KSR Golf: 2023 U.S. Open

The major championship season has reached the halfway point. For the third premium event of the golf calendar, we will get some west coast golf at a new venue. The 2023 U.S. Open Championship is all settled in Los Angeles.

After Jon Rahm brought home a green jacket and Brooks Koepka claimed his third Wanamaker Trophy, we’ve seen some big dogs claim another major championship. Will the same take place at Los Angeles Country Club?

From Thursday to Sunday, one of the biggest golf tournaments of the year will take centerstage. Now it’s time to find some winners.

Broadcast schedule

NBC will be on the call for the third major championship of the season. That means it is Paul Azinger time. Due to the event taking place on the west coast, we will get some primetime golf this weekend. West coast golf is the best golf.

— Round One (Thursday): 1-8 p.m. (USA), 8-11 p.m. (NBC)

— Round Two (Friday): 1-8 p.m. (USA), 8-11 p.m. (NBC)

— Round Three (Saturday): 1-11 p.m. (NBC)

— Round Four (Sunday): 1-10 p.m. (NBC)

A weekend full of primetime golf. Let’s ride.

Course layout

The Los Angeles Country Club will be hosting its first major championship this weekend. The monstrous Par 70 stretches over 7,400 yards with bentgrass greens. There will be some wild rough surrounding the bunkers, and things could get difficult for players who miss the green in regulation.

The 123rd U.S. Open will challenge players in multiple ways. The North Course at Los Angeles Country Club was previously renovated but there are no water hazards on the property. In a unique twist, players will open with a Par 5 on hole No. 1 and will have to play five Par 3s. Two of the short holes are 285-plus yards.

Players must be able to get off the tee box this weekend.

Advanced stat of the week

Los Angeles Country Club will force players to shot shape, and the abundance of Par 3s will take away some distance. However, there is no getting around the yardage. The North Course is a big golf course that will require power off the tee to score. The rough around the green will require good second shots. Then fast greens will challenge players on the dance floor.

However, you must get on the green to be challenged. Strokes gained off-the-tee and strokes gained tee-to-green are two metrics to pay attention to this week.

A clear argument can be made that Scottie Scheffler is the best player in the world. The Texas product owns 12 top-10 finishes in 16 starts this season. The 26-year-old already has a major championship (2022 Masters) in his back pocket with consecutive top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open. Scheffler also ranks No. 1 in both metrics.

Scheffler is the heavy favorite (6/1) at Draft Kings but feels like the right play this week. This is the only player on the board without plus odds (-150) for a top-10 finish. He will be in contention on Sunday.

Luckett’s Locks

Golf wagering isn’t about hammering favorites. Scottie Scheffler is the smartest play on the board, but there are other high-quality options to choose from off the menu.

Tyrell Hatton ranks No. 11 off the tee and No. 7 from tee-to-green. The 31-year-old European has six top-10 finishes in 15 starts this season with strong finishes at the Players (2nd), Arnold Palmer Invitational (T-4), Phoenix Open (T-6), Memorial (T-12), and PGA Championship (T-15). Hatton has not performed well at recent U.S. Open tournaments but fits the metrics and has strong recent form. A top-10 play (+260) appears to have some value.

Jason Day is having a bounce back season in 2023 ranking No. 23 in the world and owning 12 top-25 finishes in 18 starts this season. The 35-year-old brought up a win (AT&T Byron Nelson) last month and had a strong finish at the Phoenix Open (5th). The major championship play has not been great recently for Day, but he’s had some good moments at the U.S. Open in the past. A top-20 finish (+150) should have a good shot at getting to the window.

Backing Brooks Koepka in a major is never a bad idea. In a matchup against Patrick Cantlay (-110), the risk is small but recent history tells us that Koepka is the smart play after two strong performances in Augusta and Western New York to begin this major championship season.