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U.S. Open: 10 to watch from as the stars come out in Los Angeles

Tom D'Angelo, Palm Beach Post
·4 min read
Brooks Koepka, left, and Phil Mickelson watch Mickelson's putt on the fourth green during the final round at the PGA Championship on the Ocean Course on May 23, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.
Brooks Koepka, left, and Phil Mickelson watch Mickelson's putt on the fourth green during the final round at the PGA Championship on the Ocean Course on May 23, 2021, in Kiawah Island, S.C.

LOS ANGELES — In a city known for big events in the sports and entertainment world, one of the biggest of the year on the golf calendar takes place this week.

The U.S. Open will be played at LA Country Club. It is certain to draw as many stars in the gallery as we'll see on the course.

The third major of the year also has plenty of storylines, not the least of which centers on the groundbreaking deal struck last week between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which owns LIV Golf. Soon enough golfers from the PGA Tour and LIV are expected to be back together, perhaps on a regular basis. But until then, only in the majors will we see the best from both tours competing against each other.

That's just what we have this week. Here are 10 golfers to watch.

Patrick Cantlay

Patrick Cantlay waves to the gallery before teeing off on the first hole on June 4 during the final round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
Patrick Cantlay waves to the gallery before teeing off on the first hole on June 4 during the final round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.

Cantlay, a Jupiter resident, was born in Long Beach and spent two years at UCLA. He has played LACC "dozens" of times. "Feels a little like a home game," he said. "I'm definitely going to have a bunch of family and friends out this week." Cantlay, No. 4 in the world, has eight career PGA Tour wins but is seeking his first major.

Max Homa

Homa, ranked seventh in the world, was raised about 18 miles from LACC in Burbank. In 2013, as a member of the California Golden Bears, he won the Pac-12 individual championship at the course, shooting a 61. He has never won a major. "To have a major in my hometown, 18-ish miles from where I grew up, I think that's a dream come true," said Homa. Winning one there would be even better.

Victor Hovland

Hovland, fifth in the world rankings, appears poised to capture his first major after placing second in the PGA Championship and seventh in the Masters. He has the fourth-best odds (11 to 1) to win the U.S. Open, behind Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka and ahead of Rory McIlroy. He has seven top 10s this season.

Brooks Koepka

Koepka has turned back the clock in his first two majors this year, winning his fifth major at the PGA Championship after a runner-up finish at the Masters. The Jupiter resident is made for this stage. With the PGA Tour expected to allow LIV golfers back next season and this being a major, Koepka may be in the best spot mentally as he's been in a while. At 17 to 2, he has the third-best odds.

Phil Mickelson

Mickelson comes into the week as a 150-to-1 long shot. Other than the Masters, where he finished tied for second with Koepka, Mickelson has had a down year. He was 58th at the PGA Championship and he has not placed in the top 10 in seven LIV events. Mickelson remains a U.S. Open title away from the career grand slam, something he has been chasing since 2013.

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy has posted three consecutive top 10s after a tough two-month stretch. The Jupiter resident and world No. 3 took a break after missing the cut at the Masters to work on his "mental and emotional well-being." That maintenance on his mental game likely led to his decision to decline to speak in the media tent this week, a rarity for McIlroy.

Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa hits to the second green during a practice round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Los Angeles Country Club, Monday, June 12, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Collin Morikawa hits to the second green during a practice round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Los Angeles Country Club, Monday, June 12, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Few are as excited about playing in a U.S. Open in Los Angeles than LA native Morikawa, who spent at least one night at his parents' home. "It's my favorite spot in the world," he said about LA. To win another U.S. Open in his hometown (and a third major) would be beyond special. "This is a major that I cared about when I was in college and I knew about LACC hosting a U.S. Open," he said.

Jon Rahm

The second-ranked golfer in the world also has the second-best odds (8-to-1) of winning his second major of the year. Rahm, the 2021 U.S. Open winner, has four wins in 14 starts on the PGA Tour this season, including the Masters, but he was 50th at the PGA Championship after opening with a 76, his worst showing in a major since missing the cut at the 2019 PGA Championship.

Xander Schauffele

Schauffele is seeking his first major. Ranked No. 6 in the world, he had a string of five consecutive top 10s broken at the PGA Championship, where he climbed the leaderboard to 18th with a 67 in the final round. Schauffele's best majors were two seconds (2018 British Open, 2019 Masters) and a third (2019 U.S. Open).

Scottie Scheffler

The current No. 1 in the world has held that spot for 38 weeks since first reaching the position 12½ months ago. The favorite to win the U.S. Open at 13-to-2, Scheffler has four straight top 5 finishes, including runner-up at the PGA Championship, and he has been in the top 12 in 16 consecutive events dating to Oct. 23.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Who to watch at U.S. Open from Koepka seeking 6th major to Mickelson chasing grand slam