2023 US Open - Los Angeles Country Club

[cshea]

The 3rd major championship of the season gets underway on Thursday at LACC. For those of us in the East, that means prime time major championship golf.

LACC is relatively unknown, it has not hosted a professional tournement since 1940. Apparently it's about 7,400 yards. 7 and 11 are a par 3's they can stretch out to 290(!) and on the flip side 15 they can shorten to like 80 yards. Overall, it seems like an interesting course but I know nothing about it.

Here's a look at it from NLU who played it on media day a month or two ago:

View: https://youtu.be/-YgTDpUsYBk


Some odds as of Monday morning:

Scottie Scheffler +750
Jon Rahm +1100
Brooks Koekpa +1100
Rory McIlroy +1300
Patrick Cantlay +1700
Viktor Hovland +1700
Xander Schaffele +2000
Jordan Spieth +2400
Cam Smith +3000
Max Homa +3000
Collin Morikawa +3100
Matt Fitzpatrick +3400
Tyrrell Hatton +3400
Hideki Matsuyama +3400

There's going to be a lot of Max chatter this week as he is the local kid who wins a bunch in California and happens to hold the course record (62 I think). It's also a home game for Cantlay so we'll probably hear a lot about him. Scheffler and Morikawa are 2 prominent players who also have some tournament experience here, both being members of the 2017 US Walker Cup team.

TV Schedule (Times are EST)

Thursday & Friday
9:40-1:00pm Peacock
1:00pm-8:00pm USA
8:00-11:00pm NBC

Saturday
1:00pm-11:00pm NBC

Sunday
12:00-1:00pm Peacock
1:00pm-11:00pm NBC

 

[TFP]

Here are a couple more vids as well to get familiar with the course

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKBYeaWvN3Y


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcIcBilkJ9k

 

[jmcc5400]

Sorry, those videos show sunshine. That can’t possibly be Los Angeles.

 

[RedOctober3829]

The weather looks spectacular in LA this week. Low to mid 70's all week with really no big chances of rain any day.

 

[jmcc5400]

The weather looks spectacular in LA this week. Low to mid 70's all week with really no big chances of rain any day.

I'm mostly being facetious. I live about a mile from LACC and it has unrelentingly been overcast (at least in the mornings) and in the 60s for seemingly months now. It does look like Thursday-Sunday will be pretty good.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

I'm mostly being facetious. I live about a mile from LACC and it has unrelentingly been overcast (at least in the mornings) and in the 60s for seemingly months now. It does look like Thursday-Sunday will be pretty good.

Raining here, 20 miles south of the course

 

[ColdSoxPack]

Gloomy as hell here in Ventura County but the forecast is for improving weather later this week as was mentioned above. The sun will come out mid-morning at best methinks.

 

[Mooch]

This Open is the main reason I picked Cantlay #3 overall in the PGA $$ league this year. If he's ever going to break through and win a major, it would probably be this one.

 

[Plantiers Wart]

If Cantlay's in the final group, it might be a Tuesday finish

 

[Zomp]

Wake up
Go to the course and hit balls for an hour
Play 18
Have lunch
Go home, play with the kids while the wife cooks dinnwr
Watch the final round including the back 9 which will be when the kids are sleeping

Happy Father’s Day

 

[ColdSoxPack]

Here are a couple more vids as well to get familiar with the course

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKBYeaWvN3Y


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcIcBilkJ9k

Very cool. What is the spelling for those dry gullys? Branca? Branka?

 

[TFP]

Very cool. What is the spelling for those dry gullys? Branca? Branka?

I think it's barranca

 

[ColdSoxPack]

I think it's barranca

Yessir. I'm going to call it a gully.

The meaning of BARRANCA is a deep gully or arroyo with steep sides.

 

[cshea]

This Open is the main reason I picked Cantlay #3 overall in the PGA $$ league this year. If he's ever going to break through and win a major, it would probably be this one.

Cantlay and Homa are kind of in the same boat. Top 10 players but abysmal major track records. Max has 0 top 10's in 15 major starts. Cantlay has 4 in 23 starts. At some point it'll probably happen for them both but it's hard to lean too much into it this week, even with the home game stuff. In fact, I think the home game stuff might make it harder for them. Probably more Max than Cantlay. Nobody really likes Cantlay so he's a bit more under the randar in terms of the home game thing. Everyone loves Max so he's kinda become the face of this event. That's a lot of weight to carry, added on top of the narrative around him struggleing in majors. Rory basically collapsed under this kind of pressure at Portrush in 2019.

It's chalk but it's hard not to pick Scheffler. His tee to green game right now is historically great. Here are Scottie's ranks this year on Tour:

SG off the tee: 1
SG approach: 1
SG tee to green: 1
SG around the green: 6
SG putting: 148
SG Total: 1

His putting has been comically bad but it hasn't really mattered at all this year. His playbook at this point is to hit it so close to the hole that it diesn't matter how well you putt and he's basically pulling it off. If he's merely kind of bad with the putter instead of historically bad he can win. The data from his start at the Memorial was insance. He lost almost 9 shots putting that week and finished in 3rd, 1 shot out of a playoff. If he had delieverd a neutral putting performance, he would've won by like 15. It was insane.

 

[Over Guapo Grande]

Yessir. I'm going to call it a gully.

The meaning of BARRANCA is a deep gully or Arroyo with steep sides.

It shall be called a Bronson in my mind, then.

 

[ManicCompression]

I lucked into some tickets for Sunday - cannot wait. It'll be my first time seeing a golf tournament like this live, though - anyone have tips on strategy for getting the most out of attending the event? Best to post up in one place or move around?

 

[ColdSoxPack]

I lucked into some tickets for Sunday - cannot wait. It'll be my first time seeing a golf tournament like this live, though - anyone have tips on strategy for getting the most out of attending the event? Best to post up in one place or move around?

You could pick a group to follow all day long. I like to watch everyone tee off at 1, then head towards 9 and watch them come in. Then watch everyone at 10 and wander over to 18 before it gets too crowded. Have fun.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

Wake up
Go to the course and hit balls for an hour
Play 18
Have lunch
Go home, play with the kids while the wife cooks dinnwr
Watch the final round including the back 9 which will be when the kids are sleeping

Happy Father’s Day

Here's my day:

Wake up
Go get breakfast alone
Go to the course, and skip the range, because that place sucks and makes me worse
Play 18
Have lunch
Play 9 hole father/child tournament
Send child home
Drink in 19th hole until the end of the final round, celebrating that the next day is a Federal holiday and I don't have to get up for work.
Wake up
play 18 again.

 

[DontTauntOrtizMe]

I lucked into some tickets for Sunday - cannot wait. It'll be my first time seeing a golf tournament like this live, though - anyone have tips on strategy for getting the most out of attending the event? Best to post up in one place or move around?

I’ve gone to the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and I personally had a better experience posted up. I went one year and tried to follow Tiger but it was insane. Trying to move with every shot he hit and keep a decent spot was a challenge. Posting up is much less stressful and you get to see everyone. The only downside is you’re seeing the same thing all day. I don’t know what crowd flow will be like at LACC but at Torrey Pines, it was not really conducive to following, at least in my experience. Have fun!

 

[Leon Trotsky]

I’ve gone to the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and I personally had a better experience posted up. I went one year and tried to follow Tiger but it was insane. Trying to move with every shot he hit and keep a decent spot was a challenge. Posting up is much less stressful and you get to see everyone. The only downside is you’re seeing the same thing all day. I don’t know what crowd flow will be like at LACC but at Torrey Pines, it was not really conducive to following, at least in my experience. Have fun!

I went to the US Open in Brookline last year and it was super awesome. One of best sporting events I've ever been to, and kids under 12 are free and don't need a ticket at all! I had great success bouncing around. In particular hit a hole a couple ahead of a big group you want to see and camp out for a little while for them to arrive, then bounce after the group after them. That worked brilliantly.

 

[benhogan]

I think it's barranca

Ha, I was introduced to the "Barranca" at LACC, I honestly thought the member was making up the term. I've played all over and never heard it elsewhere. It's basically a dried-out stream that acts as a runoff area when LACC gets hit with rain

Hugh Heffner's Playboy Mansion borders the course.

 

[joe dokes]

I was at Winged Foot in 2006. We kind of split up the first part of the day. Saw tee shots of different golfers from several holes from *very* close. And did the same with approaches and greens; then we posted up somewhere on the back 9 in a nice spot above the green where we saw some crucial late putts. I *think* we were roughly in that same spot and had a view of Phil philling the 18 tee. I found it very difficult to "follow the tournament" (until the very end), so it was more of day to see golfers do amazing things and also get totally beaten by the course.

 

[Plantiers Wart]

Ha, I was introduced to the "Barranca" at LACC, I honestly thought the member was making up the term. I've played all over and never heard it elsewhere. It's basically a dried-out stream that acts as a runoff area when LACC gets hit with rain

Hugh Heffner's Playboy Mansion borders the course.

Bing Crosby was a neighbor and desperately wanted to join. They do not accept entertainers as members. Crosby's house was razed by Aaron Spelling, who built his monstrosity of a home there just off the 14th fairway. I think it's roughly the size of the LACC clubhouse.

 

[cshea]

Tee times out.

https://www.usopen.com/2023/tee-times.html

Notables on Thursday (times are EST)

10:40am: Lowry/Fleetwood/JT
11:13am: Morikawa/Homa/Scheffler
11:24am: Schauffele/Hovland/Rahm

4:21pm: Sahith/Tom Kim/Cam Young
4:32pm: Cam Smith/Sam Bennett/Matt Fitzpatrick
4:43pm: Finau/Spieth/Cantlay
4:54pm: Brooks/Hideki/Rory

 

[benhogan]

Bing Crosby was a neighbor and desperately wanted to join. They do not accept entertainers as members. Crosby's house was razed by Aaron Spelling, who built his monstrosity of a home there just off the 14th fairway. I think it's roughly the size of the LACC clubhouse.

LACC is pretty stuffy (for LA). I believe Munger hangs out there all day playing bridge.
Most of the entertainment/celebrities join Bel Air, which is more fun (& shorter than LACC) IMO.

Lionel Ritchie has a nice pad on one of the downhill Par 3s

Weather has been awful this year by LA standards, but it's really nice today.

 

[TheGazelle]

Tee times out.

https://www.usopen.com/2023/tee-times.html

Notables on Thursday (times are EST)

10:40am: Lowry/Fleetwood/JT
11:13am: Morikawa/Homa/Scheffler
11:24am: Schauffele/Hovland/Rahm

4:21pm: Sahith/Tom Kim/Cam Young
4:32pm: Cam Smith/Sam Bennett/Matt Fitzpatrick
4:43pm: Finau/Spieth/Cantlay
4:54pm: Brooks/Hideki/Rory

Is the USGA trying to have a murder on the course putting Brooks directly behind Cantlay?

 

[TimNJsoxfan]

Is the USGA trying to have a murder on the course putting Brooks directly behind Cantlay?

One of the stipulations for the LIV guys

 

[Senator Donut]

Is the USGA trying to have a murder on the course putting Brooks directly behind Cantlay?

and Sam Bennet in the group ahead of Cantlay, basically attempting to recreate Masters Sunday

EDIT: they are starting at different tees, so we won’t get to see Brooks fight Cantlay until the weekend at the earlierst.

 

[Zomp]

is Peacock going to have featured groups or no because it’s basically all day coverage?

 

[johnmd20]

is Peacock going to have featured groups or no because it’s basically all day coverage?

Featured Groups and Bonus Coverage (All times ET)

Thursday 10:40 a.m. and Friday 4:10 p.m. - Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood

Thursday 11:13 a.m. and Friday 4:43 p.m. - Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa and Collin Morikawa

Thursday 11:24 a.m. and Friday 4:54 p.m. - Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm

Thursday 4:32 p.m. and Friday 11:02 a.m. - Cameron Smith, Sam Bennett, Matt Fitzpatrick

Thursday 4:43 p.m. and Friday 11:13 a.m. - Tony Finau, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay

Thursday 4:54 p.m. and Friday 11:24 AM - Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy

Available on usopen.com and on Peacock.

I am surprised they aren't changing the groups on Friday. But that is a lot of groups.

 

[Zomp]

It is. The US Open always has the most coverage

 

[RedOctober3829]

Wake up
Go to the course and hit balls for an hour
Play 18
Have lunch
Go home, play with the kids while the wife cooks dinnwr
Watch the final round including the back 9 which will be when the kids are sleeping

Happy Father’s Day

This is why West Coast majors are a godsend. You can do everything you want to do during the day on the weekend, get the kids to bed, and still not miss anything important. For the most part, the West Coast majors have been exciting tournaments too. Rahm's win at Torrey Pines in '21 US Open, Woodland at Pebble Beach in '19, and Spieth at Chambers Bay in '15. We also had Morikawa's win at the 2020 PGA at Harding Park in SF.

 

[Senator Donut]

This is why West Coast majors are a godsend. You can do everything you want to do during the day on the weekend, get the kids to bed, and still not miss anything important. For the most part, the West Coast majors have been exciting tournaments too. Rahm's win at Torrey Pines in '21 US Open, Woodland at Pebble Beach in '19, and Spieth at Chambers Bay in '15. We also had Morikawa's win at the 2020 PGA at Harding Park in SF.

In 2021 at Torrey Pines, NBC was scheduled to go off-air at 9:00 ET on Saturday and 8:00 ET (presumably to leave extra time for the two-hole playoff). That was only one hour later than the televisions windows for Brookline that ended at 8:00 and 7:00 respectively.

This year coverage is scheduled until 11:00 ET both weekend nights, so plan accordingly!

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

So the sand is really soft, so there is more of a chance that the ball doesn't roll down to a flat lie. And the grass around the bunkers is absolutely nasty. There is going to have to be some short game wizardry in play.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

I almost want to make this a contest, but what score do we think wins this thing? How many players finish under par?

 

[TFP]

I almost want to make this a contest, but what score do we think wins this thing? How many players finish under par?

I think the winning score is around -8 to -10. But the spread will be huge. People will go low and high in back to back rounds.

 

[FL4WL3SS]

I think the winning score is around +5 to -15, somewhere in there.

 

[cshea]

So the sand is really soft, so there is more of a chance that the ball doesn't roll down to a flat lie. And the grass around the bunkers is absolutely nasty. There is going to have to be some short game wizardry in play.

The fairways give off an Augusta vibe to me. Wide but lots of hills and slopes, minimal and not very deep rough. The greens are obviously much different.

The hot hole seem to be 6, the driveable 4 with the blind tee shot (at least towards the green). The play to me seems to be to bang it to the right and then pitch up the length of the green but that probably depends on the pin placement.

Some others that are being talked about so far. 7 is a par 3 they can stretch to like 285 and I don't think there's much elevation change, so that could be driver some some guys if the wind is in and the tee is pushed back (I'm not sure how forward they can even go). 11 is the 290 par 3 but that is significantly downhill so it'll play a lot shorter. 13 is a long par 4 with a fairway a mile wide but they need the tee shot on the left side. If it lands middle or right it goes down the slope into the rough and they have a long, blind second shot. Then 15 is the short par 3 that they can play 80-130 yards. Diabolical green from what it sounds like. Apparently Rickie Fowler said he was considering laying up(!) because it may be an easier up and down than if he missed his spot from the tee.

 

[TFP]

The fairways give off an Augusta vibe to me. Wide but lots of hills and slopes, minimal and not very deep rough. The greens are obviously much different.

The hot hole seem to be 6, the driveable 4 with the blind tee shot (at least towards the green). The play to me seems to be to bang it to the right and then pitch up the length of the green but that probably depends on the pin placement.

Some others that are being talked about so far. 7 is a par 3 they can stretch to like 285 and I don't think there's much elevation change, so that could be driver some some guys if the wind is in and the tee is pushed back (I'm not sure how forward they can even go). 11 is the 290 par 3 but that is significantly downhill so it'll play a lot shorter. 13 is a long par 4 with a fairway a mile wide but they need the tee shot on the left side. If it lands middle or right it goes down the slope into the rough and they have a long, blind second shot. Then 15 is the short par 3 that they can play 80-130 yards. Diabolical green from what it sounds like. Apparently Rickie Fowler said he was considering laying up(!) because it may be an easier up and down than if he missed his spot from the tee.

I'm extremely excited to watch this course, having never seen it before this week. Should be fun.

 

[Over Guapo Grande]

Was it the US Open at Olympic where some people couldn't reach one of the Par 3's with a driver due to the length/winds?

 

[cshea]

Was it the US Open at Olympic where some people couldn't reach one of the Par 3's with a driver due to the length/winds?

That was Merion in 2013. Phil lit up a USGA official in the final round, from the final group, while leading the tournament, about it. It was the 3rd or 4th hole nad It was like up hill and 270 and there was no bailout. In Phil's case he needed driver but of course had taken it out of the bag for the week. He made a double.

 

[RedOctober3829]

View: https://twitter.com/jamescolgan26/status/1669044254822531072?s=20

 

[cshea]

...on the flip side, 30% more Playing Through!

 

[ColdSoxPack]

So its Peacock early tomorrow? Or usopen.com?

 

[Dan Murfman]

Still time to get in the pool. Deadline is first tee times.

US Open Pool

 

[TFP]

So its Peacock early tomorrow? Or usopen.com?

Both. Tv coverage starts at 1.

 

[Zomp]

Early impressions is this course is going to be a lot of fun. Not sure if score relative to par will matter but without much wind it isn’t playing too hard yet.

6 is amazing. Guys slinging 5 woods over the trees to try and hit it on the green

 

[cshea]

It's probably crazy and won't happen but I'm not sure JT should be on the Ryder Cup team in September. Not sure if it's an undisclosed injury or something else but he has not been good for a long time now. +3 through 7 to start today. One top 10 this season, that was at the WM in February.

 

[TFP]

It's probably crazy and won't happen but I'm not sure JT should be on the Ryder Cup team in September. Not sure if it's an undisclosed injury or something else but he has not been good for a long time now. +3 through 7 to start today. One top 10 this season, that was at the WM in February.

All the hints are that there's some sort of injury in there, but if he's able to play I'm sure you take him just to partner him with Spieth. Also Morikawa has a back injury and hasn't been in top form either, curious how that shakes out for Ryder Cup.

On the US Open topic, I'm in love with watching this course.

 

[cshea]

Yeah, this is really fun to watch. The Scheffler/Homa/Morikawa group is about to play 6.