LACC breaks U.S. Open record with 81-yard, par-3 hole

The historic 2023 U.S. Open added to its lore on Saturday before the golfers even took the course. The par-3 15th hole at the North Course of the Los Angeles Country Club is the shortest in Majors history at 81 yards.  

In Peacock's coverage of the U.S. Open, analysts demonstrated the problems that could arise because of the change. The green plays fast, which might lead to some frustrating putt attempts as the day progresses. 

Bunkers lie on both sides of the hole and expect to get a lot of traffic on Saturday. Ryan Fox was the first golfer to play 15 and sure enough, his tee shot landed in the bunker.

During the first two days, the 15th hole produced three hole-in-ones.

Officials faced criticism for the historic opening round when Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele set the U.S. Open record for the lowest round by shooting 62s. 

The U.S. Open prides itself on being the most challenging tournament for golfers and generally, the courses the USGA selects aren't conducive to low scores. Only four winners in the tournament's 123-year history won by finishing 10-under-par or lower.

The course offered less resistance than a wet paper towel on Thursday when 37 golfers finished the opening round under par. By Friday, however, only 29 golfers were under par and that number will likely dwindle during the final two days.

The par-3 15th hole might play a role in higher scores, pleasing golf enthusiasts who tune into the U.S. Open to see the world's best golfers stumped. 

It was going to take some thinking outside the box for organizers to come up with a course to challenge these golfers and the historic 15th hole is certainly unorthodox. And it just must work.