The 125th U.S. Open tees off June 12–15 at Oakmont Country Club, a venue whose reputation for punishing precision is unmatched. The course has repeatedly been named one of the five best golf courses in the United States by Golf Digest.
Oakmont mirrors the brutal challenge of Winged Foot, with deep rough, narrow landing zones in the fairways, and greens that demand control. This course will demand repeated and consistent shot-making that will require the ability to avoid danger, avoid bogeys and pass the mental challenge this course will present.
Oakmont Country Club, playing at 7,372 yards to a par 70, presents relentless difficulty on every hole. With treacherous “Church Pew” bunkers, thick rough, and lightning fast, elevated greens, this will be a major mental challenge for all players. Having distance off the tee and the ability to keep it out of the rough will give key players a major advantage.
Narrow landing zones edged by 5–6‑inch rough will test drivers and irons as players position themselves for a good second shot. The 8th hole, a 300-yard par‑3, will be the longest in the U.S. Open history.
In a recent practice round, Bryson DeChambeau called Oakmont “one of the toughest golf courses in the world, perhaps the hardest!” These 4 days will be a battle of attrition and who can stay levelheaded while taking advantage of scoring opportunities.
Success at Oakmont will hinge on elite performance in a few key metrics:
● Strokes Gained: Off‑the‑Tee – Ranked 2nd in importance on Tour, critical for navigating these narrow fairways and avoiding thick rough and bunkers.
● Strokes Gained: Approach – Ranked 6th in correlation to success showing an emphasis on precise iron play with these elevated, small, and slick greens.
● Strokes Gained: Putting – Also ranked 6th, especially relevant on Oakmont’s quick, sloping surfaces. As seen below, lag putting will play a huge part this weekend, and the top two additional key stats are putting from 7’ and 10’.
● Driving Distance – Ranked 7th, offering a slight edge to those who can drive with distance. The caveat is the 300-yard landing zones on some of these holes that slim down to 20 yards wide, posing difficult challenges.
● Additional Key Stats – Clubhead speed to help get through thick, rough, and find distance. Birdie or better percentage & Bogey avoidance, both go hand in hand, players more than likely will score a lot of pars this week, so the ability to score and avoid bogeys could be key to finishing strong. Finally, the top two correlating additional stats are putting from 7’ and 10’, showing it could be tough to hit these greens with proximity.
● Scottie Scheffler: Arguably the most complete player in the world, with elite ball-striking and elite consistency. He has seven straight top 10’s, while winning three of his last four tournaments. He has three top‑7 finishes in his last four U.S. Opens, including podium finishes in the last two.
● Bryson DeChambeau: The defending U.S. Open champion is built for courses like Oakmont, where his combination of length and improved control off the tee could be the difference. He is putting on the best statistical driving season in the history of golf, and he has the club head speed to dominate this field, getting out of this rough.
● Rory McIlroy: Has the longest active streak of top‑10s at the U.S. Open with six straight, but enters with shaky recent form. He could be difficult to trust here with his current form, but when the lights shine the brightest, he can turn it on. Tough to go away from a player who has been one of the best on tour all season.
● Xander Schauffele: Can we call him Mr. Reliable at the U.S. Open? Xander has never finished outside the top 14 in his career at these events. Xander has yet to display his dominance this season, and we could see it here. He has six straight top 30s and finished T8 at The Masters.
● Jon Rahm: After joining LIV, Rahm struggled in majors but has since turned things around. Rahm has three straight top‑15s, including two top‑10s in recent majors.
● Ludvig Aberg: He's one of the most talented young players in the world but has not been playing like it this season. Aberg has put together five straight positive rounds, gaining strokes. He can turn the lights on when they are at the brightest, and I won't be shocked if he makes a run on the weekend.
● Joaquin Niemann: Must talk about a couple of LIV players here, and he may be one of the brightest stars on LIV and the global stage. Niemann has won on LIV four times this season, winning three of his last four events, and has found success in recent majors. He has placed inside the top 30 in both majors this season and has four top‑40 finishes in his last five majors.
● Tommy Fleetwood: With four top‑26 finishes in his last six majors and ten top‑22s this season, Fleetwood has the profile to contend in any major, and his game suits up well for this course.
● Viktor Hovland: He’s gained strokes putting in five of his last six events and brings sharp iron play into a course that rewards repeatable ball striking. If he can avoid the big disasters, he has the talent to finish top 10 here.
● Sam Burns: Riding a strong wave of form, we cashed in on Burns last week as he continued his run of six top 30 finishes, three straight top 20s. Burns finished T9 at last year’s U.S. Open, is coming off a heartbreaking 2nd-place playoff finish last week, and appears primed for another top‑30 run or better.