Despite Fierce Competition, U.S. Open Still Yields Abundant Low Scores

In an interesting turn of events, the association is gaining knowledge along the way, with Los Angeles being the third course to host the Open for the first time in the past ten years. Interestingly enough, the two previous courses yielded vastly different winning scores. Koepka triumphed at the par-72 Erin Hills with a score of 272. On the other hand, Jordan Spieth managed to secure victory at the par-70 Chambers Bay with a five-under display.

Padraig Harrington, a three-time major winner, expressed his expectations of a more challenging tournament in the coming days. He believes that the organizers will now put more effort into ensuring the difficulty of the course. Harrington revealed that players typically view the perfect tournament as one where the winning score is around 14 under par. He also mentioned that the U.S.G.A. might be uncomfortable with the idea of a golfer finishing with a winning score in the double-digits below par on Sunday evening.

Earlier in the week, Harrington had stated in an interview with the Irish press that he would willingly sacrifice “body parts” to achieve a score of four under after the final round. However, after finishing his Friday round at two over, he realized that the conditions and scoring made his desired score insufficient for victory in this tournament. He jokingly remarked, “They’re not giving up body parts for that anymore.”

McIlroy, who was paired with Koepka on Thursday and Friday, admitted that even he did not expect to witness such low scores. He acknowledged that the course had played easier than anticipated but expressed his belief that it would become more challenging over the weekend. He emphasized the importance of the mental and physical grind the players would have to endure.