Just because Brooks Koepka doesn’t particularly like a golf course doesn’t mean he can’t succeed there.
The five-time major champion hopes both are true this week at the Los Angeles Country Club, which is hosting the U.S. Open as a first-time major venue.
Koepka didn’t hold back his thoughts about the course Friday after he shot 1-under-par 69 to level off at even par for 36 holes.
“I 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 favorite,” Koepka, 33, said of LACC’s North Course.
“I’m not a huge fan of this place,” he said. “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.”
So, in his opinion, the course didn’t feel like it was set up for a U.S. Open.
“I think it would be more fun to play on just like a regular round than it would be a U.S. Open,” Koepka said. “I mean, there’s, what, two 8s yesterday. That doesn’t happen.”
He was referencing the opening-round 8-under 62 scores carded by Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele. Koepka, who posted a 71 on Thursday, wouldn’t be against making some holes harder.
“I think if you made the greens a little bit faster, but I don’t know if you really can,” he said. “Then it might be interesting, that’s for sure.”
Koepka had four birdies and three bogeys on Friday, and he didn’t think he was playing all that poorly, nor was the course setup more difficult in reaction to Thursday’s low scores.
“I thought every pin position was fine,” he said. “I didn’t think anything was really tricked up. I guess I just didn’t play that great so not going to really shoot a good number.”
In Koepka’s assessment, he is playing better now than he did in the final two rounds when he captured the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club last month in Rochester, N.Y. He knows he has to play much better to have a shot at a third U.S. Open title (2017, 2018).
“I mean, obviously I got to play two good rounds, so that’s something I have to do,” said Koepka, who plays in the LIV Golf League. “But definitely would like to be further up from where I’m at.”
–Field Level Media