Following the news of golf’s seismic ‘merger’ between the major tours and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, attention returns to the course and the 123rd US Open Championship.

The US Open always promises the best players in the world a fiendish test, with tournament organisers the USGA keen to keep the winning score close to par.

Matt Fitzpatrick is the defending champion following his triumph at Brookline last year, while Brooks Koepka can add a sixth major to his tally having lifted the Wanamaker Trophy at Oak Hill last month.

Rory McIlroy has just two majors remaining in 2023 to end his near nine-year wait for a fifth major, but has been battling with his game.

Scottie Scheffler is the game’s prominent player from tee to green but suffering from a cold putter.

When is the US Open?

The tournament starts on Thursday, June 15 with the final round on Sunday, June 19 which is Father’s Day in the UK and US.

Where is it?

Los Angeles Country Club in Beverly Hills is hosting the tournament for the first time. The highly-exclusive club has not hosted a professional event since 1940, but is regarded as one of the United States’ finest parkland courses.

Aside from those players who featured in the 2017 Walker Cup there as amateurs, the vast majority of the field will be playing the course for the first time in competition.

The US Open will be staged on the par 70 North Course which was redesigned by Gil Hanse.

What time is it?

Local time is US Pacific Time, which is eight hours behind the UK. That means UK viewers can expect the action to finish each day at around 2am the following morning.

That means viewers on America’s east coast can expect play to finish at around 9pm ET, which is around 7pm local time in Los Angeles.

How can I watch it on TV?

A combination Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event will be broadcasting exclusive live coverage in the UK. Live coverage will begin at 3pm BST on both channels on Thursday and Friday.

For American viewers on Thursday and Friday, Peacock will air live golf from 9.40 am. ET to 1 pm, followed by USA Network from 1pm-8p., with NBC taking over from 8pm until 11 pm. Besides the regular coverage, there will also be Featured Holes and Featured Groups.

What are the tee times?

The tee times will be released on Tuesday for the first two rounds. There will be a two-tee start in place with half of the field starting from the 10th.

Who are the players to watch?

By Phil Casey, Press Association Golf Correspondent

Brooks Koepka

Koepka won the US Open at Erin Hills in 2017 and triumphed again 12 months later at Shinnecock Hills, making him the first player since Curtis Strange in 1989 to win back-to-back titles. He also won the US PGA Championship in 2018 and 2019 before suffering career-threatening injuries and a loss of form, but won his third US PGA and fifth major title at Oak Hill last month. Koepka now has more major wins than regular PGA Tour titles and looks set to be a factor in the game’s biggest events for years to come.

Scottie Scheffler

Scheffler was unable to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in winning successive Masters titles, although a share of 10th at Augusta ensured his worst result in 2023 remarkably remains a tie for 12th in the Genesis Invitational. He finished joint second behind Koepka in the US PGA and third in the Memorial Tournament, both times being let down by his putting. The world number one leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee and tee to green, as well as greens in regulation, but is ranked just 114th in total putting.

Jon Rahm

Rahm’s brilliant early-season form had taken a slight dip before the Masters and he then four-putted the first hole at Augusta National, but the 2021 US Open winner responded superbly to shoot an opening 65 on his way to a four-shot victory and second major title. He recovered from an opening 76 to make the cut in the US PGA, but finished a distant 50th and was 16th in the Memorial after shooting four over par over the weekend.

Max Homa

Homa has yet to record a top-10 finish in 15 major appearances, with a best result of 13th in the 2022 US PGA, but the California native has won four of his six PGA Tour titles in his home state and set the course record of 61 at Los Angeles Country Club on his way to winning the prestigious Pac-12 title in 2013. The field averaged 73.29 on the par-70 layout when Homa carded nine birdies in his bogey-free round; he also three-putted the par-five eighth for par.

Patrick Cantlay

Another California native, Cantlay held the course record at LACC until it was broken by Homa and has played there a lot as it re-opened after renovation work in 2010, shortly before Cantlay began attending UCLA. The world number four has made the cut in all seven US Open appearances to date - he was low amateur in 2011 - and has recorded five top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in 2023, including a tie for ninth in the US PGA after a closing 66.