Matt Fitzpatrick described this week’s US Open venue Los Angeles Country Club as “not my cup of tea” and a “little bit unfair”, along with saying that he agrees with Brooks Koepka’s views of the course following his third round on Saturday.
Koepka said he “wasn’t a huge fan” of LACC and pointed to the blind tee shots in particular.
“I’m not a huge fan of this place,” the two-time US Open winner said after round two on Friday.
“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’s, what, two 8s yesterday. That doesn’t happen.”
Defending champion Fitzpatrick told Sky Sports that he agrees with Koepka’s comments on the course. The Englishman pointed to the fact that he’d hit plenty of good drives during the week that had ended up in difficult spots in the rough, calling the course “a little bit unfair”.
“Yeah, 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.
“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.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“Meanwhile someone has hit it miles offline the other way and they’ve got a shot. Yeah, not my cup of tea.”
Fitzpatrick, winner at The Country Club last year in Brookline, shot his best round of the week on Saturday with a two-under-par 68 to reach one-under for the tournament.
He found just six of 13 fairways on Saturday and has hit 17 of 39 over the first three rounds for an average of 44%. Russell Henley currently tops the accuracy charts with 90% with a very impressive 35 of 39 fairways.
While Fitzpatrick’s not a fan of the blind tee shots and sloping fairways, he was very complimentary of the greens – just like Padraig Harrington, with the Irishman saying they’re “probably the best greens we’ve ever putted on in a Major.”
“It’s quite a good setup. I think it’s an excellent setup,” Harrington said.
“We were going out there today wondering would there be a bit of bite in it, would there be a bit of fight back. But…
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