The US Open: A short Par Four, a long Par Three and the Playboy Mansion

All you need to know about golf’s third major of the year - the US Open.

Where is it being played?

This year the US Open heads to the Los Angeles Country Club (North) - A par 70 with a yardage of 7,421 (6785m). Los Angeles CC was formed in 1897 and the course in its current location dates to 1911. It’s an eight minute drive away from the Beverly Hills sign.

Highlights include the par four sixth, measuring at just 330 yards (301m), a reachable green with three wood if players can negotiate the massive tree blocking the view of the pin. That’s followed by the long par three seventh at 284 yards (259m). There’s also the really short par three 15th which is around 124 yards but could be played as short as 78 yards (71m). The 14th hole also backs onto the former Playboy Mansion.

What are they playing for?

The prize money is yet to be confirmed but last year the purse was US$17.5 million with the winner taking home US$3.15 million (NZ$5.12m).

Kiwis on the course?

Just the one. Ryan Fox will play in his fifth US Open. His best finish was a tied for 41st at the 2018 event at Shinnecock Hills. He missed the cut in 2019, 2020 and 2022. The world No 41 has performed well at majors this year with a t-26th at the Masters followed by a 23rd at Oak Hill. Fox tees off at 3.35am on Friday morning alongside Ireland’s Seamus Power and Northern Ireland amateur Matthew McClean.

Other key tee times?

2.40am Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood; 3.13am Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Scottie Scheffler; 3.24am Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm; 8.32am Cameron Smith, Sam Bennett, Matt Fitzpatrick; 8.43am Tony Finau, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay; 8.54am Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy.

What happened last year?

Matt Fitzpatrick closed with a two-under 68 for a one-shot victory over Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris at The Country Club outside Boston. Fitzpatrick joined Jack Nicklaus (Pebble Beach) as the only players to win a US Amateur and the US Open on the same course.

How to watch:

Sky Sport will have live coverage of all four rounds. Coverage begins at 3am on Sky Sport 6 with two pop-up channels following feature groups. Live streaming is available on Sky Sport Now.

Odds:

World No 1 Scheffler is the favourite at $7.50 despite his recent poor form with putter in hand. Masters champion Jon Rahm is paying $11 to claim his third major while PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka is $13. If you think Ryan Fox will become just the fourth New Zealander to win a golf major then you can get odds of $151.

Who are the Michael Block options this week?

Olin Browne Jr: Son of a three time PGA Tour winner, the 34-year-old has been plugging away in the ‘lower leagues’ on professional golf and finally gets his shot at a major after qualifying in his 17th attempt.

Berry Henson: The 43-year-old LA native drives an Uber part-time to pay the bills and has played on almost every golf tour, including the Hooters Tour.

Give me some more facts to impress my mates on the course this week...

This will be the first US Open in Los Angeles since Ben Hogan won at Riviera in 1948. It’s the first major in Los Angeles since the 1995 PGA Championship at Riviera.

Scheffler and Morikawa played LACC in the 2017 Walker Cup. Max Homa won the Pac-12 championship for Cal at LACC, setting the course record with a 61.

Tiger Woods is not playing the US Open for the third straight year because of injuries.

Koepka has finished runner-up at the Masters and won the PGA Championship so far this year. He is among 14 players from LIV Golf in the field.

Morikawa, Woods, Billy Casper and Scott Simpson are the only Californians to have won majors in their home state.

LACC is the third course in the last nine years to host a US Open for the first time. The others were Erin Hills (2017) and Chambers Bay (2015).

The US Open is the only major keeping Phil Mickelson from the career Grand Slam. He turns 53 on the Friday of the US Open.

Where to next year?

It’s off to Pinehurst No 2, where Kiwi Michael Campbell won in 2005.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission