Top Irish amateur Matthew McClean has been handed a super opening round draw for this week’s U.S. Open in Los Angeles.
Belfast-born McClean will make his second straight major championship appearance playing alongside fellow Irishman Seamus Power and top Kiwi golfer, Ryan Fox.
The group will be out Thursday at 4.24pm (Irish time) in the eighth group of the morning, and two groups behind the heavyweight trio of World No. 1 and reigning Masters champ Jon Rahm, plus 2022 Masters winning hero Scottie Scheffler and also Max Homa.
Five Irish, among 25 different countries, will tee-up in suburban L.A. including 2011 champ, Rory McIlroy, reigning Senior US Open winning Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry.
Irish golfer Matthew McClean with the spoils of his 2022 US Mid-Amateur win. (Photo – USGA)
McClean, who turned 30 on June 9th, was afforded invitations into the Masters earlier this year and the U.S. Open in capturing last September’s U.S. Mid-Amateur title at Erin Hills.
He delighted in playing an Augusta National practice round alongside McIlroy, Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood ahead of missing the Masters halfway cut.
Now the fully trained optometrist is eyeing the excitement of a maiden U.S. Open showing ahead of the real likelihood, should he qualify, of representing GB & I in September’s Walker Cup at St. Andrews.
“This U.S. Open will be a great week with the crowd and the noise being very different to the Masters,” said an excited McClean.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing that and it would be cool to be there for the weekend and to enjoy playing in front of a loud US Open crowd.
A big night for all the amateurs in attending dinner ahead of this week’s 2023 US Open. Matthew McClean left on the back row,
“Hopefully I can try and go one step further from the Masters and make the weekend. I will take confidence from the Masters knowing that the cut was within reach quite easily with a few holes to go so it’s just about putting it together and see if it’s good enough to stick around for the weekend.
“The main thing from the Masters is that it was my first major experience and I was in with a chance of making the cut which was good. When you’re in the situation you just have to take your time and slow things down, easier said than done.
“Second time around in the majors, hopefully I will be more comfortable and know there are guys in the field shooting good scores and try to keep up with what the standard is.”
It’s the first time the ultra-exclusive L.A. Country Club, located just a few minutes drive from downtown Beverly Hills, has hosted a men’s major since opening in 1911.
The club was presented with hosting the 1986 U.S. Open but their committee voted 5-4 to over-rule the invitation.
It was not until renowned golf course designer, Gil Hanse was brought in to redesign the North Course early last decade that the club now wishes to fully ‘show off’ the finished product.
However, only a handful of golfers have played the North course in big competition and those include now major winners, Collin Morikawa and Scheffler who were members of the victorious 2017 USA Walker Cup side.
“The course is definitely going to be different to Augusta National,” McClean said.
“I played the course for the first time last week and the set up for a US Open is just completely different, it’s such a big property with lots of stuff going on.
“It’s a different experience but I’m looking forward to it, just looking forward to seeing the course on Thursday and getting out and playing.
“It’s a great golf course, the greens are the big defence, they are pretty undulating, they will be rock solid and fast. The rough around the greens is brutal so the greens will be where you have to hit it in the right place and putt very well. It’s relatively generous off the tee but if you miss the fairway it’s long enough where some hole you won’t be able to reach from the rough.
“Some similarities from Augusta with the undulations on the greens and that they will be very fast but overall, the golf course is completely different. You have to hit it a mile off some tees with some of the long par fours and very long par fives. It will be a test to look forward to.”
FIVE THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT MATTHEW MCCLEAN
- McClean was born 9th June, 1993 in Belfast
- McClean began playing golf at the Balmoral Club, home club to Ireland’s maiden major champion Fred Daly, who was the long-time head pro, and also the club where David Feherty, Eddie Polland and Norman Drew were members.
- McClean moved to England in 2014, where he trained to be an optometrist, and returned home to Belfast in 2017 to join Malone Golf Club.
- Ireland national coach, Neil Manchip, and Shane Lowry’s long-time coach, has worked in recent years on McClean’s short game
- McClean’s main 2023 goal is to qualify for September’s Walker Cup.
IRISH TEE TIMES – ROUND 1, 2023 US OPEN (Irish time)
3.40pm – Shane Lowry
4.35pm – Matthew McClean & Seamus Power
9.59pm – Padraig Harrington
9.54pm – Rory McIlroy.
- McClean was speaking with our friends at Irish Golfer Magazine
