Did the Course at LACC provide a good US Open Test?

[Jason Topp]

I only watched the last round but it seemed to me it was a fantastic final round test.  It presented a variety of holes, exposed weaknesses in the contender’s games and was plenty difficult.  It looked beautiful and there was at least some variety in tactics.  Players played offense and defense at times. 


Trying to focus on the course rather than the crowd size, LACC membership policies or any other sideshow. 

[mike_malone]

I imagine it’s quite a bit better in person. It is tough to show elevation changes on tv. Players had a chance to shine or fade away and they did.

[jeffwarne]

Yes-the course was very good.

[Thomas Dai]

From afar, the course seemed fine, the set-up less so. Having a par-3 play one day at 82 yds seemed like a good move.
Atb

[Ben Hollerbach]

From afar, the course seemed fine, the set-up less so.
Atb

Comparing how the course came across in this years US Open vs. the 2017 Walker Cup. It seems like a perfect match play venue. Give it as many Ryder Cups, Presidents Cups, Solheim Cups, Walker Cups, Curtis Cups, and US Ams as it can handle.

[Tommy Williamsen]

What struck me the most was the skill of the players to launch high mid-irons from 200+ yards and stop the ball near the hole. What I didn't like was the number of 500 yards par fours, but I guess they are needed given the state of the pro game.

[Jason Topp]

What struck me the most was the skill of the players to launch high mid-irons from 200+ yards and stop the ball near the hole. What I didn't like was the number of 500 yards par fours, but I guess they are needed given the state of the pro game.

I think so.  At the end of one of the rounds Rory hit 9, PW, and another short iron on the last three holes.   


At times I question whether players are hitting short irons too far for their own good. It is tough to tell because you cannot see how uphill r downhill a shot is or what they are expecting the ball to do once it lands.   

[Wade Whitehead]

The winner's tee shot on the last hole sliced more than 50 yards but still finished in the fairway.

Is that a "good test?"

WW

[PCCraig]

Looked great to me.

[John Kavanaugh]

It’s tough to believe anything anyone says considering how much each of us would love to play there.


The podcast “Pardon My Take” ripped the course like I had never heard. But then again, I am more in the Bill Simmons demo.

[David Kelly]

The winner's tee shot on the last hole sliced more than 50 yards but still finished in the fairway.

Is that a "good test?"

WW

I'm pretty sure Clark knew how wide the fairway was before he hit the shot. 

[Alex Miller]

The winner's tee shot on the last hole sliced more than 50 yards but still finished in the fairway.

Is that a "good test?"

WW

He started it left of the fairway and played a big left to right ball all day. I think we need Bubba Watson's opinion on this 

[Ben Stephens]

Yes


What's all the fuss about? the golf course did stood out - the pin positions was rather conservative and welcoming on the first day the next few days were more difficult.


Its different to the US Open 'norm' an unique course that was nice to see on TV - it had huge greens in comparison to Pebble or even Riviera.


Number of fans (or patrons) - Augusta has a limit doesn't it you hardly see the fans in the Masters - it was similar feel at LACC in some ways.


There always something to moan about (a certain commentator) - I suspect a number will do so at the 17th at Hoylake next month.


We have Razor as the on course commentator in the UK and he is great






 

[Ben Stephens]

The winner's tee shot on the last hole sliced more than 50 yards but still finished in the fairway.

Is that a "good test?"

WW

Everyone played the same course - Clark has huge slices off the tee a right handed version of Bubba. It worked for him.

[Tom_Doak]

I didn't get to watch much of the event because I'm in the UK and couldn't stay up that late on the back of jet lag.  But I just shake my head that a course can produce such a solid leaderboard and a tight finish and still be found wanting.


You could even say that the course eventually revealed some of the players' Achilles heels . . . such as Rory not being able to hole a big putt when he needed one.


I do not understand the blood lust for winning scores above par and shudder to think what it would take to actually make that happen in this era [besides very strong wind, and they'd surely have to postpone play in that case because the ball would move on the greens].  These guys are good, and so is the equipment they play with.

[Carl Johnson]

I though it was great.  And I would like to see more Opens there.  If they could get the club to agree, at each successive Open they could narrow the fairways by five yards, then five yards more, etc., until they bring the scores down so that the winner is a reasonable amount above par.  I think this approach would be consistent with what the USGA has done in the past.  Sarcasm, of course.

[John Kavanaugh]

Easy shaming.

[Ben Hollerbach]

The winner's tee shot on the last hole sliced more than 50 yards but still finished in the fairway.

Is that a "good test?"

WW

If Mito Pereira had to play the 18th at LACC over the 18th at Southern Hills, he'd be a major champion.

He started it left of the fairway and played a big left to right ball all day. I think we need Bubba Watson's opinion on this 

There is very little about his follow through and immediate reaction that says he intended to hit a 50 yard cut off the tee on the 18th.

[John Kavanaugh]

DJ bogies the 18th allowing Jon Rahm to squeeze into a tie for 10th. Tournament inside a tournament brought to you by DraftKings.

[Alex Miller]

The winner's tee shot on the last hole sliced more than 50 yards but still finished in the fairway.

Is that a "good test?"

WW

If Mito Pereira had to play the 18th at LACC over the 18th at Southern Hills, he'd be a major champion.

He started it left of the fairway and played a big left to right ball all day. I think we need Bubba Watson's opinion on this 

There is very little about his follow through and immediate reaction that says he intended to hit a 50 yard cut off the tee on the 18th.

He was looking into the setting sun. Here are his other tee shots from Sunday which look incredibly similar and suggest he didn't miss by nearly as much as you might think. All are moving 30-50yds left to right (except the one on 13 which moved 30 yds and missed the fairway left  )


https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=75
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=234
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=540
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=663
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=726

[Ben Hollerbach]

He was looking into the setting sun. Here are his other tee shots from Sunday which look incredibly similar and suggest he didn't miss by nearly as much as you might think. All are moving 30-50yds left to right (except the one on 13 which moved 30 yds and missed the fairway left)


https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=75
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=234
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=540
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=663
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=726

Watching his head, right shoulder, and right hip; his follow through on 18 was unlike the other 4 shots you included. There was a strange hitch to the move that suggest he did not hit it as he intended.

On the 3rd and 17th he hit straight drives, and on 16 he hit a straight to possibly slightly drawing drive. so It was not exclusively big cuts off of the tee.

[Cal Carlisle]

I think the pair of 62's from Fowler and Schauffle (and Clark's 64) on Thursday kind of freaked people out. With the exception of Tommy Fleetwood's 63 on Sunday, it wasn't like everyone was having their way with the course. Even though the final round wasn't drama filled, i was compelled to watch.

I prefer not to watch a tournament where the top priority is to defend par.

[David Kelly]

Last 10 U.S. Open winning scores in relation to par:

-10
-6
-6
-6
-13
+1
-16
-4
-5
-9

Mean= -7.4

LACC was hardly an outlier.

US Open winning scores in relation to par at Pebble Beach
+2
-6
-3
-12
E
-13

It seems pretty specious to make a blanket judgment - must less indictment - of a golf course based on what the winner shot in relation to par. 

Have a scorching June, the usual dry winter, slow the fairways down, slow the greens down a foot and bring in more slopes, add half an inch to the rough, tuck more pins, all these things could substantially change the winning score and would have nothing to do with the golf course as it sits there.

[Alex Miller]

He was looking into the setting sun. Here are his other tee shots from Sunday which look incredibly similar and suggest he didn't miss by nearly as much as you might think. All are moving 30-50yds left to right (except the one on 13 which moved 30 yds and missed the fairway left)


https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=75
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=234
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=540
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=663
https://youtu.be/58T9MRhiWUU?t=726

Watching his head, right shoulder, and right hip; his follow through on 18 was unlike the other 4 shots you included. There was a strange hitch to the move that suggest he did not hit it as he intended.

On the 3rd and 17th he hit straight drives, and on 16 he hit a straight to possibly slightly drawing drive. so It was not exclusively big cuts off of the tee.

3rd - not a driver and he had 40 more yards right to work with so did he hit his line?
16 and 17 wind off the right and he missed 16 left and 17 was left edge of fairway


Anyway... back to the topic at hand since Wyndham Clark's follow through has nothing to do with whether LACC provided a good test

[John Crowley]

I imagine it’s quite a bit better in person. It is tough to show elevation changes on tv. Players had a chance to shine or fade away and they did.

It is much! better in person. The tv angles never adequately captured the great ground level views of every upcoming shot one has when playing the course. Having said that, the pushed back pro tees may have significantly altered the aesthetics and normal (member play) setups of some holes.