Oakmont Awaits: What to Expect from the 2025 U.S. Open

Oakmont’s Challenge Returns

The 2025 U.S. Open is set to tee off at historic Oakmont Country Club, widely considered one of the toughest tests in golf. This will be Oakmont’s 10th time hosting the tournament, and it never disappoints. With lightning-fast greens, narrow fairways, and brutal bunkers, like the infamous Church Pews between holes 3 and 4, players will need precision and patience to survive.

Star Power and Storylines

This year’s field is stacked with marquee groupings. Thursday and Friday pairings feature must-watch groups including a mix of top PGA players paired with big LIV names. Here are some top groups to watch Thursday and Friday:

Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler

Thursday: 1:25pm ET

Friday: 7:40am ET

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is coming off three wins in his last four starts, including the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, and comes in as the heavy favorite. Meanwhile, Collin Morikawa comes into the U.S. Open having only missed one cut all year, and Viktor Hovland has been on a hot stretch of Top 30 finishes since his win at the Valspar in March.

Xander Schauffele, Jose Luis Ballester, Bryson DeChambeau

Thursday: 7:29am ET

Friday: 1:14pm ET

All eyes are on defending champion Bryson DeChambeau after his emotional win on Father’s Day last year, a year and a half after his father’s passing, making the now infamous sand save for the ages. Schauffele has yet to record a win in 2025, but has not missed a cut yet, and hasn’t finished outside the top 30 since The Players. Rising star Ballester just turned pro, taking the road not yet traveled by declining his membership to the Korn Ferry Tour and instead signing with the Fireballs alongside fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia on the LIV circuit.

Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson

Thursday: 1:14pm ET

Friday: 7:29am ET

Any of these three past U.S. Open champs could be in the mix, with Rahm showing up the strongest in the two majors so far this year with a T14 and T8. Outside of his first round at the PGA Championship, Spieth is finally putting up some solid results, with four top 10s so far this season, including a T7 in his last event at the Memorial. DJ on the other hand, has missed the cut in both majors so far this year, but is only two years removed from a top 10 at the event, and is the last to win the event at Oakmont back in 2016.

Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy

Thursday: 7:40am ET

Friday: 1:25pm ET

2025 Masters champion, Rory McIlroy is paired up with his buddy Shane Lowry, who has had a very strong season so far, and Justin Rose, the 44-year-old Brit who took McIlroy to a playoff as he finally captured the elusive Green Jacket. Rory also looks to overcome his gut wrenching loss at the U.S. Open last year, where he missed two short putts down the stretch. Look for any one of these veterans to be in the mix on Sunday.

Oakmont by the Numbers

The par-70 layout will play almost 7,400 yards this year, with the iconic par-3 8th stretching to nearly 300 yards. The winning score might hover near par, especially with unpredictable Pennsylvania winds and Oakmont’s signature firmness. The USGA has always tried to make the U.S. Open the most difficult tournament conditions of any event on tour, and this year could create one of the greatest tests yet with 5-inch rough and greens running over 15 on the stimpmeter. Oakmont is sure to test every player’s mental and physical discipline, especially coming down the stretch on holes 16 through 18.

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Final Thought

This year’s U.S. Open promises drama, grit, and unforgettable moments. And at Oakmont, one thing is guaranteed: par is a great score.

References

• ESPN. (2025, June 11). U.S. Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester of Spain joins LIV Golf. https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/45449412/us-amateur-champion-jose-luis-ballester-spain-joins-liv-golf

• Golf Digest. (2025, June). U.S. Open 2025 tee times, pairings for Thursday and Friday at Oakmont. https://www.golfdigest.com/story/us-open-2025-tee-times-pairings-thursday-friday-first-round-second-round-oakmont

• New York Post. (2025, June 11). Line of lawnmowers at unplayable Oakmont Country Club goes viral as the course is set to host U.S. Open. https://nypost.com/2025/06/11/sports/line-of-lawnmowers-at-unplayable-oakmont-country-club-goes-viral-as-the-course-is-set-to-host-us-open/

• PGA TOUR. (2025). U.S. Open 2025: Tee Times. https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/2025/u.s-open/R2025026/tee-times

• The Hamilton Spectator. (2025, June). U.S. Open 25: A hole-by-hole look at Oakmont. https://www.thespec.com/sports/golf/us-open-25-a-hole-by-hole-look-at-oakmont/article_fea82ca7-b2d0-54e6-a8b8-6bbb9689a67e.html

• The Mirror. (2025, June). Charlie Woods and Jack Nicklaus US Open story goes viral. https://www.themirror.com/sport/golf/us-open-charlie-woods-nicklaus-1188022

• Yahoo Sports Canada. (2025, June). U.S. Open '25: Facts and figures. https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/us-open-25-facts-figures-205257703.html