US Open: Matt Fitzpatrick latest to criticise Los Angeles Country Club

Matt Fitzpatrick is not a fan of Los Angeles Country Club.

The defending champion is the latest player to give a brutally honest assessment of the LA layout, after Brooks Koepka quipped this course “wasn’t his favourite.”

It was a sentiment that Fitzpatrick echoed after his third round, where he shot a two-under-par 68, his best round of the week so far.

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“I just think the golf course is interesting, to be polite, I think,” he said.

“There’s just too many holes for me where you’ve got blind tee shots and then you’ve got fairways that don’t hold the ball. There’s too much slope.”

While the 28-year-old commended the condition of this week’s putting surfaces, he went onto say he wasn’t keen on the severe slopes on LACC’s fairways.

“I think the greens certainly play better when they’re firmer. I definitely think that’s the case. They’re rolling really, really well.

“Some of the tee shots are just — I think they’re a little bit unfair. You hit a good tee shot and end up in the rough by a foot and then you’re hacking it out.

“Meanwhile someone has hit it miles offline the other way and they’ve got a shot. Yeah, not my cup of tea.”

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Fitzpatrick was playing alongside 20-year-old South Korean Tom Kim, who looked on course to create history early in his round.

The PGA Tour winner made the turn in 29, and got to seven-under-par after just ten holes. However, his momentum was halted with three dropped shots on his final six holes, leading to a four-under-par 66.

“I really played solid golf. Didn’t miss a shot, didn’t miss a putt,” said Kim of his front nine.

However, things cooled off on the way home, something that the young PGA Tour star wasn’t overly shocked about.

“To be honest, that back nine is really hard,” he admitted.

“You just don’t really have any bail-outs. Those three bogeys really don’t feel like bogeys because I barely missed it by a yard or two. But major championship golf, U.S. Open, really brings it out of you.

“It would have been nice to kind of par in and see that bogey-free round or see one or two more birdies, but if you told me at the start of the day, I’d take that score.”

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor