According to an Associated Press report over the weekend, the USGA is expecting the legendary Pinehurst No. 2 to be set up the same for both U.S. Opens this year. The men’s Open is slated for June 12-15, while the women’s is set for June 19-22.

It is the first time in history that both the Opens will be held on the same course on back-to-back weeks. With that, brings the challenge of hosting two major events and preparing a course for both tournaments.

USGA Executive Director Mike Davis noted that the Opens were being held on back-to-back weeks to promote the women’s game.

“This was never about trying to make it operationally easier or save money,” Davis said in the report. “This was all about comparing the world’s best men with the world’s best women.”

The idea of having the women’s tournament second Davis said was to help the course challenge both groups of players.

“It really gets down to the putting greens,” Davis said in the report. “The first week, if Mother Nature is cooperative, they’re going to be slightly firmer. … Very firm greens to slightly — underscore, slightly — less firm greens that second week. And agronomically, it was much easier to do the second week than the first.”

However, both tournaments are poised to test the world’s best on the same course.

“While they’re clearly two different championships, we’re looking at it as one big event,” Davis added in the report. “This is really a chance, on the same golf course, to test the world’s best.”

To read the original AP story, click here.