LOS ANGELES – Brooks Koepka knows he’s going to have to put aside his feelings about Los Angeles Country Club if he wants to capture a third U.S. Open title.

Sitting at even-par 140 through two rounds, well off the pace at this U.S. Open, Koepka said that LACC isn’t “my favorite” and knows that he'll have to produce two low rounds this weekend to have any chance to win.

“I’m not a huge fan of this place,” he said Friday after a second-round 69. “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 just a regular round than it would be a U.S. Open. There was, what, two 8s (62) yesterday? That doesn’t happen.”

The first of Koepka’s major titles came at the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, a new venue that produced a few record-setting numbers, with Koepka tying the 72-hole scoring record in relation to par with a 16-under mark. A year later, Koepka reigned at Shinnecock with a 1-over winning score.

Asked what he thinks, philosophically, a U.S. Open should be, he said: “I think it should be around par.”

By the time Koepka finished his round Friday, he was already nine shots back of clubhouse leader Wyndham Clark, with Rickie Fowler still on the course and pushing the lead into double-digits under par.

Koepka didn’t think the setup was unreasonable in the second round – “I didn’t think anything was really tricked up; I just didn’t play that great so not going to really shoot a good number” – and wondered how much more difficult the USGA could make conditions over the weekend. He'll need both help from the field and decidedly better play if he wants to continue his torrid major season during which he tied for second at the Masters and won the PGA Championship.

“I won majors on golf courses that I haven’t really liked too much,” he said. “But this one, I don’t know – it’s not my favorite.”