The third major championship on the 2025 golf calendar has arrived, as it's time for the 125th playing of the U.S. Open.
Pennsylvania's famed Oakmont Country Club is set to host for a 10th time, the most of any course, having most recently hosted America's national championship in 2016, when Dustin Johnson won the first of his two major championship titles. Prior to that, Oakmont hosted the 2007 U.S. Open, won by Angel Cabrera.
The Henry C. Fownes design will test every facet of a player's game this week with copious bunkers scattered across the property, treacherous green complexes, and deep rough that is ready to punish any wayward shots.
The par-70, 7,372-yard layout, which underwent a complete renovation a couple of years back, prides itself on being one of the most difficult tests in golf, and history has shown that to be the case.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler comes into this year's championship as the man to beat, notching three wins and a T4 in his last four starts.
Also among the favorites are defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, Masters winner Rory McIlroy, and 2021 U.S. Open winner Jon Rahm. The 156-man field that will tackle the challenge at Oakmont is undoubtedly one of the strongest we'll see this season.
Who will join Dustin Johnson, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and others on an illustrious list of past champions at Oakmont come week's end? Let's take a look at a few who could write their own history at the 125th U.S. Open.
2025 U.S. Open picks and predictions
Top 20 pick for the U.S. Open: Cameron Young (+350)
Cameron Young might still be searching for his first win on the PGA Tour, but he has had some impressive results in the majors throughout his career to date, including a runner-up finish at the 2022 Open Championship and a tie for third at the 2022 PGA Championship.
Since 2022, Young has achieved five top-10 major finishes and enters the 125th U.S. Open in terrific form, having secured two top 10s in his last four starts, including a tie for fourth at last week's RBC Canadian Open.
The 28-year-old possesses a skill set that should work well at Oakmont with his elite distance off the tee and exceptional putting, ranking inside the top 25 in both metrics on the PGA Tour this season.
Top 10 pick for the U.S. Open: Harris English (+500)
Sneakily, Harris English has an excellent record in this event in recent years, finishing inside the top 10 in three of his last five years, including a fourth-place finish at the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, a venue that shares some similarities with Oakmont.
English finished T11 at last month's Truist Championship in Philadelphia, followed up with a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship, and enters the week coming off a T12 finish at the Memorial Tournament in his most recent start. English has gained strokes off the tee in eight of his last nine starts, and he ranks 27th in the field in putting over his last twenty rounds, per Data Golf.
Sleeper pick to win the U.S. Open: Joaquín Niemann (+3000)
Joaquín Niemann's track record in majors so far in his career has been well-documented, but the Chilean comes into the year's third major after having recorded his first top-10 finish in a major at last month's PGA Championship, tying for eighth at Quail Hollow.
He followed that performance with yet another LIV Golf win this past weekend in Virginia, his fourth of the season.
Niemann sits fifth in the Data Golf world rankings behind only Scheffler, DeChambeau, Rahm, and McIlroy, and while he has yet to seriously contend in a major, it would seem as though it's only a matter of time for the talented 26-year-old.
Pick to win the U.S. Open: Jon Rahm (+1200)
Two-time major champion Jon Rahm returns to Oakmont after finishing as the low amateur here in 2016, ultimately tying for 23rd. The 2021 U.S. Open winner has finished T14 or better in each of his last three major starts, including a T8 finish at last month's PGA Championship.
Rahm, who missed last year's U.S. Open with a foot injury, has finished in the top 10 in each of his eight starts on the Saudi circuit this season and ranks second in the field in strokes gained off the tee over his last 20 rounds.
Additionally, the Spaniard has a solid Track record at comparable venues to Oakmont, with past wins at Muirfield Village and Olympia Fields.
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