LOS ANGELES — I was taking a tour of Los Angeles Country Club (North), site of the 123rd U.S. Open and T-13 in Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses, when three-time U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods rolled on to the first tee.
The member, who was kind enough to show me around, actually asked me, “Who is that?” and when I broke the news that it was the 15-time major winner in the flesh and blood looking fit as a fiddle, he responded, “Are you kidding? Holy … ”
Woods, who announced on Friday that he was ready to play in an actual PGA Tour event at this week’s Genesis Invitational, was there with his right-hand man Rob McNamara. I was tempted to whip out my phone and take a photo but I’m pretty sure I would have been summarily escorted off the property. But I witnessed Tiger being given a U.S. Open yardage book and some helpful tips from a club official and then he hopped in a golf cart to tour the course, which sits in Beverly Hills. Tiger didn’t have any clubs on his cart, but he stopped to watch Hero Motors CEO Dr. Pawan Munjal, who sponsors Tiger’s silly-season event in the Bahamas, tee off at the first.
Woods, who won the 2000, 2002 and 2008 U.S. Opens, skipped last year’s national championship at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, to concentrate on playing in the British Open at St. Andrews. It appears he’s prepping for a pursuit of a fourth U.S. Open title in June.
Here are four more things I learned about the U.S. Open in June at LACC.
Usually Mondays are a quiet day at the private club — you can hear a pin drop, one member said — but the first tee was so busy on this occasion at LACC I asked if there was an outing about to begin. It turns out that guest play ends on March 1, so everyone has a friend that wants to squeeze in a round before the U.S. Open comes to town.
That includes Adam Scott, who teed off just ahead of Woods showing up. I’m told somewhere between six to 10 PGA Tour pros in town for this week’s tournament were expected on Monday, including defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who was scheduled to do a photo shoot with the USGA out there. Apparently, several pros also made their way over last month before and after the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. Seems like a no-brainer to get an early look at the course ahead of the third major of the year.
Matt Fitzpatrick celebrates winning the U.S. Open with caddie Billy Foster during the final round of the U.S. Open. (Photo: Peter…
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