Oakmont, Pennsylvania – Could the toughest tests in men’s professional golf be even more difficult at Oakmont Country Club, the 125th US site in the US this week?
Early scouting reports from tour pros on the improvement courses in the suburbs of Pittsburgh have included descriptions such as “genocide,” “cooked beyond belief,” and “the hardest course in the world.”
Grab a popcorn and get ready to see who can survive the rough ankle-high fairways, the famous church’s Powse Bunkers, and the lightning (and solid) greens.
“I’ve heard from a few players, and that’s the most difficult course they’ve ever played,” Xander Schauffele said. “It’s like most people talk about (what) and it’s not too detailed as to why. It’s long, rough isn’t possible and you can hit a 50-yard pitch.
It is Oakmont’s 10th time that he has held the US Open, and there is a reason why the American Golf Association is back. It offers golfers the most difficult test of the season.
“I’d say all the rumours and everything is pretty appropriate,” added Justin Thomas, who played the training round at Oakmont two weeks ago.
Take a look at the field, including candidates, sleepers, qualifiers, amateurs and more.
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Clear Favorites | People who can win | If everything is right
Miracles happen | I’m happy to make a cut | Qualifying | Amateur
It’s once again a men’s professional golfer in the world of Scotty Schaeffler, and it seems everyone else is witnessing what he’s going to do next. After winning two Masters victories last month with the PGA Championship, Schaeffler can complete a three-quarter career grand slam on Sunday.
Tier I: Clear favourites
Scotty Scheffler
Yes, forget that Schaeffler is off to a late start. The world’s No. 1 golfer wins three of his last four starts (a whopping 17 strokes combined), including his 16th PGA Tour victory in the Memorial Tournament, heading to Oakmont Country Club on another epic heater. He has transformed into Mariano Rivera during his second nine inning on Sunday, converting each of his past seven 54-hole leads.
He has some favourite memories of Oakmont. He was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Texas, and he made a 1-under 69 card in his first round in the majors at the 2016 US Open in Oakmont. He missed the cut with one stroke after posting an 8-over 78 in the second round. If he’s accurate from the tee, he’ll be hard to beat.
Tier II: People who can win
This is a legitimate candidate for winning the US Open. They have the game, courage and nerve to handle four pressure pack rounds in the most difficult setup of the majors.
Bryson Deccanbeau
DeChambeau won his second US Open title at Pinehurst despite losing nearly half of the fairway (57%) in the fourth round. He kicked out everyone else (averaged 310.9 yards), hit the green and won by the lights out. He needed to be more accurate from the Oakmont tee and was not satisfied with his iron play at the Masters and PGA Championship. Still, he finished the 6th or more tie-up in five of his past six majors.
Rory McIlroy
Rory tries to drive his demon away from last year’s US Open in Pinehurst in North Carolina. There, he wasted a two-stroke lead on five holes and missed short putts on 16th and 18th. McIlroy missed the cut nine years ago in his only start at Oakmont. He doesn’t seem to have much confidence from the tee right now. He missed a cut at last week’s RBC Canada Open after hitting only 13 of his 28 fairways in the second round. McIlroy was planning to test some new drivers over the weekend to find what he likes.
Collin Morikawa
The two-time major champions are Sentry and Arnold Palmer Invitational, which opens this season, and runner-up two times this season. Morikawa has not won for over 19 months. His final victory on the tour took place at the Zozo Championships held in Japan in October 2023. That drought must end immediately. He is extremely accurate (72.9%) from the tee and is a world-class ball striker (67.6% green under regulation).
John Larm
The Liv Golf League star took part in the mix with Schaeffler in the second nine of the final round of the PGA Championship, but collapsed the stretch. Rahm, who won the 2021 US Open with Torrey Pines, finished with more than 12 tie in four of his last five starts in the tournament. He is very inaccurate from Quail Hollow’s tee and will write about disasters for him this week.
Russell Henry
Henry gathered his fifth PGA Tour victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, followed by his eighth in the RBC heritage and fifth in Thailand at the monument. He finished seventh at the 2024 US Open at 1 under. Henry is ranked 16th on tours at Stroke. He is tied for 12th place in driving accuracy (67.7%). This is also useful in Oakmont.
sEp Straca
Straca is one of the most underrated golfers on the tour, and has already won the American Express and Trust Championship twice this season. He also stacked five top 10 and 11 top 25 in 13 starts, all secured his spot in the European Ryder Cup team. He looks for a better show this week after missing out on a cut at the Masters and PGA Championship. He didn’t miss the fairway (68.5% fairway hits), leading the tour on the regulated green (71.4%) and placed 17th in strokes: Putting (.427).
Xander Schauffele
The putter of the Shauferre seems to be warming up. He can grab the third leg of his career grand slam after winning the PGA Championship and Open Championship last year. Surprisingly, he finished the top 10 in seven of seven of his eight starts at the US Open, including his seventh tie last year.
ludvigÅberg
Contradictions are the only ones that refrain from being at the top of the upper layer of sports. The 25-year-old Swedish golfer finished first on a Genesis invitation and seventh solo in the Masters. Surprisingly, he ranks 77th in strokes: total (.214), 109th in approach (-.025) and 129th in putting (-.144). Still, his game appears to be tailored to win the US Open.
Hideki Matsuyama
The 2019 Masters Championship missed a cut at the PGA Championship and ended their winning streak playing in 19 straight majors over the weekend. He finished the top 10 in two of the last three US two, but his accuracy from the tee (55.3%) could be a concern at Oakmont.
Justin Thomas
JT has cooled a bit after a hot start to the season, including a playoff victory in the RBC legacy and a third runner-up finish. He missed a cut in the PGA Championship and finished 31st in the Memorial. There, it was reverted to opening round 80. I played much better on the weekends.
Shane Laurie
Apart from missed cuts at the PGA Championship, the Irishman played consistently in July at Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush, the site of his final individual PGA Tour victory at the 2019 Open Championship (Rawley and McIlroy were last Zurich Classic of New Orleans). He tied himself up to runner-up at the 2016 US Open. He took a 4-shot lead in the final round and then he went three strokes behind winner Dustin Johnson.
Harris English
The 35-year-old won five tours at Farmers Insurance Open in late January before finishing second in the PGA Championship. If he tightens his iron play and touches around the green, his putting is enough to fight him again.
Patrick Cantray
It’s been more than two and a half years since Cantrey lifted the trophy, but he was in the back nine mix in the final round at Pinehurst. He ranks in the top 10 for strokes he has won: total (1.124) and approach (.628).
Justin Rose
The 2013 US Open winner was runner-up in the 2024 Open Championship and lost in the McIlroy playoffs at the Masters in April, so he is still enough to get into the mix. He missed a cut at four of his last five US openings.
Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood is the top 25 car this season, finishing in the top 22 except for 12 starts on the tour. He finished fourth in the Charles Schwab Challenge and 16th in the monument. He is still looking for a elusive first PGA Tour victory.
Viktor Hovland
Hofland’s love-hate relationship with his swing is a never-ending drama, but he seemed to be in a better place recently. He’s still an extraordinary iron player and hits plenty of fairways, but will he hold up his short game and Oakmont’s demonic green structure?
Aaron Rye
If keeping the ball on the fairway is a prerequisite for competition at Oakmont, then no one on the tour will do that better than Rai, who leads driving accuracy (73.4%). He also has to do a better job on the green.
Tyrrell Hutton
The USGA setup doesn’t seem to fit Hatton’s eyes. He finished sixth in Cinecock Hills in Long Island, New York in 2018, finishing only once in the top 10. He has been playing for a while like one of the best golfers in the world.
Corey Conners
Canadian golfers hit most fairways (68.8%) and greens (70%), making them even better this season. He finished 9th at Pinehurst last season.
Ben Griffin
It’s hard to believe that the former North Carolina star worked as a mortgage executive four years ago and was pretty much away from sports. Griffin and Andrew Novac won a team event in New Orleans, while Griffin won his first individual title at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He was runner-up in last week’s Memorial Tournament, but even his first start at the US Open doesn’t seem to be ready to be late anytime soon.
Joaquín Niemann
Niemann, who won the LIV Golf League four times this year, has collected the top 10 in the majors with his eighth tie in the PGA Championship. That could be the breakthrough he needs to make some noise in the Big Four.
Tier III: If everything is right
This is the sleeper candidate to lift the US open trophy on Sunday. The list includes former major championship winners, rising stars and other players whose games are currently in progress this season. Will it all come together at Oakmont?
Tony’s discussion
Finau seemed to wake up from his sleep with a top 20 finish at the Truist Championship and PGA Championship. He finished third last year after a 3-under 67 card on Sunday.
Brian Herman
Herman won the 2023 Open Championship under tough circumstances, making cuts at each of the last five US Opens, finishing 21st at Pinehurst. He won the Valero Texas Open in April and placed third in the RBC legacy.
Cameron Smith
Smith’s putting ability would make him look perfect for Oakmont. He missed cuts in the last three majors, making many wonder if he’s playing often enough for the Liv Golf League to compete again.
Matt Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick’s tie, eighth in the PGA Championship, was a sign that his form might have returned. He won the 2022 US Open at the country club in Brookline, Massachusetts, in such a great situation.
Jordan Spieth
Since Bobby Jones became the youngest golfer since winning the US Open at Chambers Bay in 1923, Spieth has had one top 20 finish with nine starts and finished 19th four years ago.
Brooks Koepka
The two-time US open winner appeared in majors who believe he is better than anyone else on the field. He has not won the top 10 in the majors since winning his third PGA Championship title in 2023. He missed the cut in the first two majors of the year.
difficult
“Dr. Chipinski” has three straight finishes at the US Open, including a tie that placed fifth at the Los Angeles Country Club two years ago. His shape has not been great since his master.
Sam Burns
After stepping into the Master, Burns has played better golf over the past few months. He appears to have a major breakthrough in 9th place at the 2024 US Open, and he leads the PGA Tour with strokes: putting.
Ryan Fox
The New Zealand golfer was exempt from the field on Sunday after beating Burns in the playoffs at the RBC Canada Open. It was Fox’s second victory in four starts. He also first finished at OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic.
Andrew Novak
Novak was one of the biggest surprises on the tour this season, working with Griffin to win the Zurich Classic in New Orleans, losing to Thomas in the playoffs at RBC Heritage. This is his second start at the US Open.
Patrick Reed
Reid continues to show up on the leaderboard on Augusta National Sunday, but he has not achieved similar success in the other three majors. His only top ten at the US Open was fourth in 2018.
Robert McInteal
Scottish golfers won two national championships last year: the Canadian Open and the Scottish Open. He opened the US and called it Oakmont, saying, “Make an absolute slaughter on the simulator and don’t mind the actual event.”
Daniel Burger
Berger has had several top tens in the US Open in his career, and he played quite a bit before the Charles Schwab Challenge and consecutive missed cuts at the memorial.
Davis Riley
Riley made a breakthrough in the PGA Championship, tied second at 6 under, earning her best major finish.
Tom Kim
Kim has stacked three straight finishes, more than 26 times at the US Open, including her eighth tie in 2023. He has struggled with tours for the past two months.
Maverick McNerry
This is McNealy’s first US Open start since he qualified as an 18-year-old amateur at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014.
Akshay Bhatia
After settling in April and early May, Batia has played better in recent weeks. He finished 16th at the 2024 US Open and has all the shots he needs to compete in, especially on the green.
Thomas Detley
Detry is not particularly accurate from the tee (56.6%) and struggles with irons, but putts the light out in last year’s Pinehurst No. 2, leading him to 14th place.
Trill
What else does Kim have in his bag after recording the longest ace in major championship history with a 252-yard par-3 six-hole at the Quazul Hollow Club in the PGA Championship?
Keegan Bradley
The captain of the US Ryder Cup team missed a cut at the US Open in four of his last six starts. He came in 7th place in 2022.
Jason’s Day
When US Open was last held at Oakmont, they were tied up on the 8th day at 2am. He has not made the tour since missing a cut at the PGA Championship. He injured his left wrist while moving his bike.
jt poston
Poston was tied to fifth place in the PGA Championship, his best finish in the majors, and his form leaned ahead of missing a cut at the monument.
Denny McCarthy
McCarthy had three straight finishes at the US Open, tied the seventh in 2022.
Michael Kim
Kim cooled down after a hot spring when she stacked up five straight tops 15. That was his third start of the US Open. He is few amateurs and ranked 17th in 2013.
Davis Thompson
Thompson was tied to 9th place last year in Pinehurst, finishing the best in the majors. The 26-year-old is extremely talented, but still struggles with consistency.
Dustin Johnson
The DJ survived the scoring controversy in the final round, winning the final US Open at Oakmont. He was a non-factor for the majors in the past two seasons.
Wyndham Clark
Clark’s shape has been headed in the wrong direction for several weeks, and his inaccuracies from the tee (56.5%) and struggling iron play (63.8%) probably isn’t the recipe for success at Oakmont.
sungjae in
He is another golfer who has missed cuts in each of his last three starts in the tournament but maintains tee shots between the lines (68.7%).
JJ Spaun
Spaun was two runner-ups on the Tour this season, losing to McIlroy in Monday’s playoffs with players. He missed the cut in his only previous US Open Start in 2021.
Jacob Bridgeman
The former Clemson star could be a sneaky pick to compete this week. He was one of the best putters on the tour, having four top 10 finishes and worked well for Oakmont in the 2021 US amateur.
rasmushøjgaard
Højgaard has won the DP World Tour five times. He missed the cut in his only previous US Open Start in 2020.
Joe Highsmith
Highsmith has been a breakout performer so far this season, winning the Cognizant Classic and finishing in eighth place in the PGA Championship.
Ryan Gerald
Gerald is about to build on his 8th astonishing tie in the PGA Championship.
Lucas Glover
The Glover putt was cold again. This is why he wasn’t competing as badly as he did this season. He played in two previous US held at Oakmont in 2007 and 2016, missing both cuts.
Matieu Pabon
Pavon became the first French golfer to win the PGA Tour in January 2024, winning the US Open Course at Torrey Pines’ Farmers Insurance Open. He finished 2nd in Pinehurst last year and fifth in the first place.
Nick Taylor
The Canadian golfer has won the PGA Tour five times, but he is still looking for success in the majors.
Taylor Pendris
Pendris, another golfer from the north of the border, finished in the top 20 in two of his last three majors, finishing 16th in the 2024 US Open and fifth in the PGA Championship last month.
Adam Scott
The best day on the 2013 Masters Champion course is probably in the rearview mirror. He has one top 10 in the majors since finishing seventh in the 2019 US Open.
Cameron Young
Young once ranked 13th in the World Golf Rankings, so he had to go through the final qualifying round to make the field. He has played better recently.
Budkorey
After missing more than three seasons due to injuries in a 2018 car accident, Cauley is back in the US for the first time in eight years.
Stephen Jager
German-born Jager placed 21st at the 2024 US Open. He made an early fuss at the PGA Championship before fading over the weekend.
Tia IV: Hey, miracles happen
These are long shots. This tier includes a handful of old former major champions and regulars on the PGA Tour.
Gary Woodland
Brian Campbell
Cam Davis
Laurie Canter
Mackenzie Hughes
Jonattan Vegas
Nico Echavalia
Max Griezerman
Sam Stevens
Emiliano Grillo
Matt Wallace
Mark Leishman
Chris Kirk
Tom HGE
Christiaan bezuidenhout
Byeong hun an
Sliston Lawrence
Mark Hubbard
Land Griffin
Justin Lower
Richard Brand
Eric Call
Doug Pin
Carlos Ortiz
Did Vegas catch a lightning bolt with a bottle at the PGA Championship when he grabbed the lead with 18 and 36 holes and tied it to fifth place at 5 under? He never finished in the top 40 of the US Open.
Woodland won the 2019 US Open, Kirk has won the Tour six times, and Leishman has won the Liv Golf League 14 times. If your form is good, it’s more than you can connect four solid rounds.
Tier V: I’m happy with the cut
These players are not expected to be among the candidates unless something is happening.
Phil Mickelson
Nick Dunlap
Matt McCarty
Eric Van Louen
Thorbjørn Olesen
Victor Perez
Niklas Norgard
Zack Blair
Chris Gottap
Wilchandler
Trevor Cone
James Hearn
Adam Schenk
Six-time major champion Mickelson admitted that this may be his last chance to complete a career grand slam earlier this week. It was the final year of his five-year exemption, winning the 2021 PGA Championship on Kiawha Island, South Carolina, where he became the oldest major championship winner.
Mickelson, 54, is the sixth runner-up at the US Open in 2013. He missed a cut in four of his last five starts at the event and hasn’t finished in the top 40 since 2014 at 28th place.
Dunlap won two tours last season. One was an amateur, the other was another rookie after running Pro. He has since missed six of his last nine starts. He has not played in any of the five major appearances of the past two seasons over the weekend.
Tier VI: Qualifying
They are not regulars on the PGA Tour, but the remaining players of the 65 qualifiers included in the top or bottom stages. They went on to final qualifying locally to grab the spot on site. The final qualifying round to win the US Open was Lucas Glover in 2009.
Yuta Sugiura
James Nicholas
Roberto Diaz
Ben James
Sack abdomen
Scott Vincent
Jordan Smith
Joakim Lagergren
Jinichiro Kozuma
Guido Migliozzi
Frederic Lacroix
Sam Bearstow
Edoardo Molinari
Jacques Kruyswijk
Andrea Pavan
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
Alistair Docherty
Johnny Keefer
Alvaro Ortiz
Emilio Gonzalez
Trent Phillips
George Nazer
Chandler Blanche
Justin Hicks
Philip Burberry Jr.
Jackson Buchanan
Ryan McCormick
Brian Lee
Harrison there
Hefner Grant
George Duanmany
Keybello
Brady Calkins
Joey Herera
Austin truslow
Chase Johnson
Matthew Jordan
Takumi Kanaya
Riki Kawamoto
Riley Lewis
Maxwell Moldvan
Nicholas, a native of New York, played football at Yale for a season and stayed with the golf team four times. His grandfather, Dr. James A. Nicholas, was an orthopedic surgeon who had four surgeries on the knee of Jets quarterback Joe Namas. Nicholas was the 2019 Ivy League Player of the Year.
The 50-year-old Hicks actually took the first round lead at the Tory Pines’ 2008 US Open at 3 under. Hicks, a golf instructor from Boca Raton, Florida, finished 74th with 17.
Playing at Wayne State in Michigan, Hefner had one of the most dramatic finishes on the longest day of golf, sinking a 60-foot putt from the green on the 36th hole to earn medalist honors in the final qualifying round at Springfield Country Club in Ohio.
Go ahead and grant Haevner!
People from Bloomfield Hills had absolutely a right response to rounding out his spot at the US Open. pic.twitter.com/vgp0cg0mcv
– US Open (@usopengolf) June 2, 2025
Tier VII: Amateur
Amateur players who try stars like Cantrey, Mickelson, Larm, Spieth try what many others did at the US Open before turning professionals: win medals as low amateurs.
Jose Luis Barrester
Noah Kent
Evan Beck
Trevor Gutschewski
Michael La Sasso
Justin Hastings
Lance Simpson
Cameron Tankery
Frankie Harris
Mason Howell
Tyler Weaver
Jackson’s Birch
Matt Vogt
Preston Summer Haze
Zachary Polo
There are a whopping 15 amateurs in the field, including nine who made progress in the final qualifying round, many of whom once again have a compelling story.
Vogt, 34, grew up in Pittsburgh and was once an Oakmont caddy. He played at Butler University in Indianapolis and is currently working as a dentist. He was a medalist in the final qualifying round in Walla Walla, Washington, wearing a hat and ribbon in honor of his recently deceased father who was tracking his score on his cell phone.
The dentist, who became caddy, has become an open competitor to us! 👏👏👏
If you’ve seen the longest interview for one golf, make sure it’s this from Matthew Foggt. pic.twitter.com/f1weehpfsg
– US Open (@usopengolf) June 3, 2025
17-year-old Howell is a senior high school high school in Thomasville, Georgia. He went under 18 and did not bogey in the second round in the final qualifying round at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta on June 2nd. He has pledged to play at the University of Georgia as part of his class of 2026.
Ole Miss junior Lasasso entered the field last month by winning the NCAA Division I individual national championships. The nationals have won three times this season, with the lowest score average in program history (69.48). His Ole Miss teammate Tankersley created the field through open qualifying.
Gutschewski is just graduating from Westside High School in Omaha, Nebraska and heads to the University of Florida. His father, Scott, won the Corn Ferry Tour three times, with his older brother Luke playing for Iowa. Gutschewski won the US open spot by capturing US junior amateurs in 2024.
