The “Beast of the East,” Oakmont Country Club, is primed to host the 125th U.S. Open championship in the Year of our Lord 2025. Lightning-fast greens, heavy rough, and 7300 yards are on the menu, and it’s all you can eat.
I like to ask about the course record before playing any course because it annoys the starter. If you’re interested in Oakmont, it’s Johnny Miller’s 63 that he shot on Sunday of the 1974 U.S. Open, which he won by one shot. Many think it was the greatest round of golf ever played (I would lean toward Henrik Stenson at Troon in 2016). Miller considers Oakmont the most excellent course in the world, but he would think that wouldn’t he. If you’ve ever driven the Pennsylvania Turnpike, you’ve passed under the cart bridge for Oakmont just east of Pittsburgh. Holes 2-8 are on the other side, which would seem like a hassle, but I’m sure it’s pretty cool to drive over the turnpike.
A general view of the clubhouse during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 09, 2025, in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Warren Little/Getty Images)
Oakmont was designed in 1903 by Henry Fownes, a wealthy industrialist who made his fortune in iron and steel concerns. In 1983, a movie about his life was made, titled Flashdance. You should definitely check it out. Great flick. Fownes was introduced to the game of golf by Andrew Carnegie in 1898. He took an interest, and by 1900, he and his sons were some of the best golfers in Western Pennsylvania. Two years and they were the best. That’s all the time it took. That ought to tell you that in the olden days, the competition wasn’t that stiff, to say the least. They wouldn’t let Babe Ruth be a batboy in today’s Major League Baseball. They’d be afraid he’d hurt himself. The only athlete before 1970 that could play competitively in any sport today is Secretariat. The level of athletic talent is like nothing we’ve ever seen. The recent French Open tennis final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner was indicative of how good tennis players are today. That was by far the highest level of tennis ever played. Whether it’s specialization, training, technology, or breeding, we’ve never seen the quality of athletes playing today.
A general view of the leaderboard during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
Oakmont hugs the Allegheny River but has no water holes. Originally founded as a links course, the course was planted with trees in 1950 but subsequently had them removed for redesign in 2007. Trees are out of fashion in the golf world because they block needed sunlight, compete with turf for water, add debris, and can narrow the course over time. Ironically, Oakmont’s logo is an iconic squirrel that apparently is now homeless, so he roams the course in a daze searching for shelter. Do not feed him!
Oakmont has hosted the most U.S. Opens, with 10, and is considered the gold standard for championship golf. It also hosted the 1978 PGA Championship, which is notable as it was Tom Watson’s best opportunity for the career Grand Slam. He was the leader after every round and teed off on Sunday with a 5-stroke lead, but couldn’t get it done. Watson ended up losing in a playoff to John Mahaffey, who won with a birdie on the 2nd playoff hole. Mahaffey is one of those guys that you’re glad they at least got one major like Tom Lehman, Davis Love, Fred Couples, Darren Clarke, Ian Woosnam, Jim Furyk, Davis Duval, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Weiskopf, Sergio Garcia, and Tom Kite. Guys who were too good for too long not to deserve at least one major. And it keeps them off the dreaded list of never winning a major, like Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood, Kenny Perry, Matt Kuchar, and Rickie Fowler. You have to feel for these guys because there’s no way they are at peace.
U.S. Open RAQ (rarely asked questions)
The field or Scottie Scheffler?
If he’s driving it accurately, it’s game over. At +275, Scheffler has the shortest odds ever to win a major since Tiger at the PGA in Hazeltine 2009 (+190). Y.E. Yang held off Tiger to win by four shots. Brandel Chamblee says he can envision a dominant performance like Tiger’s at Pebble Beach in 2000, when he beat the field by 15 shots. I happen to agree with him, Scottie.
What are the people of Pittsburgh like?
Sort of rough around the edges. I ran the Pittsburgh Marathon in 2010 and wore a shirt that said “Go Dan From DC,” hoping to get some motivation from the crowd. I was on the last mile and really struggling to move my legs and finish the race. This jackass Pittsburgh fan saw my shirt and ran out from crowd to berate me on how much the Washington Capitals suck and how I was a loser. He ran behind me for 2 minutes, taunting the whole time. Keep in mind, I was very vulnerable at mile 25, and the Capitals had lost every year to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs, so what did the guy have to be mad about? What a psycho. So, no, the people of Pittsburgh are not great from my small sample size.
Is “church pew bunkers” a sacrilegious term?
Yes, my religion is not your sand trap.
What would an 18-handicap golfer shoot if they had to tee off on Sunday in the final group of the tournament?
This is a “fun” question going around on Twitter. Probably 180 is my guess. You’d be incredibly nervous with all the cameras, so you’d swing and miss often. You’d very rarely hit a good shot. The course is incredibly hard, and when you bunt it up and make it to the fast greens, you’d average five putts on each. 10 strokes per hole = 180.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
No, I’m all set.
Dan Redmond can be found on Twitter @danfromdc
