As expected, a brute of a test for the world's best golfers has emerged at Oakmont for the 125th ...

As expected, a brute of a test for the world's best golfers has emerged at Oakmont for the 125th U.S. Open.Only four men enter the final round under par for the championship, with <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1319" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1319">Sam Burns</a> leading the way at 4-under. That makes it increasingly likely the winner Sunday will come from the final two groups featuring Burns, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/2124" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/2124">Adam Scott</a>, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/2217" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/2217">J.J. Spaun</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/5297" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/5297">Viktor Hovland</a>.Let's run down the case for each contender to choose a fighter for a Father's Day showdown.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Sam Burns: The putter</h3>Burns usually makes his money on the greens, leading the PGA TOUR this season in putting, miles ahead of the other three names on this list. That flatstick has delivered on the treacherous greens at Oakmont, but the rest of Burns' game has been remarkable as well. He leads the field in approach play for the event and is fourth in strokes gained: around the green. That helped him overcome a brutal day off the tee where he ranked second-last in the field. Expect a lengthy range session for Burns to get the driver sorted before his Sunday tee time.Burns has consistently been a solid performer on TOUR, but holding the 54-hole lead at Oakmont is still somewhat of a surprise. The 28-year-old has just one top-10 finish in 20 career major starts, however, it came last year in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. If the chasers are looking for a stat to boost their mood heading into the final round, the success rate of closers with a one-shot lead is definitely it.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sam Burns leads by 1 with 18 holes to play at the U.S. Open. All-time, players with a 1-shot lead through 54 holes at this championship have won 32% of the time (14-for-44). Across all majors the last 40 years, players win at a 42% rate with a 1-shot, 54-hole lead.— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinRayGolf/status/1934037381768007861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure><h3>Adam Scott: The veteran</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790518/cropped_GettyImages-2220168024.jpg?ts=1749948856" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790518/w220xh124_GettyImages-2220168024.jpg?ts=1749948856 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790518/w320xh180_GettyImages-2220168024.jpg?ts=1749948856 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790518/w640xh360_GettyImages-2220168024.jpg?ts=1749948856 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790518/w768xh432_GettyImages-2220168024.jpg?ts=1749948856 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790518/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2220168024.jpg?ts=1749948856 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Warren Little / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>Few men in the past three decades have had the Scott's consistency. The 44-year-old is playing in his 97th consecutive major - an outrageous number considering the trio of Burns, Spaun, and Hovland have played in 59 majors combined. After playing what he called "old-man par golf" with two rounds of 70, Scott made four birdies Saturday to match the lowest score of the day with 67.While his win came 12 years ago at Augusta, Scott is the only major champion within seven shots of the lead at Oakmont. The Australian's picture-perfect golf swing has produced an incredible career thus far, but a second major feels appropriate to give his 25-year professional resume some added prestige. His ball-striking has been brilliant thus far, but perhaps the most impressive showing he had Saturday was out of the bunkers. Scott went 3-for-3 on sand saves for the day, including one from the greenside bunker on the 17th that led to a birdie to book his place in the final group.<h3>J.J. Spaun: The underdog</h3>Spaun, 34, is in the midst of a career year after finishing runner-up in a playoff to Rory McIlroy at the Players Championship in March. He's been a fixture at Oakmont since the opening day, largely thanks to an incredible putting week on the slick greens. Spaun entered the week ranked 84th in putting this season on the PGA TOUR but is leading the field at the U.S. Open through three rounds. Putting is the most fickle of golf skills day-to-day, so Spaun could crash back down to Earth in the final round, but it's clear he's comfortable on the lightning-quick surfaces this week.Another reason to doubt Spaun's legitimate contender status is a quick look at his majors resume. Not only has Spaun never seriously been in the mix, he has just one career top-25 finish in a major. That makes him unquestionably the underdog of this quartet with one round to play.<h3>Viktor Hovland: The flusher</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790519/cropped_GettyImages-2220165485.jpg?ts=1749948889" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790519/w220xh124_GettyImages-2220165485.jpg?ts=1749948889 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790519/w320xh180_GettyImages-2220165485.jpg?ts=1749948889 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790519/w640xh360_GettyImages-2220165485.jpg?ts=1749948889 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790519/w768xh432_GettyImages-2220165485.jpg?ts=1749948889 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790519/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2220165485.jpg?ts=1749948889 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Warren Little / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>He listens to death metal, tours the prison where "Shawshank Redemption" was filmed each year at the Memorial Tournament, and is intrigued by the potential existence of UFOs. Hovland might just be the most interesting man in golf. He's also an absolute flusher of the golf ball.Hovland's iron-play has traditionally been among the best in the world, and remains that way this season with a ninth-place ranking on TOUR in approach. He's third this week in that area as well, so don't be shocked if he's beating down flagsticks all day Sunday. However, like Spaun and his putting, it's an area where Hovland doesn't usually excel that is shining at Oakmont. The Norwegian who once famously said "<a href="https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/1457144297879388160">I suck at chipping</a>," is third in the field at the U.S. Open in strokes gained: around the green. In the rare instance he misses a green, Hovland is getting up-and-down almost every time. That combo makes him a dangerous man on the leaderboard.While a win would be Hovland's first major, his resume is already dotted with impressive achievements at age 27. He's already got a FedEx Cup title under his belt, and he would be the 14th player to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open if he notches a comeback victory.

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4 men enter Sunday under par at Oakmont: Choose your fighter

Sam Burns will leave Oakmont on Saturday the same way he arrived on the property - holding a one-...

<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1319" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1319">Sam Burns</a> will leave Oakmont on Saturday the same way he arrived on the property - holding a one-shot lead on the field at the U.S. Open.A brilliant up-and-down for birdie on No. 17 and a clutch two-putt par on the 18th green saw Burns rise one shot above <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/2217" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/2217">J.J. Spaun</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/2124" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/2124">Adam Scott</a> with one round left in the season's third major.<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/5297" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/5297">Viktor Hovland</a> is the only other player under par for the championship, sitting three back at 1-under after an even-par 70. Carlos Ortiz rounds out the top five at even - a significant number considering the past 26 U.S. Open champions have entered the final round within four shots of the lead.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Place</th>
<th>Player</th>
<th>Round 3 score</th>
<th>Total to par</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Sam Burns</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>-4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-2</td>
<td>J.J. Spaun</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-2</td>
<td>Adam Scott</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Viktor Hovland</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Carlos Ortiz</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>Even</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-6</td>
<td>Tyrrell Hatton</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>+1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-6</td>
<td>Thriston Lawrence</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>+1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>+2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-9</td>
<td>Robert MacIntyre</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>+3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-9</td>
<td>Cameron Young</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>+3</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>Burns posted an under-par score despite a shaky performance off the tee around the challenging layout. He ranked second last in the field in that area of the game but led the way in approach and was fourth in strokes gained: around the green.While there's obvious pressure for a man sleeping on a narrow lead looking to close his first career major, Burns seems to be embracing that challenge heading to Sunday."I think, as a kid growing up, you dream about winning major championships, and that's why we practice so hard and work so hard," Burns said afterward, according to <a href="https://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/157068.html">ASAP Sports</a>. "All these guys in this field, I think, would agree that to have the opportunity to win a major is special. I'm definitely really excited for tomorrow."Scott, 44, is the only major champion on the first page of the leaderboard thanks to a sizzling 3-under 67. A win 12 years after Scott claimed the 2013 Masters would represent the longest period between first and second major titles in men's golf history, according to <a href="https://x.com/JustinRayGolf/status/1934021381127110880">Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group</a>."It would be super fulfilling," Scott said, per <a href="https://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/157069.html">ASAP Sports</a>. "Everyone out here has got their journey, you know. Putting ourselves in these positions doesn't just happen by fluke. It's not easy to do it. I really haven't been in this kind of position for five or six years, or feeling like I'm that player. But that's what I'm always working towards. It's not that easy to figure it all out."Spaun held the co-lead heading to the 18th but made bogey from the greenside bunker to fall back into a tie for second and out of the final group for Sunday.Hovland also bogeyed the final hole after finding a bunker, with an errant tee shot forcing him to pitch out back into the fairway. However, he'll have the attention of the trio ahead of him thanks to his impressive resume over the past couple of seasons.

OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 14: Sam Burns of the United States looks on during the third round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 14, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

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Burns leads Spaun, Scott by 1 after Round 3 at Oakmont

Rory McIlroy has dominated the landscape during this year's major championships - both for his on...

<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/599" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/599">Rory McIlroy</a> has dominated the landscape during this year's major championships - both for his on-course performances and his decision to skip media availability on a regular basis.But McIlroy finally spoke Saturday at the U.S. Open after electing to avoid post-round media for the last six rounds at major championships, and he offered an interesting answer when asked if his decision to do so was based upon his less-than-stellar play. "No, not really. It's more a frustration with you guys," McIlroy said, according to <a href="https://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/157041.html">ASAP Sports</a>. "I've been totally available for the last few years, and I'm not saying - maybe not you guys, but maybe more just the whole thing."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Those last six rounds include the opening two days at Oakmont, where he snuck inside the cut line by a stroke thanks to a strong finish Friday. However, a 74 on Saturday saw him drop to 10-over and sit 13 strokes off Sam Burns' lead.McIlroy admitted last week in Canada that one of the reasons he wasn't as eager to chat during tournaments was the leaked report that his driver was deemed nonconforming at the PGA Championship. McIlroy was among a handful of players, including Scottie Scheffler, whose driver failed the test, but he was the only one who saw his name reported.He touched on that once again Saturday."I mean, that was a part of it. Yeah, that was a part of it," McIlroy admitted. "But it's not as if - like at Augusta I skipped you guys on Thursday. So yeah, again, it's not if as if - it's not out of the ordinary. I've done it before; I'm just doing it a little more often."Part of McIlroy's massive swell of fan support over the past 15 years has come from his openness with the press. He routinely gives incredibly thoughtful answers and was one of the most outspoken players about the PGA TOUR-LIV Golf divide prior to the framework agreement signed between the two organizations.McIlroy leaned on that extensive history of speaking to the media as part of his justification for his current pause."I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do, yeah," McIlroy said.The 36-year-old has looked like a completely different person on the course since achieving his lifelong goal of winning the Masters and completing the career grand slam in April. He seemed visibly frustrated at both the PGA Championship and this week at Oakmont, even throwing a club and smashing a tee marker in Round 2.Much of that can be attributed to his less-than-stellar play. McIlroy recently admitted he was struggling to find the same motivation after claiming the elusive green jacket two months ago.It doesn't appear the media will be getting much post-round reflection Sunday after he laid out his goal for the last day at Oakmont."Hopefully a round in under four-and-a-half hours and get out of here," McIlroy said.

OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 14: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks off the seventh tee during the third round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 14, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

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Rory cites 'frustration' with media as factor for skipping press at majors

The weekend at this year's U.S. Open won't feature professional golf's greatest showman as Bryson...

The weekend at this year's U.S. Open won't feature professional golf's greatest showman as <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/437" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/437">Bryson DeChambeau</a> missed the cut at Oakmont following a dismal 7-over 77 in Round 2.DeChambeau's 10-over total through 36 holes was well back of the 7-over cut and makes him the first defending U.S. Open champion to head home early since Gary Woodland in 2020. His last seven majors are the ultimate boom-or-bust proposition with five top-six finishes and two missed cuts.While DeChambeau is the biggest name to miss the cut, he's certainly not the only notable player done after two rounds. <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1747" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1747">Justin Thomas</a> once again struggled in one of golf's biggest events, finishing 12-over to miss a cut for the seventh time in his last 11 majors. If you remove last year's PGA Championship, Thomas is 82-over in majors since the start of the 2023 season.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/4424" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/4424">Joaquin Niemann</a> failed in his latest chance to prove he belongs among golf's top players, as the LIV star missed his third cut in the last nine majors. He has now played 25 career majors with just one top-10 finish. Niemann - who has four wins on LIV this season - was a mess off the tee, hitting just 12 of 28 fairways over two days.<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1308" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1308">Phil Mickelson</a> looked set to make the cut in what could be his final U.S. Open, but the six-time runner-up made two double-bogeys over his final four holes to miss by one stroke.<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/325" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/325">Shane Lowry</a>,<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1451" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1451"> Patrick Cantlay,</a> <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1317" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1317">Dustin Johnson</a>, and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/5384" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/5384">Ludvig Aberg</a> are among the other top players who booked early departures out of Pittsburgh.

OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 13: Bryson DeChambeau of the United States warms up on the putting green during the second round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

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Bryson headlines list of players to miss U.S. Open cut

The U.S. Open is undoubtedly golf's toughest major championship test; that ramps up even further ...

The U.S. Open is undoubtedly golf's toughest major championship test; that ramps up even further when Oakmont Country Club plays host.The Pittsburgh-area course is known as the stiffest challenge on the U.S. Open rotation, and that's once again proven to be true at this year's event.Only three players are under par through the opening two rounds of play, significantly less than the 10 under par last time Oakmont hosted in 2016.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The bloated scores meant there were plenty of exasperated players coming off the course, with some offering some intriguing quotes about the layout.Here are some of the best through two rounds."Honestly, I don't even know what I'm doing on the course." - Si Woo Kim (+2)<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790384/cropped_GettyImages-2219271150.jpg?ts=1749853442" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790384/w220xh124_GettyImages-2219271150.jpg?ts=1749853442 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790384/w320xh180_GettyImages-2219271150.jpg?ts=1749853442 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790384/w640xh360_GettyImages-2219271150.jpg?ts=1749853442 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790384/w768xh432_GettyImages-2219271150.jpg?ts=1749853442 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790384/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2219271150.jpg?ts=1749853442 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> David Cannon / David Cannon Collection / Getty</figcaption></figure>The Presidents Cup team stalwart has long been one of golf's most interesting quotes, and that proved true once again after his opening round Thursday. Kim shot an impressive 2-under 68 on the day, although you'd never know it from his comments afterward."You shoot four level-par rounds, you're walking away with a medal and a trophy." - Robert MacIntyre (+3)MacIntyre set down a modest target after walking off the course with an even-par 70 on Thursday. The Scottish standout predicted that level par would win the championship, a number that'd be four shots worse than Dustin Johnson's winning score in 2016."I'm sick, just like everyone else. I don't mind if it's playing tough." - Xander Schauffele (+6)<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790385/cropped_GettyImages-2219155767.jpg?ts=1749853973" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790385/w220xh124_GettyImages-2219155767.jpg?ts=1749853973 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790385/w320xh180_GettyImages-2219155767.jpg?ts=1749853973 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790385/w640xh360_GettyImages-2219155767.jpg?ts=1749853973 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790385/w768xh432_GettyImages-2219155767.jpg?ts=1749853973 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790385/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2219155767.jpg?ts=1749853973 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> David Cannon / David Cannon Collection / Getty</figcaption></figure>There's been nobody better in the last eight U.S. Opens than Schauffele. His worst finish since his debut in 2017 was a tie for 14th, and he has top-10 showings in each of the other events. Perhaps it's no surprise that he's fully signed on for the most intense challenge the USGA can present."It could be a bloodbath out here if it suddenly starts to blow." - Thomas Detry (+2)The scoring at Oakmont has been difficult, even without much wind. Detry offered a dire outlook should it start to blow this weekend. The Belgian will be hoping against that as he's played strongly to sit at 2-over with 36 holes to play."It was a brutal test of golf." - Bryson DeChambeau (+10, missed cut)<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790386/cropped_GettyImages-2219984296.jpg?ts=1749854050" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790386/w220xh124_GettyImages-2219984296.jpg?ts=1749854050 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790386/w320xh180_GettyImages-2219984296.jpg?ts=1749854050 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790386/w640xh360_GettyImages-2219984296.jpg?ts=1749854050 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790386/w768xh432_GettyImages-2219984296.jpg?ts=1749854050 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790386/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2219984296.jpg?ts=1749854050 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>The defending champion didn't sugarcoat things after his opening-round 73 on Thursday. DeChambeau failed miserably on the greens, with zero putts made over seven feet in Round 1. It didn't get much better in Round 2 as he crashed out with a shocking missed cut."Everyone seems like they're exhausted when they come in off the course, just because it's a punch in the face." - Denny McCarthy (+4)If it's possible for a course to be violent, Oakmont might just be the one. McCarthy painted that picture during his Friday press availability after he posted a 4-over through 36 holes."Honestly, I'm too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any perspective. Very frustrated." - Jon Rahm (+4)<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790388/cropped_GettyImages-2219847114.jpg?ts=1749854255" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790388/w220xh124_GettyImages-2219847114.jpg?ts=1749854255 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790388/w320xh180_GettyImages-2219847114.jpg?ts=1749854255 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790388/w640xh360_GettyImages-2219847114.jpg?ts=1749854255 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790388/w768xh432_GettyImages-2219847114.jpg?ts=1749854255 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/790388/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2219847114.jpg?ts=1749854255 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Andrew Redington / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>Rahm's ball-striking this week has been championship worthy. However, his putting has been a mess. The two-time major winner is third in approach this week but 143rd of 156 players in putting. Just seven strokes off the pace, he could be a threat on the weekend if he can get anything going with the putter."Yeah, I just got U.S. Opened right there" - Viktor Hovland (-1)Hovland - who's one of just three players under par through two rounds - offered a new descriptive term to the masses Friday after his round: getting "U.S. Opened." Hovland was referring to a diabolical lie he found himself with under the lip of a bunker despite his drive being just a few yards offline. He'd eventually make a double-bogey on the hole, but he recovered with a number of birdies to sit alone in third."Smash" - Rory McIlroy (+6)OK, McIlroy didn't actually say "smash," but he definitely <a href="https://x.com/CPowers14/status/1933655418292560012">made the noise</a> when he hammered a tee block with his 3-wood following an errant drive on the 17th hole. We'd love to include an actual quote from the Masters champion here, but he declined to speak to the media for the sixth straight round at a major championship. McIlroy made two late birdies to ensure he'd play the weekend and avoid his first back-to-back missed cuts since 2012, but he'll be nine strokes back entering Round 3.

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9 quotes through 2 rounds that sum up the Oakmont beast 

Sam Burns' early charge Friday was enough to hold the 36-hole lead at the U.S. Open as the bigges...

<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1319" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1319">Sam Burns</a>' early charge Friday was enough to hold the 36-hole lead at the U.S. Open as the biggest names in golf fell apart during Round 2 at Oakmont.Burns took care of business first thing in the morning with a scorching 5-under 65 to post 3-under before the afternoon wave teed off. That marks the third-lowest round ever shot in a U.S. Open at Oakmont and is Burns' best score in his career at the event.That would end up being more than enough to lead, as only <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/2217" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/2217">J.J. Spaun</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/5297" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/5297">Viktor Hovland</a> joined him with under-par totals through two rounds.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Place</th>
<th>Player</th>
<th>Round 2 score</th>
<th>Total to par</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Sam Burns</td>
<td>65</td>
<td>-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>J.J. Spaun</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>Viktor Hovland</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-4</td>
<td>Adam Scott</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>Even</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-4</td>
<td>Ben Griffin</td>
<td>71</td>
<td>Even</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-6</td>
<td>Victor Perez</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>+1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-6</td>
<td>Thriston Lawrence</td>
<td>74</td>
<td>+1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Brooks Koepka</td>
<td>74</td>
<td>+2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Si Woo Kim</td>
<td>74</td>
<td>+2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Russell Henley</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>+2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Thomas Detry</td>
<td>73</td>
<td>+2</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>Burns made six birdies against just one bogey and now leads the tournament with 11 through 36 holes. He made all 16 of his putts inside 10 feet Friday - an impressive showing from the man ranked No. 1 on the PGA TOUR in putting.The LSU alum has been a strong player on TOUR for a number of years, but he's yet to add a major victory to his resume. That could change this week at Oakmont. Burns is the ninth player since 2000 to hold a one-shot lead through 36 holes at the U.S. Open, per <a href="https://x.com/JustinRayGolf/status/1933685957792051612">Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group</a>. Two of the previous eight eventually won the trophy: Angel Cabrera and Dustin Johnson, both at Oakmont.Hovland relied more on his improved short game, leading the field in Round 2 by gaining more than four strokes around the green. A number of those came on a deft eagle pitch on the par-4 17th.<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/2124" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/2124">Adam Scott</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1461" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1461">Brooks Koepka</a> are the most accomplished chasers on the first page of the leaderboard, but the struggles of the top players in the world are as much the story from Oakmont as Burns' lead is.<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1540" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1540">Scottie Scheffler</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1111" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1111">Jon Rahm</a> were both out in the morning group but failed to make up much ground and sit seven back at 4-over. While that duo sports the same score, they enter the weekend with significantly different vibes.Scheffler painted a positive picture with two rounds to go, crediting his fight as the reason he's still within shouting distance."Overall, definitely not out of the tournament. Today was ... easily a day I could have been going home, and (I) battled pretty hard to stay in there," Scheffler said, according to <a href="https://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156995.html">ASAP Sports</a>. "I'm 4-over. We'll see what the lead is after today, but around this golf course, I don't think, by any means, I'm out of the tournament."Rahm opted for a different approach in a very quick interaction with reporters after his round."I'm too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any perspective," Rahm <a href="https://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156992.html">said</a>. "Very frustrated. Very few rounds of golf I played in my life where I think I hit good putts and they didn't sniff the hole, so it's frustrating."That duo sits one ahead of <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/55" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/55">Jordan Spieth</a> and two clear of <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/599" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/599">Rory McIlroy</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1213" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1213">Xander Schauffele</a> with two rounds to play.With the cut falling at 7-over, everyone who will be around on the weekend will be within 10 shots of Burns' lead and theoretically have a chance to make a charge. However, that won't apply to defending champion <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/437" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/437">Bryson DeChambeau</a> after he ballooned to a 7-over 77 to miss the number by three at 10-over. He's joined on the early departure list by <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/4424" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/4424">Joaquin Niemann</a>, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1747" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1747">Justin Thomas</a>, <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/325" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/325">Shane Lowry</a>, and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/5384" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/5384">Ludvig Aberg</a>.

OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 13: Sam Burns walks off the sixth green during the second round of 125th U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

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Burns stands alone as big names crumble at Oakmont

Apparently nobody told Sam Burns that Oakmont was supposed to be the hardest test of the year.  T...

Apparently nobody told Sam Burns that Oakmont was supposed to be the hardest test of the year.The 28-year-old made the iconic layout look like a regular PGA TOUR stop Friday with six birdies against one bogey to post a sizzling 5-under 65. The stellar second round pushed him up the U.S. Open leaderboard and gave him the clubhouse lead at 3-under as the afternoon wave began teeing off.Burns' strong performance was the latest in a series of solid play. He fired a final-round 62 in Canada last week before falling short in a playoff against Ryan Fox.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Burns showed throughout Friday's round why he's statistically the best putter on the PGA TOUR, canning all 16 of his putts inside 10 feet. He also ranked second among the morning wave in approach - a deadly combo that explains how he moved up following a 2-over opening round.Burns ranked 106th in the field in putting Thursday, but the veteran insisted he didn't make many changes going into the second round."Other than they're extremely difficult, not really," Burns <a href="https://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156996.html">told</a> reporters when asked if he learned anything from the greens in Round 1. "I think a lot of times you have putts where, even from 15 or 20 feet where you're not really trying to make them, you're just trying to get the speed right and hope that it snuggles up next to the hole. I even had a couple today that were 15 or 20 feet that I hit three or four feet by without even thinking about it."Viktor Hovland is the only player within two shots of Burns who's finished their round, as everyone else under par for the tournament is in the afternoon wave.The Norwegian shot a 68 in the group behind Burns, with the top highlight coming on an eagle pitch at the par-4 17th. Hovland admitted afterward that he loves the opportunity Oakmont presents, including the unique design feature of greens running away from the players."It's just amazing how many holes - how many greens you can have that are sloped front to back," Hovland <a href="http://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156997.html">said</a>. "Usually that's a pet peeve of mine. I almost automatically think it's a bad hole if it's sloped front to back. Somehow they make it work here. I think it's a fun challenge. It's a fun test."

OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 13: Sam Burns of the United States reacts after making par on the ninth green during the second round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

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Burns fires 65 to match 3rd-lowest U.S. Open score ever at Oakmont

J.J. Spaun's brilliant 4-under 66 held up over the course of the day, but Brooks Koepka and Jon R...

<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/2217" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/2217">J.J. Spaun</a>'s brilliant 4-under 66 held up over the course of the day, but <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1461" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1461">Brooks Koepka</a> and <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1111" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1111">Jon Rahm</a> gave the U.S. Open leaderboard some major pop in the afternoon of the opening round at Oakmont Country Club.Spaun was the only player to go bogey-free over the treacherous layout en route to his lowest round ever in a major championship. While he has flashed in other events - notably a playoff loss to <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/599" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/599">Rory McIlroy</a> at the Players Championship earlier this season - he has just one career top-25 finish at majors.The opposite is true for Koepka and Rahm, as the duo sport a combined seven major wins between them. Both shone bright in the afternoon, each pouring in an eagle to get their rounds firing. Koepka's birdie-birdie finish placed him just two behind Spaun and one back of <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/867" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/867">Thriston Lawrence</a> in second, but Rahm sits in a group tied for sixth at 1-under.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Place</th>
<th>Player</th>
<th>Round 1 score</th>
<th>Total to par</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>J.J. Spaun</td>
<td>66</td>
<td>-4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Thriston Lawrence</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-3</td>
<td>Brooks Koepka</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-3</td>
<td>Sungjae Im</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-3</td>
<td>Si Woo Kim</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-6</td>
<td>Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-6</td>
<td>Jon Rahm</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-6</td>
<td>Ben Griffin</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-6</td>
<td>Thomas Detry</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-6</td>
<td>James Nicholas</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-11</td>
<td>Bud Cauley</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-11</td>
<td>Jordan Spieth</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-11</td>
<td>Collin Morikawa</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-11</td>
<td>Robert MacIntyre</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-11</td>
<td>Russell Henley</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-11</td>
<td>Cameron Young</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-11</td>
<td>Adam Scott</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-11</td>
<td>Denny McCarthy</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-11</td>
<td>Ryan McCormick</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>E</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>Koepka's return to the first page of a major leaderboard is a welcome sight after he missed the cut in both the Masters and PGA Championship this season. He credited a scolding from coach Pete Cowan as a big reason behind his turnaround."Pete got into me again on Monday, in the bunker for about 45 minutes. I just sat there, and he scolded me pretty well," Koepka said, according to <a href="https://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156969.html">ASAP Sports</a>. "Yeah, Pete, I'll keep that between us. I wasn't happy with it, but it was something I think you need to hear, or I needed to hear at the right time. It's not the first time he's done it. He's not afraid to."While Koepka and Rahm were among the notable players in contention, the three biggest stars in the sport struggled to start the tournament.<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/1540" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/1540">Scottie Scheffler</a> once again looked human during a U.S. Open, with the challenging layout in the season's third major getting to the World No. 1. His 3-over 73 was his first opening round over par since last year's U.S. Open at Pinehurst.Defending champion <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/437" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/437">Bryson DeChambeau</a> struck the ball well enough to be near the top of the leaderboard, gaining a whopping 4.07 strokes off the tee and approach combined. However, he struggled mightily on the greens, ranking outside the top 125 in putting and not making one putt over 7 feet all day. If he can sort out his flatstick overnight, he could make a big run in Friday's second round."For whatever reason, just couldn't get the speed of the greens dialed in," DeChambeau <a href="https://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156949.html">admitted</a>. "I was in the collar a couple times, just three-putted on those holes, and three three-putts and doing whatever happened on 12, then No. 9, three-putting there, too. I mean, it could have been a couple-under round pretty easily."It was a tale of two nines for McIlroy, who looked like the Masters champion for the first few hours Thursday but closed resembling someone who finished 149th in Canada last weekend. He turned in 2-under after a bogey-free opening nine but made four bogeys and a double on his final stretch to finish with a 4-over 74.He once again declined to speak to the media after the round, the fifth straight time he's done that in a major after doing so following all four days of the PGA Championship.

OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 12: Brooks Koepka of the United States walks to the third green during the first round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 12, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

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Koepka lurking behind Spaun after Round 1 at Oakmont

Patrick Reed etched his name into the U.S. Open record books on Thursday at Oakmont with a 286-ya...

Patrick Reed etched his name into the U.S. Open record books on Thursday at Oakmont with a 286-yard 3-wood that somehow found the cup for an improbable albatross.Reed pounded a 332-yard drive on the par-5 fourth at the historic layout to leave him with a blind approach to the 621-yard hole from the edge of the fairway. He didn't even get to see the ball drop, relying on the sound of the crowd noise to tell him it went in for just the fourth albatross in the history of the U.S. Open.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xgVcRZI80CI?si=_jJzU4WhuNOQ4CY5" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></figure>The shot flipped Reed's score from 1-over to 2-under and helped him jump to just two strokes off J.J. Spaun's clubhouse lead.

KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - MAY 18: Patrick Reed of the United States looks on from the ninth hole during a practice round prior to the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Resort's Ocean Course on May 18, 2021 in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

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Watch: Reed makes 4th albatross in U.S. Open history

A surprising name tops the early leaderboard for the second consecutive U.S. Open at Oakmont afte...

A surprising name tops the early leaderboard for the second consecutive U.S. Open at Oakmont after J.J. Spaun fired a remarkable 4-under 66 to hold the clubhouse lead after the morning wave completed play.Spaun's brilliant round came nine years after Andrew Landry fired a 66 at the 2016 U.S. Open to hold the first-round lead in his major debut. While Spaun boasts a significantly better resume than Landry's, Thursday's round marked the lowest score of his career in a major.Spaun went through his opening side in 4-under 31 to break the Oakmont U.S. Open record for the lowest score over the first nine holes of the championship. He ended the round as one of six players under par.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Typically known for his solid tee-to-green play, the 34-year-old made his putter his primary weapon in Round 1 at Oakmont. Spaun, who ranks 84th on the PGA TOUR in putting this year, drained six putts for par from at least 7 feet to ensure he finished the round bogey-free. Those makes helped him gain almost four shots putting to lead the field."I think today was one of my best maybe putting days I've had maybe all year, especially inside like the makeable range putts, inside 12 feet or so, like converting those putts, because that's huge for momentum and keeping a round going, and that's kind of what happens here at U.S. Opens," Spaun said afterward, according to <a href="https://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156928.html">ASAP Sports</a>.The Los Angeles native will likely maintain the lead overnight with tougher conditions expected for the afternoon wave of players. However, the chasers should be optimistic as Spaun has just one top-25 finish in his major career.

OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 12: J.J. Spaun of the United States and his caddie meet on the ninth green after finishing their round during the first round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 12, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

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Spaun rides red-hot putter to grab clubhouse lead at Oakmont

U.S. Open: 125th edition When: June 12-15 Where: Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pennsylvania  How...

U.S. Open: 125th edition When: June 12-15 Where: Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pennsylvania<h3>How to watch</h3>In the United States<figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Date</th>
<th>Time (ET)</th>
<th>Channel</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>June 12</td>
<td>6:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.</td>
<td>USA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>5:00 - 8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>Peacock</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June 13</td>
<td>6:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.</td>
<td>Peacock</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>1:00 - 7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>NBC</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>7:00 - 8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>Peacock</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June 14</td>
<td>10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.</td>
<td>USA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>12:00 - 8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>NBC</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June 15</td>
<td>9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.</td>
<td>USA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>12:00 - 7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>NBC</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>Streaming on Peacock<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>In Canada<figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Date</th>
<th>Time (ET)</th>
<th>Channel</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>June 12</td>
<td>6:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>TSN4/5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June 13</td>
<td>6:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>TSN4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June 14</td>
<td>10:00 - 12:00 p.m.</td>
<td>TSN4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>12:00 - 8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>TSN4/CTV2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June 15</td>
<td>9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.</td>
<td>TSN4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td>12:00 - 7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>TSN4/CTV2</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>Streaming on TSN+<h3>Notable tee times (all times ET)</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789722/cropped_GettyImages-2191713793.jpg?ts=1749566451" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789722/w220xh124_GettyImages-2191713793.jpg?ts=1749566451 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789722/w320xh180_GettyImages-2191713793.jpg?ts=1749566451 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789722/w640xh360_GettyImages-2191713793.jpg?ts=1749566451 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789722/w768xh432_GettyImages-2191713793.jpg?ts=1749566451 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789722/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2191713793.jpg?ts=1749566451 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Tracy Wilcox / PGA TOUR / Getty</figcaption></figure>Group: Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott Round 1: 7:18 a.m. (No. 10 tee) Round 2: 1:03 p.m.Group: Xander Schauffele, Jose Luis Ballester, Bryson DeChambeau Round 1: 7:29 a.m. Round 2: 1:14 p.m. (No. 10 tee)Group: Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose Round 1: 7:40 a.m. (No. 10 tee) Round 2: 1:25 p.m. Group: Min Woo Lee, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka Round 1: 1:03 p.m. Round 2: 7:18 a.m. (No. 10 tee)Group: Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson Round 1: 1:14 p.m. (No. 10 tee) Round 2: 7:29 a.m.Group: Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa Round 1: 1:25 p.m Round 2: 7:40 a.m. (No. 10 tee)See full <a href="https://www.usopen.com/2025/tee-times.html">tee sheet</a>.<h3>Preview content</h3>Scottie and the rest: Contender tiers for U.S. Open<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788421/cropped_GettyImages-2217548037.jpg?ts=1748814891" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788421/w220xh124_GettyImages-2217548037.jpg?ts=1748814891 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788421/w320xh180_GettyImages-2217548037.jpg?ts=1748814891 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788421/w640xh360_GettyImages-2217548037.jpg?ts=1748814891 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788421/w768xh432_GettyImages-2217548037.jpg?ts=1748814891 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/788421/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2217548037.jpg?ts=1748814891 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> NurPhoto / NurPhoto / Getty</figcaption></figure>Scottie Scheffler once again stands alone heading into this week's U.S. Open at Oakmont. The +270 favorite is getting the same amount of respect that Tiger Woods received from oddsmakers in his prime. After Scottie, where do Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and the rest of the top contenders stack up for the season's third major? See <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3292220" href="https://thescore.com/news/3292220">full article</a>.No drive or driver: Rory limps into Oakmont looking for answers<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786041/cropped_GettyImages-2215484539.jpg?ts=1747446144" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786041/w220xh124_GettyImages-2215484539.jpg?ts=1747446144 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786041/w320xh180_GettyImages-2215484539.jpg?ts=1747446144 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786041/w640xh360_GettyImages-2215484539.jpg?ts=1747446144 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786041/w768xh432_GettyImages-2215484539.jpg?ts=1747446144 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/786041/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2215484539.jpg?ts=1747446144 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>2025 was shaping up to be Rory's year after McIlroy completed the career grand slam with his epic Masters win. That came on the heels of trophies at Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass earlier in the season - by far his best-ever start to a PGA TOUR season. However, the 36-year-old has looked like a different man since putting on that green jacket and comes to Oakmont off the worst finish of his career at last week's Canadian Open. McIlroy admitted in Canada that he found it harder to grind on the range after winning the Masters and has battled driver issues since his was deemed nonconforming at the PGA Championship. Did a weekend full of driver testing get McIlroy back on track for Oakmont? We'll find out Thursday morning. See <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3296838" href="https://thescore.com/news/3296838">full article</a>.Schauffele loves difficult U.S. Open: 'Maybe I'm just sick'<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779489/cropped_GettyImages-2209206994.jpg?ts=1749578033" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779489/w220xh124_GettyImages-2209206994.jpg?ts=1749578033 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779489/w320xh180_GettyImages-2209206994.jpg?ts=1749578033 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779489/w640xh360_GettyImages-2209206994.jpg?ts=1749578033 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779489/w768xh432_GettyImages-2209206994.jpg?ts=1749578033 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/779489/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2209206994.jpg?ts=1749578033 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Andrew Redington / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>With five-inch-thick rough and lightning-fast greens, the U.S. Open is unquestionably golf's most diabolical test each year. It's enough to drive even the world's best crazy, but that's not how Xander Schauffele sees it. While he's yet to win a U.S. Open, Schauffele has arguably been the best player in the event since he debuted eight years ago. He's posted seven top-10 showings in the U.S. Open - his 14th-place finish in 2022 was his worst result. Read <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3298086" href="https://thescore.com/news/3298086">full article</a>.With or without trees, Oakmont has stood the test of time<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789759/cropped_GettyImages-2219492389.jpg?ts=1749572440" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789759/w220xh124_GettyImages-2219492389.jpg?ts=1749572440 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789759/w320xh180_GettyImages-2219492389.jpg?ts=1749572440 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789759/w640xh360_GettyImages-2219492389.jpg?ts=1749572440 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789759/w768xh432_GettyImages-2219492389.jpg?ts=1749572440 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789759/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2219492389.jpg?ts=1749572440 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Patrick Smith / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>If the U.S. Open ranks as golf's toughest test every year, consider Oakmont the final boss. The Pittsburgh-area golf course has a well-earned reputation as the most difficult challenge of any U.S. Open layout, and 2025 should be no different. While the course looks significantly different following a massive amount of tree removal, the test has not lessened for the world's best. Five-inch rough just a couple of yards off the fairway awaits, and the greens should run faster than any the players will see this year. See <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3297861" href="https://thescore.com/news/3297861">full article</a>.U.S. Open betting preview: Who can beat Scheffler at Oakmont?<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789787/cropped_GettyImages-2190294716.jpg?ts=1749580433" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789787/w220xh124_GettyImages-2190294716.jpg?ts=1749580433 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789787/w320xh180_GettyImages-2190294716.jpg?ts=1749580433 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789787/w640xh360_GettyImages-2190294716.jpg?ts=1749580433 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789787/w768xh432_GettyImages-2190294716.jpg?ts=1749580433 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789787/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2190294716.jpg?ts=1749580433 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>Scheffler once again enters a major championship as the overwhelming favorite, thanks to his incredible form as of late with three wins in his last four starts. Oakmont places a premium on controlling your ball and having patience around the challenging layout - essentially the two things Scheffler does significantly better than anybody in the world. Defending champion DeChambeau is next on the odds board, but it's a pair of top names at +1,200 that are perhaps the most intriguing. See <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3297967" href="https://thescore.com/news/3297967">full article</a>.U.S. Open betting: 9 prop bets to protect you from a Scheffler runaway<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756884/cropped_GettyImages-2185476201.jpg?ts=1732368818" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756884/w220xh124_GettyImages-2185476201.jpg?ts=1732368818 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756884/w320xh180_GettyImages-2185476201.jpg?ts=1732368818 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756884/w640xh360_GettyImages-2185476201.jpg?ts=1732368818 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756884/w768xh432_GettyImages-2185476201.jpg?ts=1732368818 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/756884/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2185476201.jpg?ts=1732368818 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> PATRICK HAMILTON / AFP / Getty</figcaption></figure>We scoured all of the markets available and selected our nine favorite wagers to make, including backing two LIV players to miss the cut. See all the picks <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3298824" href="https://thescore.com/news/3298824">here</a>. <h3>Betting odds</h3>Scottie Scheffler +270 Bryson DeChambeau +650 Jon Rahm +1,200 Rory McIlroy +1,200 Xander Schauffele +2,000 Collin Morikawa +2,200 Ludvig Aberg +2,200 Joaquin Niemann +2,800 Shane Lowry +3,300 Sepp Straka +3,500 Justin Thomas +4,000 Tommy Fleetwood +4,000 Patrick Cantlay +5,000 Corey Conners +5,500 Brooks Koepka +6,000 Viktor Hovland +6,000 Russell Henley +6,600 Tyrrell Hatton +6,600 Ben Griffin +7,000 Hideki Matsuyama +7,000 Jordan Spieth +7,000 Sam Burns +7,000Odds via theScore Bet

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U.S. Open manual: All you need for golf's toughest test

Rory McIlroy achieved the greatest feat of his storied career in April, when he completed the car...

<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/599" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/599">Rory McIlroy</a> achieved the greatest feat of his storied career in April, when he completed the career Grand Slam at the Masters, ending his 11-year major drought in the process.One would certainly forgive the 36-year-old if he wanted to celebrate the momentous achievement accordingly, but recent results suggest he's struggling to solidify his place as one of the world's top golfers.McIlroy comes to Oakmont for the U.S. Open on the heels of the worst PGA TOUR finish of his career in Canada last week. He admitted Tuesday it hasn't been easy to get back to business after putting on the green jacket.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"You dream about the final putt going in at the Masters, but you don't think about what comes next," McIlroy <a href="http://asaptext.com/asap_media/media/1017/1081/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156861.html">told</a> reporters. He added, "I always struggle to show up with motivation the next week because you've just accomplished something, and you want to enjoy it, and you want to sort of relish the fact that you've achieved a goal. I think chasing a certain goal for the better part of a decade and a half, I think I'm allowed a little bit of time to relax a little bit. But here at Oakmont, I certainly can't relax this week."The five-time major winner was a man on fire to begin the season, notching wins at Pebble Beach and The Players Championship ahead of Augusta. The stretch culminated with a Masters win for the ages - a performance McIlroy was building toward since last fall."I worked incredibly hard on my game from October last year all the way up until April this year," McIlroy said. "It was nice to sort of see the fruits of my labor come to fruition and have everything happen. But at the same time, you have to enjoy that. You have to enjoy what you've just accomplished. I certainly feel like I'm still doing that, and I will continue to do that."Many assumed McIlroy would run wild with the weight of an elusive Masters victory off his shoulders. The early returns suggest the opposite, as he finished 47th at the PGA Championship and 149th at the Canadian Open."At some point, you have to realize that there's a little bit more golf left to play this season - here, Portrush, Ryder Cup," McIlroy said. "So, those are obviously the three big things that I'm sort of looking at for the rest of the year."But I think weeks like Quail Hollow or even weeks like last week, it makes it easier to reset in some way, to be like, okay, I sort of need to get my stuff together here and get back to the process and what I'd been doing for that seven months from October last year until April this year."McIlroy's quest for a second U.S. Open begins Thursday at 7:40 a.m. ET in a very comfortable group alongside good friends Shane Lowry and Justin Rose.

OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 10: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks to the media during his pre-tournament media conference prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 10, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

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Rory: 'You don't think about what comes next' after winning Masters

Rory McIlroy collapsed on the 18th green at Augusta National 57 days ago, overcome with emotion a...

<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/599" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/599">Rory McIlroy</a> collapsed on the 18th green at Augusta National 57 days ago, overcome with emotion after finally ending his 11-year major drought and completing the career grand slam. The moment was a combination of immense joy and seismic relief as McIlroy finally answered the major question that had been dogging him for over a decade. It was supposed to open the floodgates for the 36-year-old and allow him to rack up more majors without the 1,000-pound gorilla on his shoulders.Only, it didn't. In fact, the opposite occurred.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Whether it be issues finding a new drive or driver, McIlroy looks increasingly like a man who doesn't know what he's pushing for after completing the last major accomplishment to cap a storied career. He even admitted as much last week before teeing off in the Canadian Open."I would certainly say that the last few weeks, I've had a couple weeks off, and going and grinding on the range for three or four hours every day is maybe a little tougher than it used to be," McIlroy <a href="https://asaptext.com/orgs/pgatour/1454/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156621.html">told ASAP Sports</a>. "You have this event in your life that you've worked toward, and it happens; sometimes it's hard to find the motivation to get back on the horse and go again."Those comments turned out to be very prescient. An opening-round 71 on a pillow-soft TPC Toronto layout may have raised an eyebrow, but it was his second round that captured everyone's full attention.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789647/cropped_GettyImages-2218970765.jpg?ts=1749518254" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789647/w220xh124_GettyImages-2218970765.jpg?ts=1749518254 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789647/w320xh180_GettyImages-2218970765.jpg?ts=1749518254 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789647/w640xh360_GettyImages-2218970765.jpg?ts=1749518254 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789647/w768xh432_GettyImages-2218970765.jpg?ts=1749518254 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789647/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2218970765.jpg?ts=1749518254 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>On a course yielding plenty of low scores, McIlroy ballooned to an 8-over 78 to miss the cut in 149th place. That left him ahead of just two players on the leaderboard - neither currently a full-time member of the PGA TOUR. It was his worst TOUR finish and ended his consecutive cuts streak at 18.McIlroy's whole game was a mess, but his main issue is his continued woes with the driver - the club that's contributed more to his illustrious career than any other.Everyone should be well-versed by now on his driver failing a conformity test in the lead-up to the PGA Championship. McIlroy wasn't the only one on that list - tournament winner Scottie Scheffler also found his way on it - but his name was the only one that got leaked to the media during the tournament.He has legitimate beef, but now he has bigger issues to address - mainly his search for a club he's comfortable with.McIlroy hit just three fairways total in his first round at the PGA Championship. That poor performance was downright shocking considering the event was at Quail Hollow, where he'd already won four times. He finished that event 68th out of 74 players in driving accuracy and placed 47th on the leaderboard.While that should have been the story for McIlroy at Quail Hollow, the focus shifted to his decision to skip media day during all four days. It's not rare for a golfer to pass on press after a round, but doing it all four days is certainly an odd choice, especially given McIlroy's very warm relationship with the golf media. Even given the news of the failed driver test, he wasn't exactly facing an interrogation at a Congressional hearing.McIlroy further muddied the waters by opting to skip the Memorial Tournament, the third signature event of the season he's passed on. The news came as a surprise to everyone, including tournament host Jack Nicklaus. McIlroy has earned the right to choose his schedule, but it was just another thing that attracted more attention.<figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789065/cropped_GettyImages-2218066725.jpg?ts=1749149547" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789065/w220xh124_GettyImages-2218066725.jpg?ts=1749149547 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789065/w320xh180_GettyImages-2218066725.jpg?ts=1749149547 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789065/w640xh360_GettyImages-2218066725.jpg?ts=1749149547 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789065/w768xh432_GettyImages-2218066725.jpg?ts=1749149547 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789065/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2218066725.jpg?ts=1749149547 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty</figcaption></figure>McIlroy put his decision to skip the media to bed prior to the Canadian Open, saying there were timing issues and that he didn't want to say something he'd regret about the driver test. However, his issues with the driver remained.He finished the Canadian Open 130th in the field in <a href="https://datagolf.com/live-tournament-stats">Data Golf's strokes gained: off the tee</a>, a shocking number considering he's second on TOUR this season in that category."Yeah, of course it concerns me. You don't want to shoot high scores like the one I did today," McIlroy said after his second-round 78, <a href="https://asaptext.com/orgs/pgatour/1454/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156734.html">according to ASAP Sports</a>. "Obviously, going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways. Still sort of searching for the sort of missing piece off the tee. Obviously, for me, when I get that part of the game clicking, then everything falls into place for me. Right now, that isn't. Yeah, that's a concern going into next week."McIlroy vowed to test a number of drivers all weekend ahead of Oakmont in hopes of straightening that part of his game out. If - and that seems like a big if - he can rekindle the driving form we've seen throughout his career, he should be a major threat to win a second U.S. Open. He has six straight top-10 showings in the event, just one shy of the all-time record.However, there's also the possibility that the Masters hangover is still lingering, and the McIlroy we saw in the first four months of the season is still a long way from returning. After all, who among us hasn't celebrated a momentous achievement by carrying on the celebration just a little bit too long?

CALEDON, CANADA - JUNE 6 : Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland gestures before a tee shot during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open 2025 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ontario, Canada on June 6, 2025.

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No drive or driver: McIlroy limps into Oakmont looking for answers

Golf's annual toughest test heads to arguably the hardest golf course in the country with the U.S...

Golf's annual toughest test heads to arguably the hardest golf course in the country with the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club this week.The historic layout challenges players with narrow fairways, diabolical rough, and some of the fastest greens they will see all season.We won't rank all 156 players in the field, but some clear tiers for the contenders stand out heading into Thursday's opening round.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><h3>Tier 1 - Scottie</h3>Scottie SchefflerWhen people are making comparisons to Tiger Woods - realistic ones at that - you get your own tier. Scheffler is clearly a cut above everyone else in golf at the moment, with three wins over his past four starts. Like virtually every other golf tournament in the world, Scheffler's U.S. Open record is very impressive. With three consecutive top-seven finishes heading into last year at Pinehurst, he fell to 41st at that event and lamented the luck-of-the-draw type of situation every time a drive found the rough. Good news for Scottie and bad news for the rest of the field: The incredibly thick rough at Oakmont is consistent throughout the course, a situation he thrives in.<h3>Tier 2 - The big two</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789448/cropped_GettyImages-2209999267.jpg?ts=1749410695" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789448/w220xh124_GettyImages-2209999267.jpg?ts=1749410695 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789448/w320xh180_GettyImages-2209999267.jpg?ts=1749410695 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789448/w640xh360_GettyImages-2209999267.jpg?ts=1749410695 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789448/w768xh432_GettyImages-2209999267.jpg?ts=1749410695 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789448/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2209999267.jpg?ts=1749410695 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Erick W. Rasco / Sports Illustrated / Getty</figcaption></figure>Bryson DeChambeauOakmont might as well be Bryson DeChambeau Golf Club because of how well the challenging track sets up for the defending U.S. Open champion. There's nobody better - or longer - off the tee than DeChambeau, and his elite short-game should come in handy out of the gnarly rough around the greens. The question with DeChambeau is whether his approach game can hold up under the major-championship test. He's had legit chances to win the Masters and PGA Championship this season but was eventually let down by porous approach play in both.Rory McIlroyThe glass half-full approach for McIlroy: He finally harpooned his white whale in April to complete the career Grand Slam with a dramatic Masters win for the ages. That marked his third trophy of the season with Pebble Beach and The Players already won. The glass half-empty look: He's coming off a 149th-place showing in Canada - the worst finish of his PGA TOUR career. His off-the-tee game has been a mess since his driver was one of those deemed nonconforming at the PGA Championship. However, he has six consecutive top-10 finishes in the U.S. Open and vowed to do plenty of driver testing over the weekend before Oakmont.<h3>Tier 3 - Wouldn't shock anyone with a win</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789449/cropped_GettyImages-2165217591.jpg?ts=1749410783" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789449/w220xh124_GettyImages-2165217591.jpg?ts=1749410783 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789449/w320xh180_GettyImages-2165217591.jpg?ts=1749410783 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789449/w640xh360_GettyImages-2165217591.jpg?ts=1749410783 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789449/w768xh432_GettyImages-2165217591.jpg?ts=1749410783 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789449/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2165217591.jpg?ts=1749410783 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>Jon RahmWe can probably retire the idea that Rahm's move to LIV has hampered his chances to win golf's biggest titles. Rahm rose from the field on Sunday at the PGA Championship to provide Scheffler with his biggest challenge before crashing out on Quail Hollow's closing stretch while he was forced to fire at pins. Nevertheless, three consecutive top-15 finishes in major championships should serve as a reminder the Spaniard is one of the world's best. The U.S. Open might be the best tournament to watch Rahm, as he teeters on what often seems just one shot away from an eruption should the result not go his way.Xander SchauffeleIs this the week Schauffele flashes the form that made him the the toast of the golfing world last year? After claiming two of the four major titles last season, Schauffele has struggled to regain that form after a rib injury sidelined him earlier in the year. The difference this season for Schauffele is clearly his putting and driving - two areas he finished top-12 in last year on TOUR. This season, he's 127th off the tee and an eye-popping 141st on the greens. However, it appears he's turned a corner as he's gaining strokes in both areas over his past two events. Now might be the time to jump in on Schauffele as he flies under the radar coming to Oakmont.<h3>Tier 4 - Contenders with questions</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789450/cropped_GettyImages-1491565863.jpg?ts=1749410870" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789450/w220xh124_GettyImages-1491565863.jpg?ts=1749410870 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789450/w320xh180_GettyImages-1491565863.jpg?ts=1749410870 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789450/w640xh360_GettyImages-1491565863.jpg?ts=1749410870 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789450/w768xh432_GettyImages-1491565863.jpg?ts=1749410870 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789450/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1491565863.jpg?ts=1749410870 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>Justin ThomasThomas should have the game to compete at Oakmont with elite iron-play and top-level short-game prowess. However, we said the same things about the Masters and PGA Championship, and he finished 36th and missed the cut, respectively. Thomas' biggest issue is the driver, with his off-the-tee game handicapping him severely as of late. According to <a href="https://datagolf.com/player-profiles?dg_id=14139">Data Golf</a>, he's finished below field average in adjusted driving accuracy for five tournaments in a row. That simply won't work at Oakmont with 5-inch rough bordering the fairways. If he keeps it in play, he's a threat to win. If he can't, it will be a short week once again for Thomas.Collin MorikawaMorikawa has two major wins on his resume but neither came with a full complement of fans because of COVID restrictions. He's been incredibly consistent since then without ever really threatening to win. While length off the tee will be a bonus at Oakmont, the 2016 U.S. Open featured a top 10 mostly made up of the most accurate drivers in golf. That's where Morikawa slots in as one of the most precise players in the game. However, he hasn't won on U.S. soil in more than four years, and it feels unlikely the first one will come in the cauldron of the U.S. Open.Shane LowryLowry was actually the 54-hole leader at the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont before fading with a final-round 76. That shows he's comfortable on the course, and he comes in with the eighth-most strokes gained total in men's professional golf over the past six months. The knock on Lowry is he struggles to finish the job, as he has just one worldwide individual win since his major triumph six years ago at Royal Portrush.Brooks KoepkaKoepka used to be the most feared man on major championship leaderboards, but times have changed over the past two years. Koepka is without a top-25 finish in his past seven major starts and missed the cut at the Masters and PGA Championship this season. However, Oakmont is primed to be the hardest major championship we have seen in years with conditions that will drive even the most patient golfer insane. That's sweet, sweet music to Koepka's ears.<h3>Tier 5 - Trending but have never done it</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768300/cropped_GettyImages-2196382039.jpg?ts=1738370892" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768300/w220xh124_GettyImages-2196382039.jpg?ts=1738370892 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768300/w320xh180_GettyImages-2196382039.jpg?ts=1738370892 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768300/w640xh360_GettyImages-2196382039.jpg?ts=1738370892 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768300/w768xh432_GettyImages-2196382039.jpg?ts=1738370892 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/768300/w1080xh607_GettyImages-2196382039.jpg?ts=1738370892 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Keyur Khamar / PGA TOUR / Getty</figcaption></figure>Sepp StrakaStraka has transformed his game this season, rising from a solid PGA TOUR player to one of the hottest golfers in the game. He's seventh in Data Golf's strokes gained statistic over the past six months and already has two wins on the season. His accuracy off the tee should be a major bonus at Oakmont this week.Joaquin NiemannNiemann finally posted the first top-10 finish of his majors career at the PGA Championship, one that was celebrated like a win by some corners of the internet. He undoubtedly has the talent to compete in golf's biggest events, but when the test ramps up, Niemann falls back. Quail Hollow wasn't exactly the toughest major test we've ever seen, so Oakmont will be a good indicator if he's a changed man or if it's the same old Niemann.Ludvig AbergAberg has played in six career major championships with a top-12 finish in half of them. He's missed the cut in the other half, so it's a bit of a feast or famine situation for the Swede at golf's biggest events.Ben GriffinThis might seem like a stretch, but only four men have gained more strokes across professional golf than Ben Griffin has in the past 30 days. He missed the cut or withdrew in his first four major starts but tied for eighth last month at the PGA Championship.<h3>Tier 6 - Let's get nuts</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789452/cropped_GettyImages-1406106412.jpg?ts=1749410981" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789452/w220xh124_GettyImages-1406106412.jpg?ts=1749410981 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789452/w320xh180_GettyImages-1406106412.jpg?ts=1749410981 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789452/w640xh360_GettyImages-1406106412.jpg?ts=1749410981 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789452/w768xh432_GettyImages-1406106412.jpg?ts=1749410981 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/789452/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1406106412.jpg?ts=1749410981 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Jamie Squire/LIV Golf / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>Patrick Reed Viktor Hovland Tyrrell Hatton Jordan Spieth Phil MickelsonHovland's ceiling is the best player in the world, while his floor is someone who readily admits he has no clue where the ball is going. He seems to be in the middle of those two scenarios at the moment. The same could be said for Spieth, although the former World No. 1 has flashed some solid form as of late. Reed thrives in difficult conditions that require short-game magic, while watching Hatton try to hold his emotions in over the Oakmont test will be must-see television. Mickelson acknowledged this could be his last U.S. Open, with the six-time runner-up needing the trophy to complete the career Grand Slam. Sure, it sounds crazy, but the 55-year-old just finished third last week at LIV Virginia.

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Scottie and the rest: Contender tiers for U.S. Open

The early returns on the most talked-about driver in golf were positive, even if the scorecard di...

The early returns on the most talked-about driver in golf were positive, even if the scorecard didn't necessarily reflect that for <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/599" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/599">Rory McIlroy</a>.The Masters champ was encouraged by his performance with his new driver in wet conditions at TPC Toronto despite shooting a 1-over 71 at the RBC Canadian Open."I actually felt like I played OK," McIlroy said afterward, according to <a href="https://asaptext.com/orgs/pgatour/1454/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156672.html">ASAP Sports</a>. "There was a couple of shots in there, it was my first outing with a new driver, and I felt like that went pretty well. I hit some drives that I liked and that I liked to see, so that was encouraging."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Canadian Open represents McIlroy's first start since his driver was deemed nonconforming prior to the PGA Championship last month. He declined to speak to media each of the four days at Quail Hollow, a decision he admitted Wednesday was <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3294768" href="https://thescore.com/news/3294768">partially based on the leak</a> that his driver failed.Now that the issue is seemingly in the rearview, McIlroy can now focus on getting his new equipment dialed in before next week's U.S. Open at Oakmont. The notoriously difficult layout will have five-inch rough just off each fairway, a setup that will demand accuracy from all players in the field.With that in mind, McIlroy planned on heading to the range Thursday afternoon to do more work on getting fully comfortable off the tee."The one I had been playing with previously, when I missed with it, I was a little bit left. Then my miss with this one is a little bit right. It's just trying to figure that out and manage it a little bit," McIlroy said. "It's a nice feeling to get up the middle of the fairway and fully release it and know it's not going to go left on you."McIlroy will need a solid day driving the ball if he's going to get back in contention this week. He sits six shots off the lead with the afternoon wave on the course just outside Toronto.

CALEDON, ON - JUNE 05: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during the First Round of the RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on June 05, 2025 in Caledon, Ontario, Canada.

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Rory pleased with new driver despite 1-over 71

The season's third major is just around the corner with the U.S. Open at Oakmont next week, but f...

The season's third major is just around the corner with the U.S. Open at Oakmont next week, but first, the PGA TOUR heads north to Canada.The TOUR makes its annual trip over the border for one of the oldest events on the schedule, the RBC Canadian Open, held this year for the first time at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.The Canadian crowd is one of the more raucous we see in professional golf, creating an electric atmosphere, especially when one of their own is in contention.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Here are the five top storylines to watch this week just outside Toronto.<h3>Rory finally emerges</h3>You might as well stick a Canadian flag beside Rory McIlroy's name this week, as the two-time winner of the event gets as much love as anybody in the field. Those who attended his back-to-back wins at the tourney can likely still hear the "Rory!" chants that echoed around the course throughout the four days. This year should be no different. The 36-year-old skipped last week's signature event at the Memorial Tournament to play in Canada. That means his Wednesday press conference will be the first time he's spoken to the media since before the PGA Championship three weeks ago.Since then, McIlroy's driver was ruled nonconforming and pulled from competition just before the start of the season's second major. He struggled off the tee throughout the tournament and never contended at Quail Hollow. McIlroy's decision to avoid the media after each round only brought more attention to the driver issues and left the golf world wanting answers. How he approaches those questions in Canada will be the biggest storyline leading up to Thursday's opening round. One thing is certain: the crowd will be heavily partisan behind McIlroy, pulling for him to nab a third Canadian Open win.<h3>Which Canadian rises</h3><figure class="article-segment--image"><img src="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/586684/cropped_GettyImages-1497736917.jpg?ts=1691092250" srcset="https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/586684/w220xh124_GettyImages-1497736917.jpg?ts=1691092250 220w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/586684/w320xh180_GettyImages-1497736917.jpg?ts=1691092250 320w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/586684/w640xh360_GettyImages-1497736917.jpg?ts=1691092250 640w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/586684/w768xh432_GettyImages-1497736917.jpg?ts=1691092250 768w, https://assets-cms.thescore.com/uploads/image/file/586684/w1080xh607_GettyImages-1497736917.jpg?ts=1691092250 1080w"><figcaption class="article-segment--image-caption"> Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty</figcaption></figure>Veteran tip: Take the over on how many times you'll see the highlight of Nick Taylor's absurd 72-foot eagle putt to win the 2023 Canadian Open on the broadcast this week. One of the most electric moments in the country's sports history occurred when Taylor became the first Canadian to win the event in 69 years in just about the most dramatic way possible. His epic reaction is forever emblazoned on the tournament's logo, no doubt inspiring all the Canadians in the field this week. Several Canucks have the game to compete for another title, but Taylor Pendrith might be the best pick to make noise. Pendrith is very familiar with the course and is entering play in the finest form of his career.<h3>It's Canada, there will be drama</h3>Dramatic professional golf tournaments might not be high on the list of things you associate Canada with, but recent history shows the drama ensues when the PGA TOUR crosses the border. The last four Canadian Opens have provided incredible on-course finishes, not to mention the seemingly annual major news moments, including the first-ever LIV Golf event being played opposite in 2022. McIlroy flirted heavily with a final-round 59 en route to his win in 2019, and he blitzed St. George's with a closing 62 to defend his title in 2022 after the tourney's two-year break due to COVID. We touched on the 2023 event above with Taylor's all-time winning moment - and the epic football tackle by security on Adam Hadwin that followed. And last year, Robert MacIntyre won his first PGA TOUR event with his dad caddying after he flew over from Scotland as a last-minute replacement. While we don't know which winning storyline will emerge this time, it's probably a safe bet it won't be boring.<h3>The Rink is gettable </h3><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
RINK. READY. 💥 🎟️: <a href="https://t.co/rsYd42ln6m">https://t.co/rsYd42ln6m</a> <a href="https://t.co/nc9WzgCwLh">pic.twitter.com/nc9WzgCwLh</a>— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/RBCCanadianOpen/status/1928138488769077671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>The Toronto Maple Leafs may have already made their customary early playoff exit, but "The Rink" is still alive and well in the Toronto area. The fan-favorite hole is again a feature of the Canadian Open this year, with hockey boards framing the tee box of a back-nine par 3 to give the setup a distinctly local feel. Raucous fans implore the players to hit one close to the pin by banging on the boards and loudly singing - and this time, that opportunity is better than ever for golfers. Previous versions have been played on lengthy par 3s where hitting a tee shot close to the hole is difficult. That won't be the case this year, as the 14th will play just 144 yards from the intimate tee box. Pendrith told reporters during media day that he aced the hole last summer on a visit, so expect plenty of fireworks throughout the tournament.<h3>Young guns go pro</h3>One thing the Canadian Open has prioritized over the years is giving young rising stars a chance to play in the event. Ludvig Aberg notably made his professional debut two years ago in 2023 and shockingly ended up on the Ryder Cup team just over three months later. This year is no different, with collegiate stars Luke Clanton and Gordon Sargent beginning their professional careers. However, they're coming in on very different paths. Clanton's star is rising, while Sargent's golf journey is full of questions.Clanton has already played a number of PGA TOUR events and made history last summer by becoming the first amateur since 1958 to post back-to-back top-10 finishes. This week could be the kickoff to Clanton turning in an Aberg-esque run toward an unlikely U.S. Ryder Cup spot.Sargent won the NCAA individual championship at Vanderbilt as a freshman, but he's fallen off a cliff with his form in his final collegiate season. The Commodores dropped him for the team portion of this year's NCAA championships due to poor play. Still, the lengthy layout at TPC Toronto could play into Sargent's hands as he possesses as much ball speed as anybody in professional golf.

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Canadian Open preview: 5 storylines to watch at TPC Toronto

Rory McIlroy met with media at the Canadian Open on Wednesday, marking the first time the Masters...

<a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///pga/players/599" href="https://thescore.com/pga/players/599">Rory McIlroy</a> met with media at the Canadian Open on Wednesday, marking the first time the Masters champion has spoken publicly since his driver was deemed nonconforming at the PGA Championship in May.McIlroy's driver was one of those flagged in the buildup to the event at Quail Hollow, forcing him to use his backup in the season's second major. He struggled off the tee all week, hitting less than 50% of his fairways en route to a 47th-place finish.The 36-year-old declined to speak with media after all four rounds.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"I was a little pissed off because I knew that Scottie's (Scheffler) driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked," McIlroy explained, according to <a href="https://asaptext.com/orgs/pgatour/1454/transcripts/156621.pdf">ASAP Sports</a>. "It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it."Again, I didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted, either, because there's a lot of people that - I'm trying to protect Scottie. I don't want to mention his name. I'm trying to protect TaylorMade. I'm trying to protect the USGA, PGA of America, myself."The report on McIlroy's driver came out Friday, but the media was unaware Scheffler also failed the test until Xander Schauffele mentioned it following his final round Sunday. It's not abnormal for a player to fail the test, and results are supposed to be confidential.Both Scheffler and Schauffele have called for change to the testing process, as only a third of the field is tested.While McIlroy admitted the driver issue played a role in his decision to skip media commitments, other factors were at play on each of the specific days."The PGA was a bit of a weird week. I didn't play well. I didn't play well the first day, so I wanted to go practice," McIlroy said. "Second day we finished late. I wanted to go back and see Poppy before she went to bed. The driver news broke - didn't really want to speak on that. Saturday I was supposed to tee off at 8:20 in the morning. I didn't tee off until almost 2:00 in the afternoon - another late finish, was just tired, wanted to go home. Then Sunday, I just wanted to get on the plane and go back to Florida."McIlroy is bringing a new driver to the event in Canada this week, as <a href="https://x.com/RDSBarath/status/1930275570627060222">Skratch's Ryan Barath</a> reports the five-time major champ has a new TaylorMade Qi35 in the bag.The trip north should be a friendly one for McIlroy, as he's thrived in Canada since playing for the first time in 2019. He won the title that year and in 2022. The tournament's move to the week before the U.S. Open has been a game-changer for McIlroy in his major prep."I told this story a little bit, but before playing in this event, 2016, 2017, 2018, I missed three cuts in a row at the U.S. Open, and since playing the Canadian Open the week before, I've had six top 10s in a row. So there's something to that."McIlroy is looking to become the fifth player to win three Canadian Opens and head to Oakmont in great form to challenge for a sixth major title.

CALEDON, CANADA - JUNE 04: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks up to the first green during the RBC Canadian Open Pro-Am at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on June 04, 2025 in Caledon, Ontario, Canada.

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Rory was 'pissed off' driver test leaked at PGA Championship

Move over, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Scottie Scheffler is joining you on one of golf's most ...

Move over, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Scottie Scheffler is joining you on one of golf's most exclusive lists.The World No. 1 became the third man to win at least three majors and 15 PGA TOUR events by the age of 29 after his triumph at the PGA Championship on Sunday.With all of those victories over the past three years, we are officially running out of things to say about Scheffler. With that in mind, let's turn to his peers to describe the man who once again proved he's a level above anybody else in the game.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"I don’t know how he gets that ball to ... It’s like he's got a time machine and he goes forward in time and knows exactly what the wind is doing and lands that ball just right," Brian Harman, the 2023 Open Champion, told ESPN on Sunday morning, according to <a href="https://x.com/BrendanPorath/status/1924081311523774906">Brendan Porath of the Fried Egg</a>.Scheffler's excellence in the wind was on full display in his electric finish Saturday when he played the final five holes in 5-under - including 2-under on the treacherous "Green Mile" finish in very gusty conditions. Bryson DeChambeau - undoubtedly one of the world's best players - was unable to navigate the same winds, playing the stretch in 3-over and effectively ending his shot at a victory.Scheffler is incredibly well-liked on TOUR, and Justin Thomas - a top-5 player in the OWGR - joked it can be difficult to play alongside him."I think it's hard to play with him and be like, ‘Oh, I want to play more like Scottie,'" two-time PGA champion Thomas said in March. "It's like, no duh, who wouldn't want to hit a lot of the fairways and a lot of the greens and be the best ball-striker statistically on Planet Earth for the last couple years?"Scheffler's physical gifts are well-documented. He consistently leads tournaments in strokes gained: approach and features one of the best short games in the sport. However, it's his mental approach that's often the most impressive aspect.That was evident Sunday after Scheffler saw his three-stoke lead evaporate by the time he walked onto the 10th tee. He bogeyed three holes on the opening side to allow a charging Jon Rahm to match him at the top. While most players would have been rattled, Scheffler simply reset, made three birdies on the final nine holes, and watched as Rahm - and the rest of the field - struggled mightily to keep up."The times I've spent playing with him or even watched, his demeanor and his mental toughness and the way he plots his way around golf courses, and how he just wears people down, ... I think his mental side is what separates him more than people realize," Thomas said.Rory McIlroy has long been effusive in his praise for Scheffler and has consistently pointed to his mental approach as something to be envied."I'm a big admirer of Scottie's for a lot of different reasons, but every time I play with him and watch how he plays and how disciplined he is, it's a really cool thing to watch," McIlroy said after winning at Pebble Beach earlier this year, per <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1heRpHliYs4">TenGolf</a>. "I've alluded to it this week, but honestly, just trying to take little bit of a leaf from his book."Scheffler might have won last year's PGA Championship at Valhalla if not for a mind-blowing incident where he spent a portion of Friday morning in a Louisville jail cell before racing back for his tee time. That prompted an all-time joke from McIlroy at the U.S. Open a month later."Only thing that took him away from winning a golf tournament was being in a jail cell for an hour," McIlroy said with a laugh, according to <a href="https://x.com/PGATOURKevin/status/1800552869030211946">Kevin Prise of the PGA TOUR</a>.They say the best jokes are funny because they're true, right?With the Louisville police 476 miles away from Quail Hollow in Kentucky, nobody was left to keep Scheffler from winning the Wanamaker Trophy this time around.

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Be like Scottie: Another Scheffler win validates fellow pros' endless praise

The first couple of hours didn't play out as many anticipated, but the end result was the runaway...

The first couple of hours didn't play out as many anticipated, but the end result was the runaway victory most expected for Scottie Scheffler at the PGA Championship.Although Scheffler lost his three-stroke edge by the time he reached the back nine, he hit the gas on the closing stretch, watching his challengers crumble as he cruised to a five-shot win over Bryson DeChambeau, Davis Riley, and Harris English at Quail Hollow.The win puts Scheffler in rarefied air, as he joins Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only men in history to win at least three majors and 15 PGA TOUR events before turning 29.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--table"><div class="table-responsive"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Place</th>
<th>Player</th>
<th>Round 4 score</th>
<th>Total to par</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Scottie Scheffler</td>
<td>-11</td>
<td>71</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-2</td>
<td>Bryson DeChambeau</td>
<td>-6</td>
<td>70</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-2</td>
<td>Harris English</td>
<td>-6</td>
<td>65</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-2</td>
<td>Davis Riley</td>
<td>-6</td>
<td>72</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-5</td>
<td>Taylor Pendrith</td>
<td>-5</td>
<td>68</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-5</td>
<td>J.T. Poston</td>
<td>-5</td>
<td>73</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-5</td>
<td>Jhonattan Vegas</td>
<td>-5</td>
<td>72</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Jon Rahm</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>73</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Keegan Bradley</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>72</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Matt Fitzpatrick</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>72</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Joe Highsmith</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>71</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Denny McCarthy</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>70</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Si Woo Kim</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>73</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Ryan Gerard</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>70</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Ben Griffin</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>69</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T-8</td>
<td>Joaquin Niemann</td>
<td>-4</td>
<td>68</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></figure>Scheffler entered Sunday with seven straight wins when holding the 54-hole lead, but wobbled early as he battled to keep his ball from going left on the opening nine. Bogeys on the sixth and ninth holes gave the field hope, with Jon Rahm making a strong charge. By the time Rahm reached the 10th tee, he was tied with Scheffler at the top, appearing to set the stage for a dramatic finish.A final look at the scoreboard makes that scenario seem unbelievable, but that's where things stood late in the afternoon in Charlotte.However, Scheffler made the necessary adjustments to his swing and made birdies on the 10th, 14th, and 15th holes to put the pressure on Rahm to match while he played the treacherous "Green Mile" trio of finishing holes."I told myself, if I keep making good swings, I'm not going to continue to hit the ball left every time, statistically speaking," Scheffler explained, according to <a href="https://asaptext.com/orgs/pgachampionship/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156017.html">ASAP Sports</a>. "So I just tried to get up there on No. 10 and hit a good shot, and that's really all I was thinking about is trying to get the ball on the fairway. I knew I needed nine really good holes."Rahm couldn't keep up, making a mess over the iconic stretch with a bogey on No. 16 and back-to-back double-bogeys on 17 and 18 to make things comfortable for Scheffler."Am I embarrassed a little bit about how I finished today? Yeah. But I just need to get over it, get over myself," Rahm told <a href="https://asaptext.com/orgs/pgachampionship/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts/156009.html">ASAP Sports</a> afterward. "I'll get over it. I'll move on. Again, there's a lot more positive than negative to think about this week. I'm really happy I put myself in position and hopefully learn from this and give it another go in the U.S. Open."The win reasserted Scheffler's dominance over the sport, regardless of what Rory McIlroy has done already this season. He's now the first player since 1983 to win each of his first three majors by at least three strokes.Perhaps most impressive is that Scheffler won convincingly despite not having his A-game for the majority of the week."The first two days I did not swing it my best, and I was able to post a score somehow," Scheffler admitted. "Outside of the last five holes yesterday, that's where I really kind of put myself ahead in the tournament. I mean, the back nine today was pretty special as well. But yesterday the way I finished off that round, I think it was really important for me to have a lead to play with today."

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 18: Scottie Scheffler of the United States celebrates on the 18th green after winning the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 18, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Scheffler pulls away for emphatic PGA Championship win

Driver testing has been a hot topic at the PGA Championship following a report that the USGA deem...

Driver testing has been a hot topic at the PGA Championship following a <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3287010" href="https://thescore.com/news/3287010">report</a> that the USGA deemed Rory McIlroy's driver nonconforming in the buildup to Round 1 at Quail Hollow. McIlroy, who declined to speak to the media after all four rounds, struggled off the tee using his backup, hitting less than 50% of the fairways over 72 holes.While the buzz has surrounded McIlroy, Xander Schauffele suggested after Sunday's final round that the Irishman wasn't the only one to fail, pointing at tournament leader Scottie Scheffler as well.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"I think Scott is winning the tournament, and I think he switched to his backup, too," Schauffele told <a href="https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/majors/pga/2025/05/18/xander-schauffele-hints-scottie-scheffler-failed-driver-testing-pga-championship/83712180007/">Adam Schupak of Golf Week</a>.Schauffele, whose driver was ruled nonconforming ahead of the 2019 Open Championship, expressed frustration Sunday with the testing process, raising concerns that only one-third of the field gets tested."I think they should test everyone's driver," Schauffele said. "It's not right to just test 50 guys. It just doesn't make sense if you're in it for the spirit (of the game). The whole point of it is to protect the integrity of the field. If you don't test everyone across the board, I don't think you're protecting the whole field."Scheffler confirmed after his five-stroke win that his driver was indeed flagged earlier in the week, forcing him to use his backup en route to victory. He joined Schauffele in calling for change to the testing process during his press conference alongside the Wanamaker Trophy."My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like," Scheffler said, according to <a data-in-app-uri="" href="">ASAP Sports</a>. "It's a newer rule that we haven't quite gotten right yet. I think we have some stuff to figure out. I think, if we're going to do it, we might as well do it right, get more robust and get even more strict. You can test guys every week, if you want. I mean, there's no reason why we shouldn't."The USGA and PGA of America don't disclose the results of driver testing, leaving a significant amount of secrecy around the process. While a failed test may reflect poorly on a player, it's rarely a case of anything intentional.The most common cause for a failed test is a driver that's been used so often that the face has gotten too thin.

CHARLOTTE, NC - MAY 15: Xander Schauffele (USA) gets ready to play his tee shot at the 7th hole as Rory McIlroy (NIR) and Scottie Scheffler (USA) look on during the first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 15, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina.