On the 15th hole at Los Angeles Country Club, France’s Matthieu Pavon spun one back for the first ace of the 2023 U.S. Open on Thursday.
MATTHIEU PAVON WITH AN ACEpic.twitter.com/QVduay9SQa
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) June 15, 2023
That’s some kind of bite on his wedge, and with the speed of the back-to-front green there was plenty of room for the hole to get in the way. No. 15 is playing just 124 yards on Thursday, and there are rumors of it playing in just the 70’s at some point in the tournament. The yardage flexibility of the North Course at LACC is one of the most appealing things about the track, and the USGA has said they intend to use all of it.
So while this might be the first ace of the major, it likely won’t be the last.
Pavon moves to even par on his opening round. One of the qualifiers from the regional in Surrey, England, the former DP World Tour member shot -8 over 36 holes at Walton Heath Golf Club to make the tournament. It’s his third U.S. Open, but first in four years.