video, are absurd. Robert Trent Jones, who designed the course, said recently that they are the meat of the entire course. I'm sure the players will love them!

"So what we did is invest the defense of the course in and around the green complexes. That's the heart of the golf course," Jones said. "The pulsing blood, flowing place where half the strokes in the game, in a par round, are expected to be made on the greens or on and around the greens. They're strongly contoured. They're lightning fast. You can't even tell where the fairway begins and the green starts."

13. Fox gets its first major: After paying the USGA approximately the GDP of Nairboi, Fox will telecast its first major championship. The difficulty here will be balancing the use of technology (a good thing!) with the use of too much technology (a really bad thing!). I'm confident they'll figure it out. It just might not be this year.

14. There are plenty of fun sleepers: Jason Day is 33-1 and has finished in the top five in three of the last four US Opens. Billy Horschel is 50-1 and might not miss a green in regulation all week. Ryan Moore is 50-1 and would be an incredible story. Kevin Kisner is 80-1 and fun as hell to watch. Gary Woodland is 100-1 and will be able to match guys like Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson blow for blow off the tee.

15. No matter, Brooks Koepka is going to win: Book it. He was top five at Pinehurst last year, won this year at Phoenix, almost won last week at Memphis and is primed for major No. 1.

For more golf news, rumors and analysis, follow @KylePorterCBS on Twitter and link up with CBS Sports Golf on Facebook and Google+. 

I'm sure the players will love them!