LONG ISLAND, New York – The U.S. Open traditionally is regarded as “golf’s toughest test,” and that is exactly how the 123rd edition shapes up from June 15-18 as it is staged for the first time ever at Los Angeles Country Club, a venue that traditionally has been ultra-private. The reveal of that glorious course should be a treat for players and viewers alike, and it figures to produce a clash of titans among the game’s greatest players because it will require so much skill to navigate.
LACC stretches 7,423 yards and plays to par-70 with an unusual configuration of five par-3 holes, which is a first in U.S. Open history, and three par-5 holes. The five par-3 holes range in distance from the 124-yard 15th hole, which will play just 92 yards in one round, to the 290-yard 11th hole. Following the short 15th hole, the course ends with a back-breaking set of par-4s that include the 543-yard 16th, 520-yard 17th and 493-yard 18th. Six par-4 holes are at least 480 yards in length.
Architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner restored the original design by George C. Thomas Jr. and Henry Fowler in recent years. Some fairways will be as narrow as a normal U.S. Open layout, but there will be a few wide landing areas that invite long drives. But in the end, the premium will be on shot-making in terms of greens in regulation and putting. Those are the qualities I emphasized in making my top-10 picks, which admittedly are top-heavy with the names of the best players in the game. You won’t be able to fit six of them in a Draft Kings lineup and will have to pick some outliers.
My top pick to win is Patrick Cantlay, who played college golf at UCLA, currently is ranked No. 1 in all-round statistics and has seven top-10 finishes in 14 events without a win this season. Cantlay has yet to win a major championship, but he is knocking on the door and currently ranks second in birdies, sixth in GIR and 15th in putting. My second pick is Masters champion Jon Rahm, who ranks first in birdies, third in GIR and second in putting. He leads the PGA Tour with four wins this season and has eight top-10 finishes but fell to T-50 in the PGA after an opening 6-over round.
Recent PGA champion Brooks Koepka is my third pick, and he was T2 in the Masters and is a two-time U.S. Open champ. He has been dominant on the LIV Golf League, which was a motivating factor in his PGA win. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is my fourth choice. He has two wins this season and has finished no worse than T-12 in all 16 events he has played, including one unofficial event. Fifth is Justin Rose, whose win earlier this season came at Pebble Beach. He has five top-10 finishes in 15 events, including the Players Championship and PGA, and he is a former U.S. Open champion.
Rounding out my top 10 choices are Viktor Hovland, Max Homa, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele. Hovland is coming off a Memorial win and was T2 at the PGA, T7 at the Masters and T3 at the Players. Homa has two wins this season, including one at Torrey Pines in San Diego, and he happens to hold the LACC course record of 9-under 61 set as an amateur. McIlroy struggled earlier this season but has steadied himself with three straight top-10 finishes, and he has four straight top-10s in the U.S. Open.
Patrick Reed was T4 at the Masters, T18 at the PGA and has been top-10 in eight of 10 LIV events. Finally, Schauffele is another Californian, who has eight straight top-25 finishes this season and has a strong U.S. Open record. In short, expect the cream to rise to the top at Los Angeles Country Club.
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