Game's top players bracing for ‘hardest’ test in golf at Oakmont
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • June 11, 2025
Just two practice rounds into the 125th U.S. Open and the conjecture surrounding Oakmont Country Club’s difficulty is swiftly turning into reality. Even for the game’s best players.
“I think everybody knows this is probably the toughest golf course in the world right now,” said defending U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau during the second day of practice rounds at Oakmont.
“You have to hit the fairways, you have to hit greens, and you have to two-putt, worst-case scenario. When you've got those putts inside 10 feet, you've got to make them.”
Oakmont has, for well over a century, gained worldwide recognition for its dangerously quick green speeds. But the length and thickness of the rough appears to be more concerning for the pros as they get set for the opening round of the major, set for Thursday.
“I’d say there's definitely a strength factor coming out of the rough,” said Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked player. “This golf course, there's not many trees out there, but there's so many bunkers. I don't really know if this is a golf course you can necessarily just overpower with kind of a bomb-and-gouge type strategy, especially with the way the rough is.”
Scheffler is putting together quite a legacy as he looks for his first U.S. Open and fourth major championship. But, nine years ago, he got a cruel dose of reality at Oakmont.
Scheffler led a weather-shortened first round as a 19-year-old amateur in the 2016 U.S. Open. He ended up missing the cut by a stroke following his second round Friday.
“You have to play the angles here,” he explained. “Some of the greens are elevated, other ones are pitched extremely away from you. Really, a lot of times you hit it in the rough, you can get fortunate sometimes with the lie. But, for the most part, I think you'll be wedging it out pretty much.”
Looking for his second major championship of 2025, Rory McIlroy is currently combating inconsistencies with his driver. Missing into the rough too frequently off the tee could make it a short week for him.
“I’m glad we have spotters up there because I played last Monday just in (Stanley Druckenmiller’s) outing, and you hit a ball off the fairway and you were looking for a good couple of minutes just to find it,” McIlroy said. “It's very penal if you miss. Sometimes it's penal if you don't miss. But the person with the most patience and the best attitude this week is the one that's going to win.”
As Scheffler detailed, the bunkers could be a serious factor, as well. Deep, steep, massive in spots and strategically situated all over, the 175 traps will cause havoc for some and will have to be avoided, as well.
“It’s Oakmont,” McIlroy added. “Even though Gil (Hanse) has come in here and done his thing (with a 2024 renovation), it's still a big brute of a golf course, and you're going to have to have your wits about you this week all the way throughout the bag, off the tee, into the greens, around the greens.
“Everyone knows what to expect. It's Oakmont. It's going to be a great test."
As hard of a challenge as the course will be, players will desperately search for any avenue to lower their score in a tournament where even par could win the entire thing.
Scheffler, when asked Tuesday about there being any holes that he feels are scoreable, widely opened his eyes, with a bit of a perplexed look on his face before attempting to formulate some rationale.
“There's certain holes where there's some opportunity,” he said, with some apparent reluctance. “You look at (hole) 2, you look at 4, 5. When you're in the fairway, there's opportunity. But what's so special about this place is pretty much every time you're off the fairway it's going to be very difficult for you to get the ball to the green.”
Along with the field, Scheffler will also have to contend with the unbelievably long 8th hole, which will play over 290 yards this week.
“I’m going to try to hit the green, whether it's a 3-wood or driver from that back tee,” he said. “It depends on wind direction, but basically I’m just going to try to get the ball on the green and two-putt.”
Early in the week, players have not spoken of much fear in the greens due to the rain the region has experienced. They’re quick, but not lightning fast. At least not yet.
With the next couple of days looking warm and dry, Oakmont’s teeth may show a little bit more as it the ground firms up.
“The greens already today are getting a lot faster compared to yesterday,” said Colin Morikawa Tuesday. “Depending on the weather, you kind of have to adapt to that as the week goes on.
“It’s my first time here. I know a lot of guys took trips before or played in 2016, but I saw my first look of Oakmont and what it has to offer (Monday), and man, it's just tough.”
Golfers are relatively an honest bunch when it comes to their championship courses — at least as a collective. And you can get a sense that, as of right now, there is some optimism that the course can be managed, but more skepticism that Oakmont may win a lot of the battles over the next four days.
“It's a great test of golf. I'm looking forward to it,” said DeChambeau. “I’m sure everybody else is. I think the person that wins this week is going to hit a lot of fairways and make a lot of putts.”
And for Scheffler, who may be playing with the most confidence of any person on earth while swinging a club, even he understands how Oakmont can turn really good to painfully bad in the blink of an eye.
“This is probably the hardest golf course that we'll play, maybe ever,” he said. “And that's pretty much all it is. It's just a different type of test.”
For any media inquiries, please contact WPGA Director of Communications Josh Rowntree.
About the WPGA
Founded in 1899, the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association is the steward of amateur golf in the region. Started by five Member Clubs, the association now has nearly 200 Member Clubs and nearly 37,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund and Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.