June 11 (UPI) — Scottie Scheffler is again favored to win the 2025 U.S. Open, where he says golfers will be tested with the “hardest golf course” they may ever play this week in Oakmont, Pa.
The third major of the season will be held from Thursday through Sunday at Oakmont Country Club. The tournament will air on NBC and USA. Coverage also will be provided on Peacock, NBCSports.com and USOpen.com.
“This is probably the hardest golf course that we will play maybe ever,” Scheffler told reporters. “It’s just a different type of test. When you miss the green at the Masters, the ball kinda runs away and it kinda goes in these areas, you can play a bump, you can play a flop. There are different options.
“Here, when you hit the ball over the green and you get in the rough…it’s just a different type of test.”
At just 7,372 yards, the Oakmont Country Club course will be the shortest for a major this season. Sparse trees provide plenty of sight lines, but narrow fairways, inconsistent roughs and bountiful bunkers will challenge the elite, 156-player field. Once they evade danger, they will be greeted with the largest putting surfaces on tour.
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau (No. 10), No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 77 Jon Rahm and No. 3 Xander Schauffele join Scheffler as Top 5 expected contenders at Oakmont.
No. 4 Collin Morikawa, No. 6 Ludvig Aberg, No. 79 Joaquin Niemann, No. 12 Shane Lowry and No. 8 Sepp Straka are inside the Top 10 favorites.
“I don’t pay attention to the favorite stuff,” Scheffler said. “Starting Thursday morning, we are even par and it’s up to me to go out there and play against the golf course and see what I can do.”
McIlroy, who finally completed his career grand slam in April at the Masters, has been working to rekindle his motivation. He also recently switched drivers, attempting to improve his accuracy.
“You dream about the final putt going in at the Masters, but you don’t think about what comes next,” McIlroy said. “I’ve always been a player that struggles to play after a big event. … I think chasing a certain goal for the better part of a decade and a half, I think I am allowed a little bit of time to relax a little bit.
“But we are here at Oakmont and I certainly can’t relax this week.”
The course was dry for preparations Tuesday and Wednesday, but rain is in the forecast Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s Oakmont,” McIlroy said. “It’s still a big brute of a golf course. You are going to have to have your wits about you this week. Everyone knows what to expect. It’s Oakmont. It’s going to be a great test.”
Matt Vogt, Kevin Velo and Trent Phillips will tee off in the first group at 6:45 a.m. EDT Thursday on hole No. 1.
McIlroy will tee off with Justin Rose and Shane Lowry at 7:40 a.m. to start their first round. Scheffler will tee off with Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland at 1:25 p.m. A full list of tee times is available here.
U.S. Open
All times EDT
Thursday
First-round coverage from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on USA and 5 to 8 p.m. on Peacock
Friday
Second-round coverage from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Peacock and 1 to 7 p.m. on NBC
Saturday
Third-round coverage from 10 a.m. to noon on USA and noon to 8 p.m. on NBC
Sunday
Final-round coverage from 9 a.m. to noon on USA and noon to 7 p.m. on NBC
