A president, a Playboy mansion and key stories at LA's US Open

Matthew Fitzpatrick, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka are among the favourites for the US Open

The third men's major of the season gets under way on Thursday with the 123rd US Open taking place on the north course of the exclusive Los Angeles Country Club in California.

England's reigning champion Matthew Fitzpatrick and Spain's Jon Rahm, who triumphed at the Masters in April also feature in the 156-man field.

Mexican University student Omar Morales and 43-year-old American Berry Henson, who also works as a taxi driver, are among six debutants, who will get play started on the first and 10th tees at 14:45 BST, after coming through qualifying.

Tiger Woods will be missing as he continues to recover from an ankle injury, as will PGA professional Michael Block, who stole the show at Oak Hill last month, but was among over more than 10,000 players to miss out in qualifying.

This will also be first major since the shock announcement of a commercial merger between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour with LIV Golf's backers, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).

And that is likely to ensure questions about golf's future remain beyond the lifting of the championship's 18-inch-tall, sterling silver trophy on Sunday.

Here are some of the main storylines going into golf's second oldest major championship.

Koepka relishes the 'chaos'

Brooks Koepka is aiming complete a PGA Championship and the US Open double for the second time in his career

With the volume turned up on talk of what the deal struck between the sport's pre-eminent tours and PIF means for the sport, Koepka says he is relishing the "chaos".

The 33-year-old American heads to Southern California looking to secure his third US Open title and his first since winning at Shinnecock Hills in 2018.

Victory at the Los Angeles Country Club [LACC] would also see the five-time major winner move a step closer to his goal of reaching "double digits".

"The more chaotic things get the easier it gets for me," Koepka said.

"I am able to focus on whatever I need to focus on while everybody else is dealing with distractions, worried about other things.

"Growing up you knew how many majors Jack (Nicklaus) has, you knew how many Tiger (Woods) has, you knew how many Arnold Palmer has, you knew how many Gary Player, (Tom) Watson has, all these legends.

"That's what you're judged on. It's major championships. You look at basketball, you're judged on how many championships you've won, not how many games you've won."

Muted McIlroy

Rory McIlroy's press conference was cancelled this week with his focus solely on winning the US Open again

McIlroy, who partners Koepka and 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama for the first two rounds cancelled his news conference on Tuesday.

He faced questions about the merger at last week's Canadian Open, saying the it was "most uncomfortable" he had felt for a year, and that he felt like a "sacrificial lamb" and still "hated" LIV Golf.

The world number three's sole US Open title saw him break records in winning at the Congressional Country Club in 2011, with the last of his four major success coming nine years ago at the US PGA Championship.

However, he will be encouraged by top-10 finishes in his past four appearances at this championship, including a tie for fifth during Fitzpatrick's victory at Brookline last June.

In a short interview with Sky Sports, the 34-year-old said he has made "big steps of progress" since missing the cut at the April's Masters and ending up in a tie for seventh at last month's US PGA.

Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick is aiming to become the eighth player to win the US Open in consecutive years, with Curtis Strange [1988, 1989] and Koepka [2017, 2018] the most recent to do so. He comes into the event in decent form having overcome an early season back injury.

European hopes will also rest with the likes of Rahm, who won his only US Open title in California at Torrey Pines two years ago.

The 28-year-old world number two has already won four times this season and is looking to become the first player to win the Masters and US Open in the same year since Jordan Spieth in 2015.

World number five Viktor Hovland's game looks in the shape to go better than finishing as a runner-up at Oak Hill and he has slept on at least a share of the lead in his past three majors.

Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton will aim to build on there excellent performances at the Canadian Open as they seek an elusive first major.

Fellow Englishman Justin Rose, will also look to mark the 10-year anniversary of his triumph at Merion in style after strong performances in the first two majors of the season.

The home favourites

Max Homa holds the [LACC] course record after shooting a nine-under 61 during the opening round of his victory in the Pac-12 Championship in 2013

Designed by George Thomas in 1928, the rustic north course was given a Gil Hanse revamp in 2010 to restore some of its original features and is likely to prove a novel experience for most of the field with some notable exceptions.

Future major champions Scheffler and Collin Morikawa were part of the USA team that thrashed Great Britain & Ireland when Los Angeles Country Club hosted amateur golf's Walker Cup in 2017.

Scheffler and local boys Morikawa and Max Homa are all considered among the favourites and make up a marquee trio for the first two rounds.

No player with California ties has won the US Open since Woods in 2008, but four of Homa's six PGA Tour wins have come in the state including both of his successes this season in the Fortinet Championship and Farmers Insurance Open.

The world number seven also finished as runner-up to Rahm at the Genesis Invitational, on the other side of Sunset Boulevard at the nearby Riviera Country Club.

It is also easy to make a case for Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, who sit at fourth and sixth in the world rankings.

Both are California natives, with Cantlay from nearby Long Beach and both have expressed their excitement and comfort at what they regard as a home course.

A hidden gem on full display

LACC is the first US Open venue since 1947 to contain five par-three holes

On the last occasion the US Open teed off in the City of Angels - 75 years ago in 1948 - Harry S. Truman was the US President, interstate highways didn't exist and 'The Ed Sullivan Show' was still 10 days from its debut.

The legendary Ben Hogan was also about to win the first of his four US Open titles some seven miles across town at the Riviera Country Club.

To add to the nostalgia and novelty factor, this is the first time the famously private LACC will host a major championship, having largely chosen to reject the overtures of the United States Golf Association over several decades.

Former club president Charles Older - the judge who sentenced convicted mass murderer Charles Manson to death - was outvoted 5-4 over hosting the 1986 edition.

Actors were also once prohibited from memberships, with Bing Crosby and Victor Mature deemed unwelcome, although Ronald Reagan, who began in that profession before serving two terms as President, did succeed with his application.

In a city noted for glamour, signs of the entertainment business are festooned just off 300-acre site, that until now has largely remained hidden to the outside world.

Aside from having to hit over the barranca - a gully featuring rough wasteland - to reach the fourth green, there is also the glaring appearance of a sprawling property owned by musician Lionel Richie to the right.

Some of Los Angeles most prized real estate is on show on the edges of the LACC

A 123-room French-inspired chateau built by the late TV producer Aaron Spelling (Dynasty and Beverly Hills, 90210 among others), overlooks the 623-yard 14th hole and the mansion where Playboy founder Hugh Hefner spent decades throwing parties comes into view on the 13th hole.

LACC is also the first US Open venue since 1947 to have five par-three holes and the monster 290-yard 11th hole is the second-longest in championship history.

The 284-yard par-three seventh hole is also likely to prove formidable while the size of the teeing area and depth of the green on the 15th means it could play at anything from 78-145 yards and is deceptively difficult.

The course uses Bermuda grass - the first US Open course to do so since 2005 - and it may mean the depth and toughness of the rough becomes a factor for those straying from the fairways, though the first hole, a generous 590-yard par five potentially offers players the chance to make an early birdie or better.