US Open: Brooks Koepka blasts Los Angeles Country Club

What a difference a few days makes.

Less than 72 hours after saying he “enjoys the chaos” of major championships, Brooks Koepka has decided he doesn’t like this week’s US Open host venue Los Angeles Country Club.

The five-time major champ undid the damage of his one-over 71 on day one with a second round 69 to lie level-par heading into the weekend at the third men’s major of the year.

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After signing his card on Friday, he was asked for his thoughts on the course – and he didn’t exactly hold back.

“I’m not a huge fan of this place,” said Koepka. “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.

“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 yesterday? 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.”

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Despite his misgivings about the course, which is staging the US Open for the first-ever time this week, Koepka is confident he has what it takes to climb the leaderboard and win a second successive major, following his US PGA victory last month.

“Obviously, I’ve got to play two good rounds, so that’s something I have to do,” said the 33-year-old. “But I definitely would like to be further up from where I’m at.

“It all depends what happens today, whether the wind picks up. I saw Rickie [Fowler] was at 10[-under] when I signed my scorecard, so who knows what those guys are going to get to.”