The U.S. Open, marking the third major championship of the current golf season, is just a week away.
Many leading golfers from both the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf League are focused on sharpening their skills before heading to Oakmont Country Club, located near Pittsburgh, for the prestigious event.
World number two Rory McIlroy is scheduled to return to competition on the PGA Tour at the RBC Canadian Open. Meanwhile, the defending U.S. Open champion, Bryson DeChambeau, will participate in the LIV Golf League tournament taking place in Gainesville, Virginia.
DeChambeau shared his perspective on pursuing notable accomplishments, stating, “We`re all trying to accomplish feats that haven`t been done in a long time, and going back-to-back would be great. Three in a row would be an even better accomplishment, so it is in the back of my head.”
Upcoming on the PGA Tour
RBC Canadian Open
Schedule: Thursday through Sunday
Location: TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course), Caledon, Ontario
Previous Winner: Robert MacIntyre
Total Prize Fund: $9.8 million
Rory`s Comeback
Following his absence from the Memorial Tournament last week, McIlroy is back in action north of the border. Having previously won the Canadian Open in 2019 and 2022, McIlroy is now aiming to join an elite group as only the fourth player to win this event three times (alongside Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, and Lee Trevino).
McIlroy expressed his satisfaction with the PGA Tour`s decision to move the Canadian Open schedule forward by a month.
He commented, “I honestly love the date change. I love that it`s the week leading into the U.S. Open. 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. Since playing the Canadian Open the week before, I`ve had six top-10s in a row, so there`s something to that.”
After achieving the career Grand Slam with his victory at the Masters, McIlroy admitted that “grinding on the range for three or four hours every day is maybe a little tougher than it used to be.”
“You have this event in your life that you`ve worked towards and it happens, sometimes it`s hard to find the motivation to get back on the horse and go again,” McIlroy reflected. “I think the last two weeks have been good for me just as a reset, just to sort of figure out where I`m at in my own head, what I want to do, where I want to play. Yeah, reset some goals.”
Scheffler Secures Ryder Cup Position
While the Ryder Cup is still over three months away, world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler has become the first player to guarantee a spot on the U.S. team. The team will compete against Europe at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York, from September 26-28.
The PGA of America announced on Wednesday that Scheffler has accumulated sufficient Ryder Cup points, amassing 25,918.25, which is more than double the points of any other player. Xander Schauffele holds the second position with 11,905.84 points.
U.S. team captain Keegan Bradley praised Scheffler in a statement: “Scottie continues to prove why he is the No. 1 player in the world, showcasing incredible consistency and dominance week to week. He is the ultimate team player and I have no doubt that he will be ready and motivated come September. I could not be more excited to have him as a member of the U.S. Team.”
The top six eligible golfers after the BMW Championship on August 17, 2025, will automatically qualify for the squad. Captain Bradley will then select an additional six players as captain`s picks.
This will mark Scheffler`s third appearance in the Ryder Cup. He had a record of 0-2-2 in the U.S. team`s 16½-11½ defeat at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club near Rome in 2023, and a record of 2-0-1 as a rookie during the dominant 19-9 victory in 2021 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
Scheffler expressed his honor: “Representing the United States at the Ryder Cup has been one of the greatest honors of my career, and I look forward to doing so for a third time this September. I will do whatever it takes to help our team reclaim the Cup and cannot wait to play in front of the passionate New York spectators at Bethpage Black.”
Clanton`s Professional Journey Begins
Three golfers participating in the RBC Canadian Open field are making their professional debuts: Luke Clanton, Gordon Sargent, and David Ford.
High expectations surround Clanton, a former standout player from Florida State. As an amateur last year, he was a two-time runner-up on the PGA Tour, tying for second place at both the John Deere Classic and RSM Classic. He was the first amateur since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 to achieve three or more top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in a single season.
This year, Clanton tied for 15th at the Farmers Insurance Open and for 18th at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches.
Speaking to reporters in Canada, Clanton remarked on the transition, “It`s been incredible. Like I said, it`s something you dream for always, constantly. To kind of now be here and to call myself a professional is a little bit — honestly, a little bit weird at first because I`ve always been an amateur.”
“It`s amazing. I`m just excited to come out here and compete. It`s not about the money. It`s not about any of the fame. It`s about competing with these guys on tour. It`s something I`ve chased for my whole, entire life, and especially my family,” he added.
Before turning professional this week, Clanton was ranked as the number one amateur globally. He also received the Ben Hogan Award, recognizing him as the top collegiate golfer, after securing four victories for FSU this spring.
Clanton is scheduled to play the first two rounds alongside McIlroy and Ludvig Åberg.
On Tuesday, Clanton expressed gratitude towards his parents, Rhonda and David. His mother recently retired after over four decades as a Delta flight attendant, and his father owned two businesses, contributing significantly to send his son to private school and support his golf career.
Clanton spoke highly of their efforts, saying, “What they did not just for me, but my two older sisters as well, to get us through everything, it was incredible. Again, my mom and dad are two hard-working people, and they`ll never, ever take credit for it, which kind of pisses me off sometimes because they did everything they could.”
Clanton is known for his long drives off the tee; his average distance of 312.4 yards would place him 14th on tour if he had played enough rounds to qualify. He also considers his “strong mentality” to be one of his best assets.
When asked if the LIV Golf League had attempted to recruit him, he gave a clear response: “I want to play the PGA Tour, pretty simple. I want to play against the best, I want to compete in majors, and that`s it. Simple.”
Gordon Sargent was the NCAA individual champion as a freshman at Vanderbilt in 2022 and the low amateur at the 2023 U.S. Open. He earned a PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program in October 2023 but postponed turning professional to finish his time at Vanderbilt.
David Ford, who claimed five victories for North Carolina during the past season, secured his PGA Tour card by finishing first in the PGA Tour University Rankings. This spring, he was awarded both the Jack Nicklaus Award and the Fred Haskins Award.
All three newcomers are guaranteed PGA Tour status through the 2026 season.
Upcoming in the LIV Golf League
LIV Golf Virginia
Schedule: Friday through Sunday
Location: Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Gainesville, Virginia
Previous Winner: Harold Varner III
Total Prize Fund: $25 million
Bryson`s Eventful Month
In addition to tying for second place at the PGA Championship and preparing for the U.S. Open as the defending champion, Bryson DeChambeau had a notably busy month. His activities included launching tee shots at various unique locations such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a mountain range, the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, and even the White House.
This aligns with the routine of professional golf`s prominent content creator, who boasts over 2 million followers on his YouTube channel.
Regarding how he manages his schedule, DeChambeau explained, “How do I find time to sleep? I actually sleep quite well. It`s a lot of planning. We prepare, strategize and execute accordingly with these game plans, and when things work based upon other people`s schedules.”
DeChambeau shared experiences like being a passenger for laps exceeding 180 mph at the famous Indiana oval and mentioned that he now incorporates salt from Utah into his meals.
DeChambeau was initially hesitant about hitting golf balls on the back lawn of the White House, but proceeded after being encouraged by President Donald Trump.
Recounting the experience, DeChambeau said, “I never thought I would ever in my life get an opportunity to do it, but the President himself was like, `Just go out there and hit some shots.` I was like, `Okay, yes, sir.` It was quite the experience. It was 105 yards and I hit a few good shots to a couple feet and almost made a few of them, too.”
The reigning U.S. Open champion emphasized that his primary focus remains success in golf tournaments.
“Do I want to win every single tournament I show up to? 100 percent,” DeChambeau stated. “I`m never not going to be the hardest competitor out there in my perspective. But it also allowed me to do other things which are meaningful, as well.”
“I think creating my YouTube channel was something that I`ve always wanted to do, seeing what MrBeast and Dude Perfect had done in the mid-2010s, and I said, `Why can`t I do that, as well? I think there`s an opportunity to be as influential as I am now, and this was just the beginning. I think there`s a lot more to come.”
Torque GC Captain Finds Momentum
Joaquín Niemann, captain of Torque GC, is hopeful that he is overcoming previous challenges after securing a tie for eighth place at the PGA Championship. This result marked his first top-10 finish in 24 starts across the major championships. His final score of 4-under 143 put him seven strokes behind winner Scheffler.
Niemann reflected on his performance, saying, “I didn`t feel like I played my best game. I felt like there was a lot more at the time to play better. I knew I could have a way better result. But I think we can take the positives and go step by step. It`s my first top-10 in a major, so that`s a positive.”
Winning events within the LIV Golf League has not been an issue for Niemann, who has claimed victory five times since February 2024, including three wins this season. His consistent success on the Saudi Arabian-funded circuit led Phil Mickelson to controversially label him the best golfer globally.
Mickelson explained his view, “I think because LIV is new, they don`t quite realize the field and the strength of the field, and the guys you`re playing against are these best same players repeatedly. Joaco is winning and he is playing every single week Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson and these guys. He`s playing against that same level of competition every single week, and it`s tough to really grasp that and how great that is when it`s new.”
Preparing for Oakmont
Phil Mickelson, Joaquín Niemann, and other LIV Golf competitors believe that the course setup this week at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, which has hosted four Presidents Cups and the 2024 Solheim Cup, offers suitable preparation for the U.S. Open next week.
Mickelson commented on the similarities, “We have greens that are rolling 14 to 15 on the stimpmeter, just like we will next week. We have contours, undulations just like we will next week. Short game, touch, chipping around the greens, rough, speed, lag drills and speed and touch on the greens, all of that`s critical here, same thing as next week. It couldn`t be a better spot to get ready.”
The last time the U.S. Open was held at Oakmont in 2016, Dustin Johnson won with a score of 4-under 276. Only four players finished the tournament under par.
Niemann anticipates a challenging week at Oakmont: “It`s going to be hard. I know it`s going to be a good challenge. Greens are going to be flying, so I feel like it`s not going to be a lot of 5-footers, 6-footers for birdie. I feel it`s going to be a lot of where you position your golf ball to have an uphill putt maybe, which is going to be easier.”
He added, “They want to win it over par, so at the end of the day it`s not who makes more birdies, I feel like it`s who makes less bogeys and less mistakes.”
