The US Open is known for being one of the most difficult golf tournaments of the year, and a shot that Adam Svensson hit during the opening round on Thursday was a perfect reminder of that.
Like most other US Open courses before it, Los Angeles Country Club features thick rough, severe slopes and lightning-fast greens. Svensson tried to use one of those slopes to his advantage with a bunker shot on the par-4 3rd hole. He intentionally hit the ball past the flag and over the green, only to watch it roll all the way back to almost where he swung from.
Svensson had the right idea. It just didn’t work out, which is often the case during a US Open. Amateur Michael Brennan made a similar shot from a different angle while playing the 3rd hole on Thursday, and he had a much better result.
Despite the difficult conditions, two big-name players actually made history in the opening round at LACC. The USGA will probably look to make things even more challenging through the weekend.
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