2023 US Open expert picks and preview: LA Country club the perfect fit for DJ’s game

Our golf handicapper Bryan Nicholson looks ahead to the US Open at the LA Country Club as some of the best players on the planet tee-it-up on the west coast course - will Matt Fitzpatrick defend the title he won in 2022, can Daniel Berger finally claim his first major it will it be Dustin Johnson's time to shine in the golden state?

Dustin Johnson will be seeking glory in California in 2023 - © Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

A look ahead to US Open 2023 Betting

Matthew Fitzpatrick will be defending his US Open title in 2023 - © Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Golf betting is merely a puzzle we must solve, like Matt Fitzpatrick solved Brookline - twice.

There are those who doubt variables like course knowledge and course fit and then there are the clever ones who take from this ignorance. Could Matt Fitzpatrick have won the US Open - against a field of that quality - on any other course but Brookline, where he claimed the US Amateur in 2013? It’s unlikely, but we'll never know.

One thing that’s for sure is the huge advantage he had on most of the field at the recent US Open. In the build-up to Brookline, Fitzy talked about his strategic play in the Amateur championship where he worked his way around the course like no other. That translated into hitting seventeen out of eighteen greens on a final day masterclass in his US Open win, topping the greens in regulation stats for the week with a clip of 72%.

Matt had a plan, and it came to fruition. Only four players hit more fairways than the Englishman who claimed his maiden major golf title. Fitzpatrick held off the challenge from a man very much in the picture in major championships these days. Will Zalatoris features in a few of our antepost golf betting previews, and he was oh-so-close to forcing a playoff last time out. We move on now to a new venue altogether for the 2023 US Open.

The LA Country Club North Course – Walker Cup venue to Host 2023 US Open

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The Los Angeles Country club was the 2nd in a trio of courses to be announced to host the 2022-2024 US Opens: “We are elated to host our national championship at three iconic venues. We look forward to the test of golf that each of these classic designs will present to the world’s best players” – Thomas J o’ Tool – USGA President.

The 2023 US Open golf tournament will be just the third active US Open venue in Southern California after Riviera CC and Torrey Pines south course. Gil Hanse seems to be a theme during recent golf majors, and he helped redesign the Los Angeles Country Club North Course in 2010, originally designed by George Thomas, leading to a Walker Cup being hosted there in 2017.

This brought the course into the public eye and set the upcoming venue for the 2023 US Open. The LA Country club is widely regarded as a largely unknown gem. The US Open 2023 will be the fifth big event at the club going back to 1930. “The city loves to host major events. This region, not having hosted the US Open for 75 years, will be ecstatic about this” – John Chulick

What should we look for as a prospective US Open 2023 Winner?

© Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

The hallowed grounds of the Los Angeles Country Club is said to have been one of the most intriguing and mysterious venues in golf for over 100 years. With the venue for the US Open ever changing, the US Open 2023 betting markets open up some opportunity for shrewd golf bets. We can study the characteristics of the LA Country Club North Course and churn out some early angles ahead of the crowd and the efficient pricing.

The North Course itself is a generous, thinly treelined track sharing some characteristics with both parklands and more linksy type terrain. It’s set in the backdrop of the city of Los Angeles. There’s a bit of a Brookline feel to it actually and elevation changes are also a feature. The course card currently says it plays to a par 71 around 7,250 yards in length but this will be subject to changes ahead of the 2023 US Open.

The key attributes we will need to look for at Los Angeles Country Club are as follows:

• Total Driving • Scrambling and bunker ability • Strong mentality • Mid iron distance control • Hot flat stick

Who are we looking at early for our 2023 US Open Picks?

This could be the perfect course for Dustin Johnson - © Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

The US Open 2023 betting market won’t mature fully until nearer the week of the event itself, but early pricing is going with the world golf rankings: The likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, and Scottie Sheffler lead the betting, none too far into 4-digit odds.

At the time of writing, Dustin Johnson is the man standing out re price at a range of +2500 to +3300. DJ has joined the LIV golf tour and things are a bit up in the air for him now but by the time the US Open comes around, those odds could look like a bargain. LA Country club seems like the perfect fit for DJ’s game. Johnson was 21st in strokes gained off the tee in 2021, and 28th in strokes gained putting, showing all around prowess.

Jordan Spieth also looks generously priced at +2500 and these are the types of opportunities we can take advantage of in Futures major golf betting. We won’t see anything like this price if Jordan is in form which is very likely come US Open 2023 time. Once again, his game looks suited to the track ranking 7th in scrambling and rating a 9.0 in approach play in our player profiles. He’ll benefit from a bit of room off the tee.

Give me an off the radar play for 2023 at the LA Country club

Daniel Berger is yet to win a major - © Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Berger +5000 falls into the same category as DJ and Spieth. One of the top players in the game when on form, Berger has an overall ability rating of 9.05 in our model, ranking 15th in strokes gained: tee to green. He is yet to claim a big one but has been close on a few occasions. Wins for Berger include a double at the ST. Jude Invitational, and he’s also triumphed at Colonial. +5000 looks a nice price for the US Open 2023

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