The 123rd U.S. Open begins play Thursday at L.A. Country Club. With plenty of storylines to follow, here is a quick look at some of the headlines you will hear about as the week progresses.
Rory v. LIV
The abrupt announcement of the settlement and the “it’s not a merger” merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and the PIF backed LIV Golf sent shock waves around the golf world. Nobody was hit harder by the news than PGA Tour poster boy, Rory McIlroy. When asked, Rory didn’t mince words about his feelings about the upstart rival golf league. Rory McIlroy: 'I still hate LIV Golf' | Golf News and Tour Information | GolfDigest.com The devil is in the details, and many of the details about the future of professional golf in the post-merger era are still unclear. PGA Tour and LIV Golf unite: What we do and don't know - ESPN One thing that is clear is that Rory is done being the PR spokesperson for the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy Appears to Have Canceled U.S. Open Pre-Tournament Press Conference - Sports Illustrated Golf: News, Scores, Equipment, Instruction, Travel, Courses Despite all the distractions, Rory is coming off a solid performance at the RBC Canadian Open. Clearly, he has L.A. Country Club in his crosshairs. The question that remains; will Rory’s wedges cooperate?
The L.A. Kid
No player on Tour celebrates L.A. more than the “Pro” Max Homa. Homa explained to Home | No Laying Up, that he fulfilled a childhood dream by winning the L.A. based 2021 Genesis Invitational at Riviera. The seventh ranked golfer in the world, Homa has reached elite status in professional golf but is still in pursuit of his first major championship. Hard to imagine anything sweeter for Homa than to achieve greatness in his own backyard. Max Homa’s L.A. Story - PGA TOUR And if you need another reason to root for the Pro, check out his Twitter, hilarious. https://twitter.com/maxhoma23
Uhhh Morikawa and Rickie?
Honorable mention goes to the other California kids, Collin Morikawa and Rickie Fowler. Morikawa, a two-time major champion, seems to be dealing with some back issues at a really unlucky time. Rickie Fowler, on the other hand, is trending way up. Tee to green, Fowler ranks 12th on Tour. He is only 50th in putting. However, not so long ago, Fowler was an elite putter. If his tee to green stats hold up and the putter heats up, Rickie could make some Hollywood magic this week.
The Par 3
Anyone can qualify and play in the U.S. Open, but not anyone can compete. This year the 290-yard par 3 at L.A. C.C. will separate the pros from the joes. Number 11 will be all over the internet and network coverage this week. Get ready for the blast. It will be must watch entertainment to see how the greatest players in the world attack this extra long par 3.
Not so bold prediction
Brooks Koepka is an absolute dog on the big stage. And nobody shows up for the majors like Brooksy. But this week the kid from Texas will take the Hollywood title. Scottie Scheffler is number 1 in the world and boat racing the field in most every major stat. It feels like this story has already been written and Scottie just needs to finish it.
The Oscar Finish
With so much recent distraction in golf, this week is a great opportunity for the world to turn its attention away from the LIV noise and back to championship golf. The 123rd U.S. Open begins Thursday morning. The first super group of the day goes off at 8:13 a.m. Scheffler, Homa and Morikawa will be amongst the first to take aim at history. Tee times announced for 2023 U.S. Open, Groups for Rounds 1 & 2 - PGA TOUR Enjoy the U.S. Open
Cheers TRBL MKRS.
