From Merion to Medinah, from Pinehurst to Pebble, the outcome in every U.S. Open is typically decided by how the game’s premier performers negotiate a handful of critical holes. Take the 17th at Pebble Beach, where Jack Nicklaus hit the magical 1-iron in 1972—only to have his heart broken by Tom Watson with the chip-in-for-the-ages there ten years later. Or the 18th at Winged Foot, a hole Geoff Ogilvy will always cherish with the par he salvaged on the final day in 2006. Phil Mickelson, on the other hand, may not share the same nostalgia for that particular finishing hole.

This year at Olympic is no exception The players will be pursuing Old Man Par from Thursday morning through Sunday afternoon with the same vigilance as ever, and they will certainly take no single hole for granted. Yet, as usual, they know precisely some holes will surely prove more pivotal than others.

Here are the top five candidates.