Good Morning,
Welcome to the US Open at Oakmont—the gauntlet built by industrialist-turned-golf-maniac H.C. Fownes.
At age 39, H.C. got misdiagnosed with a terminal illness. Given a few years to live, what did he do? Sold his company to Andrew Carnegie and learned to play the infuriating, addicting game of golf.
Fownes didn’t just learn it, he got damn good at it. He was U.S. Open qualifier good in 1901.
But existing courses? Too easy for a "dying" man. So in 1903, H.C. bought 200 acres and built his own nightmare.
His philosophy:
"A shot poorly played should be a shot irrevocably lost."
Translation: "If I'm going down, I'm taking every player with me."
Oakmont wasn't born from love of the game—it was built from pure spite.
Have a great week!
-tad
Historic Oakmont
Oakmont Country Club isn't just a golf course; it's a legendary proving ground.
The monument in American golf history outside of Pittsburgh is set to host the U.S. Open for a record 10th time, a testament to its enduring challenge and unwavering significance.
What makes Oakmont so brutal? Every inch is designed to punish.
The fairways are razor-thin. Miss them, and you're dead.
The rough is ankle-deep Gehenna grass that swallows balls whole. Your only option? Hack it out and pray.
The bunkers include the infamous "Church Pews"—so sadistic they were once illegal. Many are deep enough that reaching the green becomes impossible.
The greens are lightning-fast with slopes that make level putts a myth. One wrong read and your ball's rolling off the green.
The length punishes anyone without tour-level distance, especially when combined with that rough.
But the real killer? The mental game. Oakmont doesn't just test your swing—it tests your sanity. One lazy shot and you'll "look stupid pretty fast.”
Weather doesn't help either. Rain makes the rough heavier. Dry conditions turn the greens into concrete slabs
The result? Winning scores hover around par, exactly how H.C. wanted it—a true test where every shot matters and mercy doesn't exist.
Those Brave Enough to Face Oakmont's Wrath
How many of the 156 players in the field truly believe they can tame H.C. Fownes' house of horrors?
Favorites
Scottie Scheffler (+280): World No. 1 and betting favorite. Won the PGA Championship by 5 shots for his third major, and has now won 3 times in his last 4 starts. At 28, he already has 15 PGA Tour wins and 3 majors—numbers that put him in Tiger/Nicklaus territory. Shot 1-under as a 19-year-old amateur here in 2016. If anyone can outsmart Oakmont, it's the guy with ice in his veins and extra rice in his Chipotle burrito bowl.
Bryson DeChambeau (+700): The defending champion who won at Pinehurst while missing fairways left and right. Five top-6 finishes in his last 6 major starts, including T2 at the PGA Championship and T5 at the Masters. His ridiculous length means he can hit wedges from the rough while others are hacking out 7-irons.
Rory McIlroy (+1200): Fresh off completing his career Grand Slam at the Masters, but has struggled since with missed cuts. Six consecutive top-10s in U.S. Opens, including runner-up in both 2023 and 2024. Also missed the cut at Oakmont in 2016, so this is personal. Earlier this week he said, “The U.S. Open went from probably my least favorite major to probably my favorite because of what it asks from you. And I love that challenge." Careful what you wish for…
Jon Rahm (+1200): Won the 2021 U.S. Open and was low amateur at Oakmont in 2016. Has 14 top-10 finishes in 29 major starts (48% rate) and finished T8 at the PGA Championship. He knows this place, but knowing Oakmont and conquering it are very different things.
Xander Schauffele (+2200): Never finished worse than 15th in eight U.S. Opens (six top-7s). Won two majors in 2024 but has been slowed by a rib injury this year. The only golfer who finished in the top 10 in each of the past five majors. That's either incredible consistency or really bad luck in not closing one out yet.
Notables
Ludvig Åberg (+2200): Young gun with a game "tailor-made" for U.S. Opens. We'll see if Oakmont agrees. His approach to the game reminds me of The Dude’s character description when we meet him for the first time in the script: “…a relaxed demeanor that suggests a deep-seated love for the casual way of life.”
Collin Morikawa (+2500): Two-time major champion known for his accuracy off the tee (ranking 2nd on Tour) and world-class ball striking. He has two runner-up finishes this season and three total top-10s. His ability to hit fairways and quality iron play make him a strong contender this weekend.
Shane Lowry (+5000): Runner-up here in 2016, so he knows exactly how much this place can hurt. Except for a missed cut at the PGA Championship, Lowry has been playing consistently well. His last individual victory on the PGA Tour was the 2019 Open Championship.
Qualifiers / Dreamers
15 amateurs in total, including the 2024 U.S. Amateur champ José Luis Ballester are teeing it up. Ballester turned pro last week and joined LIV Golf.
Matt Vogt: A dentist from Pittsburgh who used to caddie at Oakmont. Now he's playing in the U.S. Open there. If that's not a Hollywood script, what is?
Mason Howell: A 17-year-old high schooler who qualified. Kid's about to learn what real pressure feels like.
The MIA List
Tiger, Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Billy Horschel, and Alex Noren are among those not playing in the 2025 US Open.
2025 US Open Picks
Top 20:
Corey Conners (+135): Top 10 in strokes gained off the tee and driving accuracy. Top 25 in GIR %, Proximity %, and Approaches > 200 yards. He hasn’t been top 20 the last two tournaments, but finished T-19 and T8 at the PGA Championship and Masters, respectively.
Top 10:
Sepp Straka (+290): 2nd only to Scottie in total strokes gained and scoring average, 1st in GIR %, 1st in birdie average, 11th in driving accuracy…Just look at this man’s stats, he’s playing unreal golf and I expect that to continue this week.
Coverage
NBC has 47 hours of live coverage starting Thursday at 6:30 a.m. EDT.
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Marquee Groups to Watch
Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson (1:14 PM Thur, 7:29 a.m. Fri)
Two former U.S. Open champs trying to add another.
Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa (1:25 p.m. Thurs, 7:40 a.m. Fri)
World No. 1 paired with two ball-striking machines. This group might actually make Oakmont look playable.
Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry (7:40 a.m. Thurs, 1:25 p.m. Fri)
Rory will look to avenge that missed cut in 2016. Shane was runner-up here that year, so he knows exactly what could've been. Justin Rose just joined Ben Hogan as the only other player in history to lose multiple Masters in a playoff.
Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, José Luis Ballester (7:29 a.m. Thurs, 1:14 p.m. Friday)
Bryson's trying to repeat while Xander's still hunting for his first U.S. Open. Ballester makes his professional debut.