“The Challenge for SoCal Golfers: Conquering the U.S. Open at L.A. Country Club”

The U.S. Open, known for its selective and demanding courses, will be held at Los Angeles Country Club from June 15-18. This is a great opportunity for golfers born and raised in Southern California to compete on their home turf. The tournament sees commoners playing alongside professional players in an egalitarian way, and nearly half of this year’s competitors qualified through means beyond earning a PGA Tour exemption. The article introduces us to the best of SoCal‘s golfing talent who are expected to claim the trophy.

Meet the Players

Collin Morikawa

Morikawa is the honorary host of the U.S. Open and will test his balky back on the North Course. If he is healthy, Morikawa is one of the leading contenders and arguably the golfer with the greatest expectation of winning this year.

Max Homa

Max Homa’s career has mostly been a mixed bag. He started with a record-setting NCAA individual title and went on to become one of the best on the PGA Tour, especially on home turf, with four of his six wins coming in California. However, he is mostly cursed at majors, including three missed U.S. Open cuts and a tie for 47th in four other U.S. Opens.

Patrick Cantlay

Patrick Cantlay grew up playing at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach and honed his skills at Anaheim Servite High and the UCLA. Cantlay first made it to the U.S. Open as a19-year-old amateur, finishing in a respectable 21st place. Although he has had several setbacks, Cantlay’s PGA Tour career took off in 2018-2019, and he was recognized as player of the year in 2021.

Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler’s first PGA Tour win came a year after his Open Championship fifth-place finish in 2011. He posted a top-5 finish in each of the four majors in 2014. However, he remains without a major win, with a second-place finish at the 2018 Masters being the closest he’s come.

Sahith Theegala

Sahith Theegala’s first U.S. Open was in 2017, when he qualified to play at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin. He returned as a professional in 2021 at Torrey Pines and missed the cut again. His best finish in a major is ninth at the 2022 Masters.

Xander Schauffele

Schauffele remains near the top of leaderboards after his U.S. Open debut as a relatively unknown 23-year-old fresh from San Diego State, where he tied for fifth place. Every year since then, he has