A firmer, faster LACC could bring back U.S. Open test

LOS ANGELES – Whatever you do, don’t call it fog.

Most of Southern California’s colloquialisms are for sports that involve a board, but they also extend to the weather, another source of pride for the residents of this region. That’s why those gray clouds that hung low over Los Angeles Country Club for the first day-and-a-half of the U.S. Open cannot be called ‘the f word.’

No, they formed what the locals like to call a ‘marine layer.’ Sounds much more sophisticated. If you’re feeling more rhythmical, you can call it ‘June gloom.’ It’s the product of cold Pacific waters meeting the warmer air above the ocean. But enough about that.

Normally, those morning clouds are a welcome summer sight, providing a few hours of cool before the heat gets turned up by midday. But this week, the marine layer is as welcome as the San Francisco Giants fans who invaded Los Angeles for this weekend’s series against the beloved Dodgers.

Los Angeles Country Club is at its best when it is firm and fast. This rolling property underwent a renovation more than a decade ago to return the course to its roots and accentuate the hills and dales that highlight this Hollywood property. The fairways were widened to accommodate the slopes and give more room for balls to roll. All that is moot if the sun does not shine, however.

This is Los Angeles Country Club’s U.S. Open debut and first time in eight decades that pros have competed on it. That’s why the USGA was understandably cautious for Thursday’s opening round. That the day began with heavy mist that turned into a drizzle only exacerbated the problem, as did the persistent clouds that refused to give way to the sun.

Enflaming the passions of social media is about as difficult as making a 1-foot putt, and Twitter was ablaze with consternation as players took advantage of ideal scoring conditions. Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele both shot 8-under 62s, the lowest rounds in U.S. Open history, within a matter of minutes in the morning. The day ended with the lowest first-round scoring average in tournament history.

When similar scoring continued Friday morning, the word ‘soft’ was used to describe more than the firmness of the fairways and greens. But then something miraculous happened. The sun shone. Only Punxsutawney Phil has a shadow that delivers more foreboding news than that of a U.S. Open competitor, because temperatures are not the only thing that rises when the sun shines on Los Angeles Country Club.

The scoring average does, as well. On Friday afternoon it was 72.9, 1.5 strokes higher than what we saw Thursday. Of the top 10 players on the leaderboard after 36 holes, only three played their second round Friday afternoon: Fowler (10 under, 1st), Schauffele (8 under, T3) and Scottie Scheffler (5 under, T8). “Once the sun comes out this place firms up a lot,” said amateur Gordon Sargent, the 2022 NCAA champion, who made the cut with rounds of 69-71.

Fowler’s second-round 68 was six shots higher than his record-setting opening round. The conditions are the only thing that kept him from breaking another record. His score of 10-under 130 matched the low 36-hole score in U.S. Open history. Martin Kaymer also shot that at Pinehurst No. 2 nine years ago. Fowler tied for second that year.

“The birdies are out there if you put yourself in the right position but, as you can see, bogeys are easy to make,” Fowler said after a round that featured eight birdies, six bogeys and just four pars.

Schauffele had to birdie 17 and 18 just to shoot even-par 70. Masters champion Jon Rahm shot 73 in the afternoon. Justin Thomas shot 81 and hometown favorite Max Homa, the course record holder at LACC, shot 76 in the afternoon.

George C. Thomas, the man credited with creating Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course, believed in opening his courses with a gentle handshake, an easy par-5 to ease players into their round. It’s a characteristic of this course and nearby Riviera Country Club, the annual venue of The Genesis Invitational.

Thursday’s opening round offered a similar start. But, in addition to the weather, a longer course setup and harder hole locations also made things more difficult for the second round. And it should only continue on the weekend, when more sunshine and warm weather is expected.

“They can make it as difficult as they want to,” Harris English said after a second-round 66 that has him in fifth place. Rory McIlroy, who shot 67 and is two shots behind Fowler, said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the course “bite back” this weekend.

The USGA saw in the 2017 Walker Cup, the last elite competition held here before the U.S. Open, how quickly this course can firm up.

“We hope we get it again,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s Chief Championships Officer. When the sun shines, so does LACC.