LOS ANGELES – The early-week strategy for the U.S. Open 2023 was simple: Find the fairway, choose your spots and strike when you can.
As the week progressed at Los Angeles Country Club, a new twist was added: Find the fairway, choose your spots, and attack the front 9, then hold on for dear live on the back 9.
The players quickly noticed the disparity in scoring between the two nines of LACC’s North Course. Since then, the week has been a story of two nines. The front nine was still scoreable even as the conditions started to get firmer during the third round on Saturday. This is because players could hit wedges from the short stuff and the par 5s that were reachable. The first hole is easy to reach and the second one can be reached in two attempts. Eight is reachable more often than not, as well as the par-4 hole 6 .
Harris English said that the front nine was not easy. “I am not saying it is easy, but I think you can get 3- or 4-under after six holes. This will help you get off to a great start and hold on for the back nine,” he added.
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Rory McIlroy said on Friday that the back nine was “just a lot harder” after he had played the front nine in two rounds at 10 under par. “You have a lot — the last three holes are challenging even though it’s a pretty benign day.”
It’s not a bad thing to say.
The front nine was 86 points over par for the entire week after the third round. The back nine? This would be 595 over par (thanks to stats expert Justin Ray).
Three rounds of LACC
Front nine: +86
Back nine: +595 https://t.co/PbJIwDQRoxJustin Ray (@JustinRayGolf 18 June 2023
The back nine is a little more challenging. There are only 1-2 holes that can be scored on the back, compared to four or five on the front.
Tom Kim said, “I think 15 is one of the better ones. It’s a good wedge hole, so you can get it close to the pin and still have a shot.” “But par-5 and 14, like with a good drive you can get it there, especially if the pin is on your back, but these are only two out of how many holes. “So not much.”
The long par-4 17th has been the toughest hole on the course in the first three days. Scottie Scheffler, according to Elias Sports Bureau is the first golfer in 20 years who has made an eagle at the U.S. Open’s hardest hole after he holed from the fairway on his way to a 2-under-68.
The final round will be entertaining with 18 holes left, eight players only six shots off the lead, and a clear forecast for Sunday. Particularly on the back nine.
