Riviera Called in Good Shape for L.A. Open

Lush is the way Peter Oosterhuis, director of golf at Riviera Country Club, described the course that is the site of the Nissan Los Angeles Open beginning Thursday.

“I think the course held up remarkably well,” Oosterhuis said of the effects of recent storms. “The greens don’t drain particularly well and, if there is a downpour, they will puddle up. That’s one of the main reasons we will be rebuilding the greens this year.

“They need to be built to the proper specifications so they can be more consistent, drain better and be more resistant (to) weather or any kind of disease.”

Oosterhuis said the rough is higher than usual.

“It will be trimmed just to even it out,” he said. “It would have helped to have a couple of warm days following the rain. The greens are a little soft.”

Oosterhuis, who has been the pro at Riviera for two years, said he will leave that post at the end of the week to play on the Nike tour.

“It has been presented that I chose to leave,” Oosterhuis, 44, said. “We (he and management) couldn’t come to an agreement on contract terms. I had a two-year contract that expired Feb. 14.”

Steve Elkington, Billy Ray Brown and Gene Sauers withdrew from the tournament for unspecified reasons.

Ted Oh, a 16-year-old North Torrance High sophomore, shot a 68 to qualify for the L.A. Open on Monday at the Los Serranos Country Club. Oh tied for second with Jeff Wilson of Fairfield among four qualifiers.

Monty Leong of San Diego had the top score, a 67. Eric Johnson from Eugene, Ore., also made the field.

Oh will be the youngest participant in this year’s L.A. Open.