OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Open long has been regarded the toughest test in golf, and this year it returns to what is arguably the toughest course in America.
Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh is the talk of the 125th U.S. Open, a course built in 1903 that is more about being feared than being fair. The rough is as thick as ever. The greens are as fast as any. There's also the famous Church Pew bunkers between the third and fourth holes.
Scottie Scheffler shot 69 in his U.S. Open debut as a Texas teenager. He missed the cut the next day in 2016. Now he's the favorite as he comes to Oakmont having won three of his last four tournaments, including the PGA Championship.
Here is a look at what you need to know leading up to the U.S. Open:
When is the US Open?
Golf's second-oldest championship — it dates to 1895 — starts Thursday at 6:45 a.m. Players in groups of three will start on the first and 10th tees, morning and afternoon. The biggest names typically start on No. 10 in the morning or on No. 1 in the afternoon to get peak TV coverage.
Scheffler is scheduled to start on No. 1 at 1:25 p.m., along with Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau begins on No. 1 at 7:29 a.m., with Xander Schauffele in his group.
The top 60 and ties make the 36-hole cut Friday and advance to the weekend.
How can I watch the US Open?
NBC and its platforms get their first major of the year, and there is wall-to-wall coverage of the U.S. Open.
Thursday starts on USA Network from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Peacock takes over until 8 p.m. Friday starts on Peacock 6:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., and then NBC goes until 8 p.m.
Saturday has USA Network from 10 a.m. to noon, and NBC goes from noon until 8 p.m. The final round Sunday starts at 9 a.m. until noon on USA Network, and NBC takes over until the end.
Who are the betting favorites?
The odds keep getting better for Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world. BetMGM Sportsbook has him at +275. Next in line is DeChambeau (+750).
Rory McIlroy was the second favorite on the BetMGM Sportsbook money line last week at +700. He missed the cut at the Canadian Open last week and goes into the U.S. Open at +1400. Jon Rahm is at +1200. Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg are at +2200.
Phil Mickelson needs the U.S. Open to complete the career Grand Slam and this likely is his last appearance. The 54-year-old Mickelson is at +25000.
Who are the players to watch?
Scheffler is being compared to Tiger Woods based on modern statistics. He is being compared to Jack Nicklaus for the way he plays the game from tee-to-green with minimal mistakes. He has won three of his last four starts going into Oakmont. A victory at the U.S. Open would send Scheffler to the British Open with a shot at the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy is No. 2 and the Masters champion, along with becoming the latest player to complete the Grand Slam. There was thought the Masters title would give him freedom because he had gone 11 years without any major. But he missed the cut in Canada last week and said he found it hard to get motivated when he was practicing.
Schauffele is coming off a year in which he won two majors. He was out two months because of a rib injury. But he plays this major well. Schauffele has played the U.S. Open eight times and only once has finished outside the top 10.
Not to be overlooked is DeChambeau as the defending champion. He loves brute tests like Oakmont. And he was in the mix in the final round at the Masters and the PGA Championship. DeChambeau won his two U.S. Opens at Winged Foot (2020) and Pinehurst No. 2 (2024).
What’s at stake?
The U.S. Open trophy doesn’t have a name. The winner also gets the gold medal named after four-time champion Nicklaus. For the first time since 2021, the U.S. Open is not increasing its prize money. It will be $21.5 million for the second straight year, with $4.3 million going to the winner.
The champion also gets a 10-year exemption to the U.S. Open, along with a five-year exemption to the Masters, PGA Championship and British Open.
What happens in case of a playoff?
The U.S. Open has gone the longest of the four majors without a playoff. That was in 2008, when Tiger Woods famously made a 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force an 18-hole Monday playoff against Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines. That took 19 holes for Woods to win.
Since then, the U.S. Open has gone to a two-hole aggregate playoff on the Sunday after the conclusion of regulation. That has not been used yet.
What's the weather forecast?
There's been a lot of rain recently that has softened the course. The weekday rounds should be reasonably dry, with a better chance of rain Friday and into the weekend.
What happened last year?
DeChambeau got up-and-down from 55 yards away in a bunker, making a 4-foot putt for a 1-over 71 and a one-shot victory over McIlroy at Pinehurst No. 2. McIlroy had the lead late in the round but bogeyed three of his last four holes. That included missing a 30-inch par putt on the 16th hole and a par putt just inside 4 feet on the last hole. DeChambeau captured his second U.S. Open. McIlroy left without talking to the media.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press
