U.S. Open 2025: Ranking Favorites, Contenders, and Hopefuls

OAKMONT, Pa. – As the 125th U.S. Open arrives at Oakmont Country Club, one of the most formidable courses in men`s professional golf, many are asking if it can become even more challenging this week.

Recent scouting reports from tour professionals regarding the renovated layout near Pittsburgh have included descriptions like `carnage,` `cooked beyond belief,` and `the hardest course in the world.`

Prepare yourself for the excitement as players tackle ankle-deep rough, tighter fairways, the notorious Church Pews bunker, and incredibly quick, firm greens that may leave some feeling like they are putting downhill on an ice rink.

Xander Schauffele shared, “I`ve heard from several players, it`s the hardest course they`ve ever played… Not much detail on why. Just it`s long and the rough is impossible, and you can end up hitting 50-yard pitches trying to get up and down for par on every hole, something of that nature.”

Oakmont is hosting the U.S. Open for the 10th time, and the United States Golf Association consistently chooses it to provide the most rigorous challenge of the season.

Justin Thomas, who recently played a practice round at Oakmont, confirmed, “I would say all of the rumors and everything are pretty on point.”

Here is an overview of the field, categorized by their potential:

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Tier I: The clear favorite

Scottie Scheffler

Forget about any notion of a slow start for world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. He arrives at Oakmont Country Club in scorching form, having won three of his last four tournaments by a combined 17 strokes, including his 16th career PGA Tour title at the Memorial Tournament. He has become a dominant closer, successfully converting his last seven 54-hole leads.

Scheffler has positive memories of Oakmont from the 2016 U.S. Open, where he shot a 1-under 69 in his first major round as a 19-year-old University of Texas sophomore. However, he missed the cut by one stroke after an 8-over 78 in the second round. If his accuracy off the tee holds up, he will be exceptionally difficult to overcome.

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Tier II: The guys who can win

This tier includes the genuine contenders for the U.S. Open title. They possess the necessary game, mental strength, and composure to handle four intense rounds on a course that is traditionally the most demanding of the majors.

Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau secured his second U.S. Open title at Pinehurst, despite only hitting 57% of fairways over four rounds. His victory stemmed from outdriving the field (310.9-yard average), effective iron play, and brilliant putting. Oakmont will require greater accuracy off the tee. While he wasn`t satisfied with his iron play at the Masters and PGA Championship, he has finished tied for sixth or better in five of the last six majors.

Rory McIlroy

Rory will aim to put his struggles from last year`s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 behind him. He squandered a two-stroke lead with five holes remaining and missed short putts on the 16th and 18th holes, losing to DeChambeau by one shot. McIlroy missed the cut in his only previous start at Oakmont nine years ago. His tee shots currently seem inconsistent; he missed the cut at last week`s RBC Canadian Open after hitting only 13 of 28 fairways. Reports indicate McIlroy was testing different drivers over the weekend.

Collin Morikawa

The two-time major champion has been a runner-up twice this season. Morikawa`s last tour win was over 19 months ago, in October 2023, at the Zozo Championship in Japan. This winless stretch is due to end. His game is built on exceptional driving accuracy (72.9%) and being a world-class ball striker (67.6% greens in regulation), attributes highly beneficial at Oakmont.

Jon Rahm

The LIV Golf star contended against Scheffler in the final round of the PGA Championship before fading late. Rahm, who won the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, has a strong record in the tournament, finishing T12 or better in four of his last five starts. However, his driving was significantly inaccurate at Quail Hollow, which would be disastrous at Oakmont this week.

Russell Henley

Henley claimed his fifth PGA Tour victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and followed it with a tie for eighth at the RBC Heritage and a tie for fifth at the Memorial. He finished T7 at 1-under in the 2024 U.S. Open. Henley ranks 16th on tour in strokes gained: approach (.538) and 11th around the green (.393). His T12 ranking in driving accuracy (67.7%) will also be advantageous at Oakmont.

Sepp Straka

Straka is one of the tour`s most underrated players, having already won twice this season. He has also accumulated five top-10s and 11 top-25s in 13 starts, effectively securing his spot on the European Ryder Cup team. He will look for a better performance this week after missing cuts at the Masters and PGA Championship. Straka is known for hitting fairways (68.5%), leads the tour in greens in regulation (71.4%), and is 17th in strokes gained: putting (.427).

Xander Schauffele

Schauffele`s putting appears to be improving, which had been a minor weakness since his return from a rib injury. He has the opportunity to secure the third leg of a career Grand Slam after winning the PGA Championship and Open Championship last year. Remarkably, he has finished in the top 10 in seven of his eight U.S. Open starts, including a tie for seventh last year.

Ludvig Åberg

Inconsistency is arguably the only factor keeping Åberg from the very top of the sport`s elite. The 25-year-old Swedish golfer won the Genesis Invitational and finished solo seventh at the Masters. Despite surprisingly lower rankings in strokes gained stats (77th total, 109th approach, 129th putting), his overall game seems ideally suited for winning a U.S. Open.

Hideki Matsuyama

The 2019 Masters champion missed the cut at the PGA Championship, ending his streak of 19 consecutive made cuts in majors. He has two top-10 finishes in the last three U.S. Opens, though his driving accuracy (55.3%) could pose a concern at Oakmont.

Justin Thomas

JT`s hot start to the season, which included a playoff victory at the RBC Heritage and three runner-up finishes, has cooled slightly. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship and finished T31 at the Memorial, hampered by an opening-round 80, although his play improved significantly over the weekend.

Shane Lowry

Apart from a missed cut at the PGA Championship, the Irishman has played consistently as he prepares for his return to Royal Portrush, site of his 2019 Open Championship victory. He was runner-up at the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, finishing three strokes behind Dustin Johnson after holding a four-shot lead entering the final round.

Harris English

The 35-year-old won for the fifth time on tour at the Farmers Insurance Open in late January and then tied for second at the PGA Championship, his best career finish in a major. If he sharpens his iron play and touch around the greens, his putting is strong enough to put him in contention again.

Patrick Cantlay

It has been over 2.5 years since Cantlay last won, but he was in contention on the back nine at Pinehurst, where he tied for third at 4 under. He ranks in the top 10 in strokes gained: total (1.124) and approach (.628).

Justin Rose

The 2013 U.S. Open champion finished runner-up at the 2024 Open Championship and lost in a playoff to McIlroy at the Masters in April, showing he can still compete at the highest level. However, he has missed the cut in four of his last five U.S. Open starts.

Tommy Fleetwood

Fleetwood has consistently delivered top-25 finishes this season, doing so in all but two of his 12 starts. He finished T4 at the Charles Schwab Challenge and T16 at the Memorial. He is still seeking his first elusive PGA Tour victory.

Viktor Hovland

Hovland`s ongoing relationship with his swing often features drama, but he seems to be in a better place recently. He remains an exceptional iron player and hits enough fairways, but the key will be whether his short game and putting can handle Oakmont`s infamous greens.

Aaron Rai

If hitting fairways is crucial for success at Oakmont, Aaron Rai sets the standard, leading the tour in driving accuracy at 73.4%. He will need to improve his putting, however, to truly contend.

Tyrrell Hatton

USGA course setups historically haven`t seemed to favor Hatton, with his only top-10 finish being a T6 in 2018. Despite this trend, he has been playing at a world-class level for some time.

Corey Conners

The Canadian golfer consistently hits fairways (68.8%) and greens (70%) and has improved his putting this season. He finished tied for ninth at Pinehurst last season.

Ben Griffin

It`s remarkable that just four years ago, the former North Carolina star was working as a mortgage loan officer and nearly left professional golf. This season, Griffin and Andrew Novak won the team event in New Orleans, and Griffin secured his first individual title at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He was runner-up at last week`s Memorial Tournament and is in excellent form heading into his first U.S. Open start.

Joaquín Niemann

A four-time winner on the LIV Golf League this year, Niemann finally achieved a top-10 finish in a major with a tie for eighth at the PGA Championship. This performance might be the breakthrough he needed to make noise in the major championships.

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Tier III: If everything goes right

These are the potential dark horse candidates who could unexpectedly lift the U.S. Open trophy. This list includes former major champions, rising talents, and players whose games have been improving. Success depends on everything aligning for them at Oakmont.

Tony Finau

Finau seems to be emerging from a quiet period with recent top-20 finishes. He finished T3 last year after an excellent 3-under 67 on Sunday.

Brian Harman

Harman won the 2023 Open Championship under difficult conditions and has consistently made the cut in his last five U.S. Open appearances, finishing T21 at Pinehurst. He won the Valero Texas Open in April and tied for third at the RBC Heritage.

Cameron Smith

Smith`s exceptional putting prowess would seem to make him a strong fit for Oakmont. However, missed cuts in his last three majors lead some to question if his LIV Golf schedule provides sufficient competitive preparation to contend in majors.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick`s tie for eighth at the PGA Championship was a positive sign that his form might be returning. He won the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Jordan Spieth

Since becoming the youngest player since Bobby Jones in 1923 to win the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in 2015, Spieth has only one top-20 finish in nine starts (T19 four years ago).

Brooks Koepka

The two-time U.S. Open winner, known for his strong belief in his major performances, has not recorded a top-10 finish in a major since winning his third PGA Championship title in 2023. He missed the cut in the first two majors this year.

Min Woo Lee

`Dr. Chipinski` has a solid record in the U.S. Open with three consecutive strong finishes, including a tie for fifth two years ago. However, his form has not been ideal since the Masters.

Sam Burns

After struggling leading into the Masters, Burns`s game has improved over the past couple of months. He had a significant breakthrough in majors with a T9 finish in the 2024 U.S. Open and currently leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting, which will be crucial on Oakmont`s challenging greens.

Ryan Fox

The golfer from New Zealand earned his spot by defeating Burns in a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open. This was Fox`s second victory in his last four starts, following his win at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.

Andrew Novak

Novak has been one of the notable surprises on tour this season, winning the Zurich Classic team event with Griffin and losing a playoff to Thomas at the RBC Heritage. This will be his second U.S. Open start.

Patrick Reed

Reed frequently features on leaderboards at Augusta National but has not found similar success in the other three majors. His only U.S. Open top-10 finish was solo fourth in 2018.

Robert MacIntyre

The Scottish golfer won two national championships last year (Canadian Open and Scottish Open). He would like to add a U.S. Open and described Oakmont as “absolute carnage on a simulator, never mind the actual event.”

Daniel Berger

Berger has a couple of top-10 finishes in his U.S. Open career and was playing well before consecutive missed cuts.

Davis Riley

Riley had a breakthrough at the PGA Championship, tying for second at 6 under, his best career finish in a major.

Tom Kim

Kim has a consistent U.S. Open record with three straight finishes of T26 or better, including a tie for eighth in 2023. However, he has struggled with form over the past two months.

Maverick McNealy

This marks McNealy`s first U.S. Open appearance since he qualified as an 18-year-old amateur at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014.

Akshay Bhatia

After a dip in form during April and early May, Bhatia has played better recently. He finished T16 in the 2024 U.S. Open and possesses the variety of shots needed to contend, particularly his strong putting.

Thomas Detry

Detry is not particularly accurate off the tee (56.6%) and has had struggles with his irons, but he is an exceptional putter and tied for 14th at Pinehurst No. 2 last year.

Si Woo Kim

Si Woo Kim recently achieved a historic feat with the longest ace in major championship history on the 252-yard sixth hole at the PGA Championship. What other remarkable shots does he have in store?

Keegan Bradley

The U.S. Ryder Cup team captain has missed the cut in four of his last six U.S. Open starts. His best finish in that stretch was T7 in 2022.

Jason Day

Day finished tied for eighth at 2 over the last time the U.S. Open was held at Oakmont. He has not competed on tour since missing the cut at the PGA Championship due to a left wrist injury.

J.T. Poston

Poston tied for fifth at the PGA Championship, his best major finish, and his form was trending positively before a missed cut.

Denny McCarthy

McCarthy has recorded three consecutive solid U.S. Open finishes, tying for seventh in 2022, and his strong putting provides an opportunity to make some noise.

Michael Kim

Kim has cooled off after a strong spring run that included five straight top-15 finishes. This is only his third U.S. Open start; he was the low amateur and finished T17 in 2013.

Davis Thompson

Thompson`s T9 finish at Pinehurst No. 2 last year was his best major result. The immensely talented 26-year-old is still working on consistency in his game.

Dustin Johnson

DJ won the last U.S. Open held at Oakmont, navigating a scoring controversy in the final round. However, he has not been a significant factor in majors over the past two seasons.

Wyndham Clark

Clark`s form has been declining for several weeks. His driving inaccuracy (56.5%) and struggles with iron play (63.8%) are likely not conducive to success at Oakmont.

Sungjae Im

Im is accurate off the tee (68.7%), keeping the ball in play, although he has missed the cut in each of his last three appearances in this tournament.

J.J. Spaun

Spaun has been a runner-up twice on tour this season, including losing to McIlroy in a playoff. He missed the cut in his only previous U.S. Open start in 2021.

Jacob Bridgeman

The former Clemson star could be a dark horse pick to contend this week. He is one of the best putters on tour, has four top-10 finishes this season, and played well at Oakmont in the 2021 U.S. Amateur.

Rasmus Højgaard

Højgaard is a five-time winner on the DP World Tour. He missed the cut in his only previous U.S. Open start in 2020.

Joe Highsmith

Highsmith has been a standout performer this season, winning the Cognizant Classic and tying for eighth at the PGA Championship.

Ryan Gerard

Gerard will look to build on his surprising tie for eighth at the PGA Championship.

Lucas Glover

Glover`s putting has recently gone cold again, impacting his chances of contending this season. He played in two previous U.S. Opens at Oakmont (2007 and 2016), missing the cut in both.

Matthieu Pavon

Pavon became the first French golfer to win on the PGA Tour in January 2024 at the Farmers Insurance Open held at Torrey Pines, a U.S. Open venue. He finished solo fifth at Pinehurst No. 2 last year.

Nick Taylor

The Canadian golfer is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, but he is still seeking success in major championships.

Taylor Pendrith

Another Canadian golfer, Pendrith has finished in the top 20 in two of his last three majors, tying for 16th at the 2024 U.S. Open and fifth at last month`s PGA Championship.

Adam Scott

The 2013 Masters champion`s best golfing days are likely behind him. He has only one top-10 finish in a major since tying for seventh at the 2019 U.S. Open.

Cameron Young

Young, formerly ranked 13th in the world, had to go through final qualifying to make the field. His recent form has improved.

Bud Cauley

After missing over three seasons due to injuries sustained in a 2018 car accident, Cauley returns to the U.S. Open field for the first time in eight years.

Stephan Jager

Jäger, from Germany, tied for 21st in the 2024 U.S. Open. He started strong at the PGA Championship before fading over the weekend.

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Tier IV: Hey, miracles happen

This tier consists of the long-shot candidates. It includes a few older former major champions and experienced PGA Tour players.

• Gary Woodland
• Brian Campbell
• Cam Davis
• Laurie Canter
• Mackenzie Hughes
• Jhonattan Vegas
• Nico Echavarria
• Max Greyserman
• Sam Stevens
• Emiliano Grillo
• Matt Wallace
• Marc Leishman
• Chris Kirk
• Tom Hoge
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout
• Byeong Hun An
• Thriston Lawrence
• Mark Hubbard
• Lanto Griffin
• Justin Lower
• Richard Bland
• Eric Cole
• Doug Ghim
• Carlos Ortiz

Did Jhonattan Vegas capture lightning in a bottle at the PGA Championship where he shared the lead and finished T5? He has never finished in the top 40 in the U.S. Open. Other notable players here include 2019 U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland, six-time tour winner Chris Kirk, and Marc Leishman, who has won 14 times worldwide. These experienced players are capable of stringing together four strong rounds if their form is sharp this week.

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Tier V: Happy to make the cut

These players are generally not expected to be among the leading contenders, although unpredictable outcomes are always possible.

• Phil Mickelson​​
• Nick Dunlap
• Matt McCarty
• Erik van Rooyen
• Thorbjørn Olesen
• Victor Perez
• Niklas Nørgaard
• Zac Blair
• Chris Gotterup
• Will Chandler
• Trevor Cone
• James Hahn
• Adam Schenk

Phil Mickelson, a six-time major champion, recently acknowledged that this might be his final chance to complete the career Grand Slam, as his five-year exemption from winning the 2021 PGA Championship expires. Mickelson, 54, holds the record with six runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open (most recently in 2013). However, he has missed the cut in four of his last five starts in the event and hasn`t finished inside the top 40 since 2014.

Nick Dunlap had a strong start last season, winning twice on tour (once as an amateur, once as a professional), but has struggled significantly since turning pro. He has missed the cut in six of his last nine starts and hasn`t made the weekend in any of his five major appearances over the past two seasons.

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Tier VI: The qualifiers

This tier includes the remaining players among the 65 qualifiers who are not PGA Tour regulars listed in higher tiers. They earned their spots through local and final qualifying sites. The last qualifier to win the U.S. Open was Lucas Glover in 2009.

• Yuta Sugiura
• James Nicholas
• Roberto Díaz
• Ben James
• Zach Bauchou
• Scott Vincent
• Jordan Smith
• Joakim Lagergren
• Jinichiro Kozuma
• Guido Migliozzi
• Frédéric Lacroix
• Sam Bairstow
• Edoardo Molinari
• Jacques Kruyswijk
• Andrea Pavan
• Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
• Alistair Docherty
• Johnny Keefer
• Alvaro Ortiz
• Emilio Gonzalez
• Trent Phillips
• George Kneiser
• Chandler Blanchet
• Justin Hicks
• Philip Barbaree Jr.
• Jackson Buchanan
• Ryan McCormick
• Bryan Lee
• Harrison Ott
• Grant Haefner
• George Duangmanee
• Kevin Velo
• Brady Calkins
• Joey Herrera
• Austen Truslow
• Chase Johnson
• Matthew Jordan
• Takumi Kanaya
• Riki Kawamoto
• Riley Lewis
• Maxwell Moldovan

Among the qualifiers are compelling individual stories. James Nicholas, from New York, played both football and golf at Yale and was the 2019 Ivy League Player of the Year; his grandfather was the orthopedic surgeon who operated on Joe Namath`s knee. Justin Hicks, 50, now a golf instructor, once shared the first-round lead at the 2008 U.S. Open. Grant Haefner had a dramatic qualifying finish, sinking a 60-foot putt on the 36th hole to earn medalist honors at his site.

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Tier VII: The amateurs

This tier features the amateur players who will aim to follow the path of past stars like Cantlay, Mickelson, Rahm, and Spieth by winning the low amateur medal at the U.S. Open before potentially turning professional.

• Jose Luis Ballester
• Noah Kent
• Evan Beck
• Trevor Gutschewski
• Michael La Sasso
• Justin Hastings
• Lance Simpson
• Cameron Tankersley
• Frankie Harris
• Mason Howell
• Tyler Weaver
• Jackson Koivun
• Matt Vogt
• Preston Summerhays
• Zachery Pollo

A significant 15 amateurs are in the field, nine of whom advanced through final qualifying, bringing many captivating stories. Matt Vogt, 34, a Pittsburgh native and former Oakmont caddie who is now a dentist, qualified as a medalist and wore a ribbon in tribute to his recently deceased father. Mason Howell, 17, a rising high school senior, impressively went 18 under with no bogeys in qualifying and is committed to the University of Georgia. Michael La Sasso, an Ole Miss junior, qualified by winning the NCAA Division I individual national championship, setting a program scoring average record. His teammate, Cameron Tankersley, also qualified. Trevor Gutschewski, a recent high school graduate heading to the University of Florida, qualified by winning the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur, following in the footsteps of his professional golfer father and college golfer brother.