The 123rd playing of the U.S. Open begins in mid-June, with the world’s best golfers taking on the challenge of the Los Angeles Country Club right in the heart of L.A. Tournament play returns to LACC for the first time since 1940. The four-day, stroke play event tees off on Thursday, June 15th, with the champion crowned following the final round on Sunday, June 18th.
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is the defending champion after defeating Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler by one stroke at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, to win his first major and PGA Tour victory. Fitzpatrick carded a four-day score of 274 (6-under par).
Los Angeles Country Club Offers Stern Test
Los Angeles Country Club for years pushed back against the idea of hosting a major championship. Now under new management, the front office at LACC is ready to show off one of the crown jewels of George C. Thomas Jr.’s architectural design. The tournament will be played on the North Course, which plays as a par-70 and stretches over 7,400 yards.
There are a pair of par-5s on the opening nine holes, along with three par-3s. On the inward nine, a pair of par 3s is accompanied by one par 5. The hole that stands out on the scorecard is the par 3 11th hole that measures 290 yards from the back tee boxes.
All Eyes on the Top Players in the World
The USGA and LACC will have the course set up in traditional U.S. Open conditions that will exploit any weakness in a golfer’s game. Many golfers who have already navigated the layout have mentioned you’ll need every club and every shot type in the bag.
Expect the top players in the world to rise to the top on the weekend, and don’t be surprised if one of the betting favorite, Scottie Scheffler (+700), Jon Rahm (+1100), Brooks Koepka (+1200), Rory McIlroy (+1400), or other players who are betting favorites to win.
An American Will Win it All
Fitzpatrick and Spain’s Rahm are the last two winners of the U.S. Open. Bryson DeChambeau was the last to win America’s Open back in 2020. DeChambeau was the last of six-straight years of American golfers winning the tournament.
We expect an American to get back into the winner’s circle this year. The likes of Scheffler, Koepka, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, or Jordan Spieth all have excellent opportunities.
If we had to pick one golfer to wager on prior to the start of the tournament, it would be the betting favorite and no. 1 golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler. The 26-year-old has played too well this year to not grab his second major title. The PLAYERS champion’s worst finish over the last four months was a T11 at the RBC Heritage in April. Since opening his season with a T45 at the CJ Cup, Scheffler hasn’t finished worse than T12 in 16 consecutive events, including a T10 at the Masters and T2 at the PGA Championship.
