The UCLA Hospitality team, including those from the Luskin Hotel, got a close up look at one of golf’s most coveted artifacts: the U.S. Open Championship Trophy. As one of just a handful of hotels who worked in partnership with the U.S. Golf Association (USGA) to accommodate VIPs, guests and fans attending the U.S. Open, the Luskin Hotel was part of a trophy tour organized by the USGA as a way to say thank you.
“Being part of such a monumental event in Los Angeles was an honor,” said Tony Perrone, general manager of the Luskin Conference Center and Hotel. “We were proud to share our incredible brand of service and hospitality with the USGA VIPs, guests and fans who stayed with us.”
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is one of thefour major championships in professional golf and attracts top players from around the world. It returned to Los Angeles June 15-18 for the first time in 75 years.
The last time the event locally was in 1948 when Ben Hogan won the first of his four U.S. Opens with a 72-hole score of 276 (8 under par), two strokes better than Jimmy Demaret, at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. This 2023 event was held roughly two miles from the Luskin Hotel.
The trophy is treated with the utmost care, requiring white glove treatment, said U.S. Open Championship Director Charlie Howe, who accompanied it to our venue on June 1. “The privilege of touching it with bare hands is reserved for the champion who earns it each year. That champion earns the right to hoist the trophy and have a little fun with it for the next year when they have it in their possession.”
This year’s winner was Wyndham Clark, 29, of Denver, CO, who stole the show to claim a one-stroke victory and add his name to the list of legendary champions.
From a hospitality standpoint, Los Angeles boasts an array of incredible properties and the Luskin Hotel, in particular, stood out as an exceptional venue for accommodations, said Howe.
“Our guests, our fans and our VIPs will love the space and love the amenities in Westwood,” said Howe. “Sitting here today, being outside in such a nice courtyard space — anywhere in this general vicinity — is great. That’s what we love, and that’s what our guests will love.”