US Open 2023

[Middler]

Wow, two 62's today! I enjoy seeing the pros navigate a tough course, this will be fun to watch like most US Opens. Just watching them all take on #6, #7 and #15 are worth the price of admission.

[Caddie1966]

This ain’t playing like any US Open I can ever remember.  If the USGA speeds up the greens and skins the fairways, we MIGHT see some higher scores.  Congrats to Ricky and Xander for showing everyone what’s possible.

[fixyurdivot]

6 minutes ago, Caddie1966 said:

This ain’t playing like any US Open I can ever remember.  If the USGA speeds up the greens and skins the fairways, we MIGHT see some higher scores.  Congrats to Ricky and Xander for showing everyone what’s possible.

Agree.  Listening to the pre-event course layout/analysis yesterday gave the impesssion it might play harder than most.  To be fair, it is not getting steamrolled but I was expecting lower scoring.  Cool to see Rickie atop the board though .

[Caddie1966]

8 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

Agree.  Listening to the pre-event course layout/analysis yesterday gave the impesssion it might play harder than most.  To be fair, it is not getting steamrolled but I was expecting lower scoring.  Cool to see Rickie atop the board though .

Yep.. Glad he tore it up today.  I hope he keeps it going.  He’s overdue.

[MattWillGolf]

I pick Koepka to win so naturally he is at +3.

[OldCaddie]

Rory playing like he has something to prove.  

[Kenny B]

Have you ever seen this many birdies in a US Open round?  They are dropping from everywhere!

[Caddie1966]

This feels like someone called all their friends and said: “ Hey birdies are half off at LACC today, come on over and get some”

[fixyurdivot]

Love seeing Brian Harman near the top.  I've been rooting for this guy to breakthrough at a major since his rookie season.

12 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

Have you ever seen this many birdies in a US Open round?  They are dropping from everywhere!

Anyone not think the course set-up crew isn't already formulating a response? 

[Shapotomous]

I just saw a rake laying in the grass next to a bunker.  I always assumed they had a volunteer stationed nearby holding the rake so it wouldnt influence a shot.  And if no volunteer then shouldnt the rake be in the bunker?

[Splatt]

Rory's opening drive

[LICC]

4 hours ago, Middler said:

Wow, two 62's today! I enjoy seeing the pros navigate a tough course, this will be fun to watch like most US Opens. Just watching them all take on #6, #7 and #15 are worth the price of admission.

The USGA should be embarrassed. I don’t know what they are thinking using this course set up like this making it so easy it is a joke. 

[Tarheelvolvo]

18 minutes ago, LICC said:

The USGA should be embarrassed. I don’t know what they are thinking using this course set up like this making it so easy it is a joke. 

I sure got fooled watching all the videos of balls rolling off fairways and greens into ankle deep rough. its like the videos were of a different course…

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, Shapotomous said:

I just saw a rake laying in the grass next to a bunker.  I always assumed they had a volunteer stationed nearby holding the rake so it wouldnt influence a shot.  And if no volunteer then shouldnt the rake be in the bunker?

I don’t recall ever seeing a rake in a bunker on Tour.  I’m sure a rake is placed outside a bunker is a place not likely to be hit.  For us lowlifes some courses put them in bunkers; others are outside.  At my course they are outside.  The rough is mowed one a week; the sand is raked 3-4 times a week depending on tournaments.

[Shapotomous]

41 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

I don’t recall ever seeing a rake in a bunker on Tour.  I’m sure a rake is placed outside a bunker is a place not likely to be hit.  For us lowlifes some courses put them in bunkers; others are outside.  At my course they are outside.  The rough is mowed one a week; the sand is raked 3-4 times a week depending on tournaments.

We always place the rake in the bunker so that a rake wont keep a ball from going into the sand if that is where it is headed.  

The club i worked at had rakes with a point coming out of the head end you could stab into the sand so the handle stood vertical.

[Syks7]

5 hours ago, Caddie1966 said:

This ain’t playing like any US Open I can ever remember.  If the USGA speeds up the greens and skins the fairways, we MIGHT see some higher scores.  Congrats to Ricky and Xander for showing everyone what’s possible.

 

5 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Agree.  Listening to the pre-event course layout/analysis yesterday gave the impesssion it might play harder than most.  To be fair, it is not getting steamrolled but I was expecting lower scoring.  Cool to see Rickie atop the board though .

 

1 hour ago, LICC said:

The USGA should be embarrassed. I don’t know what they are thinking using this course set up like this making it so easy it is a joke. 

Had kind of weird weather last night.  Little bit of drizzle and it was cool and damp feeling all day.  When I was driving in from the Valley my first thought was that it would be gettable for them -- and it was.  There were lots of fairway crossings to get around the course and I did notice that over the course of the day the fairways got considerably harder (even in the areas where I  snuck a few footsteps outside the heavy traffic (official crossing area).  I suspect no water for the course tonight and a little haircut in a few places the fairway was a little too sticky.  I think they'll probably mow the fairways down a little tighter on 8 to make it much harder to hold the shelf everyone was getting to.  If they do that you'll see a lot more people have to play  out of the barranca or play it safe.  I spent a couple hours there, no eagles but a lot of two putt birdies.   I also think they'll do so on three five and thirteen where the penalty for not staying in the right part of the fairway is severe.  It's hard to see on TV but the course is heavily sloped and if the fairways get less sticky they're going to have issues.   

I also think there will be considerably harder pin placements tomorrow.  They looked scary for an amateur like me but I wouldn't say they were in tough spots for pros.  It didn't feel like they had to make tough approach shots for most of them to get it to a good spot.  If they put them in harder places its going to get a lot tougher.  Downhill putts were already lightning today.  I watched several on 8 that were from around 10ish feet that the backswing was less than 1/2"  and they still rolled 3-4 feet past the hole.  So if they start to set it up that you either have to hit a perfect shot or you'll be above the hole or in a bunker we might see some fireworks.

I also did partially follow Ricky & Xander flopping between the two groups.  Those dudes were throwing darts today.  I think they would have gone low regardless of setup.  I think the afternoon played closer to what the actual setup was.  

If it gets sunny and the course dries out we might see that winning number creep back from where Ricky & Xander are.  We'll see.  

In any case.  It was a hell of a day for me.  Showed up at 9:00 A.M. left right after Rory 'saved' bogey after the whiff on 18.  24,104 steps (Right around 13.5 miles walked) 2+ Loops of the course.  I might be a trainwreck tomorrow.

Here's some pics from the day.  

 

Crossing 18

17 is stupid long.  The tee box is up by the tent in the top right of the photo

Closer view of 'Little 17'.  You can see it fully in the photo above.  It's an original green that they found when doing the renovation that is now used for fun.  

15 looking at the narrow tongue where they'll have the flag on Saturday when it's going to play 78ish yards

11 from across 16th fairway

As close as you can really get to the thirteenth green and 14th tee box.  Playboy Mansion behind the hedge top left.

Number 8 when Xander was coming through.

Number 6.  One of the Marshals that had been there all day said he'd only seen one birdie from someone that drove the green.  

Couple more of #6

Number 4

Number 3

Number 2

 

[Splatt]

4 hours ago, Syks7 said:

 

 

Had kind of weird weather last night.  Little bit of drizzle and it was cool and damp feeling all day.  When I was driving in from the Valley my first thought was that it would be gettable for them -- and it was.  There were lots of fairway crossings to get around the course and I did notice that over the course of the day the fairways got considerably harder (even in the areas where I  snuck a few footsteps outside the heavy traffic (official crossing area).  I suspect no water for the course tonight and a little haircut in a few places the fairway was a little too sticky.  I think they'll probably mow the fairways down a little tighter on 8 to make it much harder to hold the shelf everyone was getting to.  If they do that you'll see a lot more people have to play  out of the barranca or play it safe.  I spent a couple hours there, no eagles but a lot of two putt birdies.   I also think they'll do so on three five and thirteen where the penalty for not staying in the right part of the fairway is severe.  It's hard to see on TV but the course is heavily sloped and if the fairways get less sticky they're going to have issues.   

I also think there will be considerably harder pin placements tomorrow.  They looked scary for an amateur like me but I wouldn't say they were in tough spots for pros.  It didn't feel like they had to make tough approach shots for most of them to get it to a good spot.  If they put them in harder places its going to get a lot tougher.  Downhill putts were already lightning today.  I watched several on 8 that were from around 10ish feet that the backswing was less than 1/2"  and they still rolled 3-4 feet past the hole.  So if they start to set it up that you either have to hit a perfect shot or you'll be above the hole or in a bunker we might see some fireworks.

I also did partially follow Ricky & Xander flopping between the two groups.  Those dudes were throwing darts today.  I think they would have gone low regardless of setup.  I think the afternoon played closer to what the actual setup was.  

If it gets sunny and the course dries out we might see that winning number creep back from where Ricky & Xander are.  We'll see.  

In any case.  It was a hell of a day for me.  Showed up at 9:00 A.M. left right after Rory 'saved' bogey after the whiff on 18.  24,104 steps (Right around 13.5 miles walked) 2+ Loops of the course.  I might be a trainwreck tomorrow.

Here's some pics from the day.  

 

Crossing 18

17 is stupid long.  The tee box is up by the tent in the top right of the photo

Closer view of 'Little 17'.  You can see it fully in the photo above.  It's an original green that they found when doing the renovation that is now used for fun.  

15 looking at the narrow tongue where they'll have the flag on Saturday when it's going to play 78ish yards

11 from across 16th fairway

As close as you can really get to the thirteenth green and 14th tee box.  Playboy Mansion behind the hedge top left.

Number 8 when Xander was coming through.

Number 6.  One of the Marshals that had been there all day said he'd only seen one birdie from someone that drove the green.  

Couple more of #6

Number 4

Number 3

Number 2

 

Not jealous at all......

How was the atmosphere? 

[GolfSpy_APH]

8 hours ago, LICC said:

The USGA should be embarrassed. I don’t know what they are thinking using this course set up like this making it so easy it is a joke. 

Can we not give credit to Rickie and Xander for having incredible rounds vs ragging on the Usga? 

Enjoy the golf, enjoy the championship and if it's that bad to you turn it off and move on.

[ZackS]

12 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Can we not give credit to Rickie and Xander for having incredible rounds vs ragging on the Usga? 

Enjoy the golf, enjoy the championship and if it's that bad to you turn it off and move on.

Totally agree. I am pulling for Ricky even though he decided to wait until I didn’t pick him in the pool to do this . He seem like a genuinely good guy and would love to see him get a major. 

[LICC]

49 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Can we not give credit to Rickie and Xander for having incredible rounds vs ragging on the Usga? 

Enjoy the golf, enjoy the championship and if it's that bad to you turn it off and move on.

Two players shot scores that have never been shot in any US Open in history. The US Open is supposed to be one of the most challenging tests in golf. Not 40-yard wide fairways and easy pin locations. This was a normal PGA Tour event shootout. The Memorial and the PGA Championship played more like a US Open than what we saw yesterday. I want to see a US Open, not a tour event dart throw. The USGA didn't learn from Erin Hills- new venue, wide fairways, no adjustments to maintain the scoring challenge.

All credit to Rickie and Xander and the other low scores for taking advantage, but this wasn't a US Open challenge. I hope the USGA makes adjustments for the next three rounds.

Edited June 16, 2023 by LICC

[GolfSpy_APH]

1 minute ago, LICC said:

Two players shot scores that have never been shot in any US Open in history. The US Open is supposed to be one of the most challenging tests in golf. Not 40-yard wide fairways and easy pin locations. This was a normal PGA Tour event shootout. The Memorial and the PGA Championship played more like a US Open than what we saw yesterday. I want to see a US Open, not a tour event dart throw. The USGA didn't learn from Erin Hills- new venue, wide fairways, no adjustments to maintain the scoring challenge.

The PGA was stupid tough, we have seen that already this year. 

This is a different Challenge and it was known heading in that there could be low scores.

Again if you don't like it fair enough, no need to complain about it. Recognize the good play and enjoy a different Challenge at this US Open. 

Not every US Open needs to be punch in the face for the pros.

[LICC]

13 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Not every US Open needs to be punch in the face for the pros.

Yes, that is what the US Open is supposed to be. Maybe not exactly that extreme, but it is supposed to be the sternest test of the best players. That is its history and legacy. This isn't supposed to be a regular event. 

Bodenhamer was interviewed last night and asked why, after seeing the soft conditions before play started, they didn't adjust and use the farther back tees and tougher pin positions, and he had no good answer. They just got caught flat-footed. And he did say that the US Open being the sternest test in golf is part of its "DNA" and "heart and soul."

Edited June 16, 2023 by LICC

[Irish-Assassin]

My take on it is every player had the opportunity to score low, the course had softer conditions than normal due to the weather, USGA cannot dictate this but yes they could have had a backup plan to make it harder but decided not to upset the apple cart anymore, there has been enough controversy this last week in golf. Hopefully the sun shines today and this makes the course way tougher/harder like the US Open should be. 
Hats off to Rickie and Xander for great rounds but let’s not hope for another Erin Hills, if that does happen then I would then change my mind and say that the USGA dropped the ball, three days left we could see some change in scores, weather permitting. 
 

[fixyurdivot]

7 hours ago, Syks7 said:

 

 

Had kind of weird weather last night.  Little bit of drizzle and it was cool and damp feeling all day.  When I was driving in from the Valley my first thought was that it would be gettable for them -- and it was.  There were lots of fairway crossings to get around the course and I did notice that over the course of the day the fairways got considerably harder (even in the areas where I  snuck a few footsteps outside the heavy traffic (official crossing area).  I suspect no water for the course tonight and a little haircut in a few places the fairway was a little too sticky.  I think they'll probably mow the fairways down a little tighter on 8 to make it much harder to hold the shelf everyone was getting to.  If they do that you'll see a lot more people have to play  out of the barranca or play it safe.  I spent a couple hours there, no eagles but a lot of two putt birdies.   I also think they'll do so on three five and thirteen where the penalty for not staying in the right part of the fairway is severe.  It's hard to see on TV but the course is heavily sloped and if the fairways get less sticky they're going to have issues.   

I also think there will be considerably harder pin placements tomorrow.  They looked scary for an amateur like me but I wouldn't say they were in tough spots for pros.  It didn't feel like they had to make tough approach shots for most of them to get it to a good spot.  If they put them in harder places its going to get a lot tougher.  Downhill putts were already lightning today.  I watched several on 8 that were from around 10ish feet that the backswing was less than 1/2"  and they still rolled 3-4 feet past the hole.  So if they start to set it up that you either have to hit a perfect shot or you'll be above the hole or in a bunker we might see some fireworks.

I also did partially follow Ricky & Xander flopping between the two groups.  Those dudes were throwing darts today.  I think they would have gone low regardless of setup.  I think the afternoon played closer to what the actual setup was.  

If it gets sunny and the course dries out we might see that winning number creep back from where Ricky & Xander are.  We'll see.  

In any case.  It was a hell of a day for me.  Showed up at 9:00 A.M. left right after Rory 'saved' bogey after the whiff on 18.  24,104 steps (Right around 13.5 miles walked) 2+ Loops of the course.  I might be a trainwreck tomorrow.

Here's some pics from the day.  

 

Crossing 18

17 is stupid long.  The tee box is up by the tent in the top right of the photo

Closer view of 'Little 17'.  You can see it fully in the photo above.  It's an original green that they found when doing the renovation that is now used for fun.  

15 looking at the narrow tongue where they'll have the flag on Saturday when it's going to play 78ish yards

11 from across 16th fairway

As close as you can really get to the thirteenth green and 14th tee box.  Playboy Mansion behind the hedge top left.

Number 8 when Xander was coming through.

Number 6.  One of the Marshals that had been there all day said he'd only seen one birdie from someone that drove the green.  

Couple more of #6

Number 4

Number 3

Number 2

 

Thanks for sharing with us.  The pics leaves me with the impression the course is already pretty dry.  It could simply be that the course is gettable so long as you stay clear of the trouble spots.  We'll know soon if round 1 was an anomoly.

 

[MacTourney]

1955 US Open rough and Hogan having a rough time in it.   Always love looking at this contemplative picture this time of year.

 

 

[Syks7]

3 hours ago, Splatt said:

Not jealous at all......

How was the atmosphere? 

Solid atmosphere for a top tier LA sporting event.  I was worried that it would all be a lot of people just hanging out in the corporate pavilions but that wasn't the case as I saw a lot of people coming out from the corporate tents and spending time out on the course.  You could also hear a lot of roars from all over the course.  

I heard that it looked like no one was there on TV and part of that is limited access points.  The course is super spread out, but also very tight because of the topography and layout.    Many of the holes necessitated that spectators could only access one side of the hole and camera towers often were on the same side for logistical ease.  They did their best to allow you to follow a group but the layout and how it works through topography makes it tricky.  There are a couple holes where there are no good options to transition to the next hole like 17-18.  Player access is up the normal bridge that goes over the barranca and up the escarpment to the top plateau.  There's a steep wooded cliff to the right of the 18th tee and the first green to the left.  There's not enough space for spectators in between.  So the only way to see it is to hustle around the corner past #2 tee and up the pathway around the #1 grandstand then up the opposite side of 1 until you get to a fairway crossing to get back over next to 18.  My hope is that when we reach the weekend the front won't have traffic on it after the last groups go through and they open the shared rough in between up to spectators.  

[Syks7]

7 minutes ago, fixyurdivot said:

The pics leaves me with the impression the course is already pretty dry.  It could simply be that the course is gettable so long as you stay clear of the trouble spots.

Fair point, though in my limited experience with the course I would say that it always looks a bit dry.  As far as the layout goes, you definitely could be right.

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

What’s with this peacock bs. Grrr. 

[cnosil]

10 minutes ago, Vegan_Golfer_PNW said:

What’s with this peacock bs. Grrr. 

That’s who the USGA has their broadcast contract with.  Means I have to wait for the USA/NBC broadcast to watch  

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Just now, cnosil said:

That’s who the USGA has their broadcast contract with.  

I get it. And same with espn+ and it’s all to make an extra buck. I remember days when the full tournament was on local tv and you could tune in easily. Call me an old fart at 34.