LOS ANGELES – Mike Whan watched quietly behind the ninth green Sunday as the day’s final group played up, basking in the Southern California sun and the idyllic stage of Los Angeles Country Club.

Unlike the towering hedges that separate the thunderous world on Wilshire Boulevard from the manicured oasis that is the North Course, Whan – the CEO of the USGA – was acutely aware of the noise this year’s venue created.

Whan and the USGA heard the push back regarding the unique course hosting its first U.S. Open and an onsite vibe that was a bit too chill for some.

“I'm not a huge fan of this place,” Brooks Koepka said on Friday. “I'm not a huge fan of blind tee shots, and then I think there's just some spots that no matter what you hit, the ball just ends up in the same spot. I think it would be more fun to play on just like a regular round than it would be a U.S. Open. I mean, there's, what, two 8s yesterday. That doesn't happen.”