18 June 2023 , 15:20
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Brooks Koepka has admitted he is not keen on Los Angeles Country Club and suggested it is unsuited to hosting the US Open.
The American, who won the PGA Championship a month ago, has struggled in Southern California and is in a tie for 20th entering the final round. Koepka is not the only top player having difficulties in LA, either.
Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson all managed to miss the cut. Masters winner Jon Rahm is another well off the pace in a tie for 38th at two-over entering the final day of play.
Koepka has called out the unsighted tee shots as a personal point of contention. He also has aired frustrations about several spots of the course.
“I’m not a huge fan of this place,” Koepka said on Friday. “I’m not a huge fan of blind tee shots, and then I think there’s just some spots that no matter what you hit, the ball just ends up in the same spot.
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“I think it would be more fun to play on just like a regular round than it would be a US Open. I mean, there was, what, two eights (on Thursday)? That doesn’t happen.
“I’ve won majors on golf courses that I haven’t really liked too much. But, yeah, this one, I don’t know, it’s just — it’s not my favourite.”
Recent major winners Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm have both struggled at the US Open (Luke Walker/Getty Images)Whilst Koepka made the cut despite his complaints, two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas was left "speechless" after a nightmare tournament. Thomas will not want to return to the course any time soon after the former world number one finished in a tie for 152nd in the 156-strong field and missed the cut by 12 shots.
“I was playing the best I’ve played in a really long time this week, so funny game, man,” Thomas said. “It can leave you speechless, both good and bad, and right now, it's unfortunate." He added: "It sucks right now. It’s all pretty s****y when you shoot 14 over."
Reigning champion Matt Fitzpatrick and Viktor Hovland had similar complaints to Koepka about the course and its layout.
“There's just too many holes for me where you've got blind tee shots, and then you've got fairways that don't hold the ball. There's too much slope,” Fitzpatrick said.
“Some of the tee shots are just — I think they're a little bit unfair. You hit a good tee shot and end up in the rough by a foot, and then you're hacking it out.”
“You know what, I’m not a big fan of this golf course, to be honest,” Hovland said after his round on Saturday.
“I think there’s some good holes. I don’t think there’s any great holes. I think there’s a few bad holes. I think No. 9 is probably the best hole out here, in my opinion.”