US OPEN
2023 US Open: Inside the ropes at the final take from Los Angeles Country Club
Today is the final day talking Shawn McMahon, a spotter for NBC Sports and Golf Channel: Tough rough, small crowds and great golf all around
The 2023 US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club has come to an end. Fan favorite Rickie Fowler couldn’t get it done on Sunday. Rory McIlroy was there until the end, but just couldn’t get a putt to drop all day. Wyndham Clark had nerves of steel on the last few holes and got the job done. A Cinderella story. Let’s here what Shawn McMahon has to say in our last interview with him.
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What did you think about the crowds?
I thought for a US Open they were pretty slim and don’t think the USGA should host a US Open at one of the most exclusive country clubs in the USA. There were a lot of greens and tee boxes where the patrons couldn’t even get to including #1 tee box. The atmosphere wasn’t very electric.
What made Wyndham Clark come out on top?
I didn’t get to see Clark play much because I was never with his group but he must’ve played pretty steady and never had any big mistakes.
What could amateurs learn from how these guys play? Decision making, touch around the greens, putting?
I think the biggest thing amateurs could learn is that these guys play smart. They don’t take chances that aren’t worth it. They hit the ball very far but don’t try to kill it. They are always on balance. They also practice a lot!
Was this a fair test? It seems the creme has risen to the top.
I definitely think it was a fair test besides the putt Gordon Sargent hit on 18. That was brutal.
Was the rough too tough?
It’s a US Open and I don’t think the rough was too rough but it was brutal. There were a lot of lies I saw where you could barely see the ball but it was refreshing to see these guys get penalized for hitting it in the rough instead of getting a good lie for missing the fairway.
Are these long par 3s and 4s something we/they should get used to? What’s the limit for these pros as far as distance, what can be done?
I don’t think there is anything that can be done about distance. These players are just getting bigger and stronger. The course architects just need to get more creative. Grow the rough. Make hitting the fairways a priority and place bunkers and hazards in places where the bombers need to scale it back. There are old courses like Colonial where the scores aren’t -20 because of this.