U.S. OPEN
Strategies, Philosophies Taking Shape for Par-4 6th
Strategies, Philosophies Taking Shape for Par-4 6th
The 330-yard, par-4 sixth hole on the North Course at The Los Angeles Country Club provides options for U.S. Open competitors. The conservative play to the fairway leaves a short wedge approach over a barranca and bunkers to an extremely shallow green. Another option is to play a tee shot directly toward the putting surface, just under 300 yards on a direct line – but the tee shot is blind, and those who miss the green could find a difficult lie or an awkward stance. So what’s the best play? “Before this week I thought I was going to lay up,” said two-time major champion and local product Collin Morikawa. “My caddie convinced me in like two minutes that we might be going for it. The barranca down below the bunker, you can get a very bad lie, but you can also get a lie where you can hack it out to the middle of the green. If I can make four pars there and maybe give myself one birdie [putt] inside 10 feet, I think I’ll be all right. Right now I am leaning toward going for it.” “I’m not a huge fan of blind tee shots or blind shots going into greens,” said two-time U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka. “But No. 6 is going to be interesting; you could see anything from a 7 to possibly a 2. If I was watching, that’s where I’d go.”
