Hey Team Titleist!
The Los Angeles Country Club’s famed North Course brings us to the penultimate major of the 2023 men’s golf calendar, with the world’s best and brightest converging in Hollywood for the 123rd United States Open.
It's been a week of celebration for the #1 Ball in Golf, as this year marks the 75th consecutive U.S. Open where Titleist has been the #1 ball (and still counting).
We were able to catch up with a few of our own Team Titleist members, as they prepare for one of the toughest tests in golf.
For California native Max Homa, it provides a home game and an opportunity to capture his first career major championship. We spent some time inside the ropes Monday morning with him, his caddy Joe Greiner, and coach Mark Blackburn on the par-5 14th for a behind-the-scenes look at the preparation behind a major.
A burly, 623-yard three-shot hole, the 14th begins the home stretch of the North Course and could be a pivotal arena on Sunday afternoon as the leaders make their way home. Max has seen success in the past at LACC, and even the 14th, specifically in the form of a course record-setting round of 61 a decade ago at the 2013 Pac-12 Championship. With five holes left to go in that round and sitting at 5 under, Homa made birdie on the 14th which was the first of four in a row from 14 to 17 to earn him his 61.
We’ll just have to see what LACC – and the 14th have in store for Max this week.
Switching gears, let’s focus on the longest par 3 LACC has to offer, the 290-yard 11th. We joined up with Scottie Scheffler to see how he’ll play this stern test as he gets ready to tee up his Pro V1 on the North Course this week.
Talking over multiple different shot options and approaches with caddy Ted Scott, Scheffler will have plenty to think about when stepping up to the 11th. One thing he won’t have to worry about? The performance of his Pro V1.
“I feel like if I do what I’m supposed to do, then the ball is going to do pretty much what it’s supposed to do,” said Scheffler. “If I feel it in my hands that I did the right thing, and I feel the right shot, then usually the results will follow, and I can trust what the golf ball is actually going to do.”
After punching his ticket through final qualifying with rounds of 64 and 71 in New Jersey, Berry Henson is making his U.S. Open debut. This week he’ll be bringing the “Thai Spinner” to Los Angeles, a greenside low-spinning shot he learned during his time playing on the Asian Tour.
A technique made for better contact off of long-grain grass, Berry joined us on the 12th green at LACC to give us the rundown.
Cameron Young showed us the ideal way to play the short but demanding par 3 15th at LACC, carding a routine birdie.
We also joined Tony Finau for a walk (and chat) up LACC's 9th to hear more on why he puts his trust in Titleist week in and week out.
Don’t miss out on not one but two separate Team Titleist giveaways, with both Finau and Patrick Cantlay getting in on the fun to celebrate Titleist being the #1 ball at the U.S. Open for 75 years.
Be sure to follow along on all our social channels this week, as we follow everything #TeamTitleist is up to on the West Coast this week.