Players to Watch at the 125th U.S. Open
The 125th U.S. Open is set to take place at Oakmont Country Club from June 12-15, and several top players are expected to compete for the championship title. Here are some of the players to watch:
Scottie Scheffler
Age: 29
Country: United States
World ranking: 1
Worldwide wins: 19
Majors: Masters (2022, 2024), PGA Championship (2025)
U.S. Open appearances: 7
Best finish: Runner-up in 2022 at The Country Club
Backspin: The dominant player in golf the last three years, Scheffler has won three of his last four tournaments by a combined 17 shots. A victory would send him to the British Open with a shot at the career Grand Slam.
Related: 10 things to know about Scottie Scheffler, Highland Park grad and world’s No. 1 golfer
Xander Schauffele
Age: 31
Country: United States
World ranking: 3
Worldwide wins: 12
Majors: PGA Championship (2024), British Open (2024)
U.S. Open appearances: 8
Best finish: Tie for third in 2019 at Pebble Beach
Backspin: Schauffele has played the U.S. Open more consistently better than the other three majors. The only time he has finished out of the top 10 was a tie for 14th in 2022. He is starting to find his form after missing two months with a rib injury.
Jon Rahm
Age: 30
Country: Spain
World ranking: 76
Worldwide wins: 22
Majors: Masters (2023), U.S. Open (2021)
U.S. Open appearances: 8
Best finish: Won at Torrey Pines in 2021
Backspin: Rahm pushed Scheffler down the stretch at the PGA Championship, his first time seriously contending in a major since joining LIV Golf. He has yet to win on LIV Golf this year. Rahm was low amateur at Oakmont in the 2016 U.S. Open.
Rory McIlroy
Age: 36
Country: Northern Ireland
World ranking: 2
Worldwide wins: 40
Majors: Masters (2025), PGA Championship (2012, 2014), U.S. Open (2011), British Open (2014)
U.S. Open appearances: 16
Best finish: Won at Congressional in 2011
Backspin: McIlroy achieved a lifetime dream by winning the Masters in April to complete the career Grand Slam. He was never a factor in the PGA Championship and gained more attention for declining to speak to the media after all four rounds. Driving is key. He missed the cut at Oakmont in 2016.
Bryson DeChambeau
Age: 31
Country: United States
World ranking: 10
Worldwide wins: 13
Majors: U.S. Open (2020, 2024)
U.S. Open appearances: 10
Best finish: Won at Winged Foot in 2020 and Pinehurst No. 2 in 2024
Backspin: DeChambeau has become golf’s best entertainer and LIV’s biggest threat in the majors. He has finished in the top 5 in four of his last five majors. He tied for 15th at Oakmont in 2016 in his first U.S. Open as a pro.
Related: Bryson DeChambeau’s U.S. Open sand save an all-time memory at golf’s most punishing major
Justin Thomas
Age: 32
Country: United States
World ranking: 5
Worldwide wins: 16
Majors: PGA Championship (2017, 2022)
U.S. Open appearances: 10
Best finish: Tie for eighth in 2020 at Winged Foot
Backspin: He won the RBC Heritage to end three years without a victory but already was showing he was back to his old form. Thomas has not finished in the top 10 in his last four majors.
Brooks Koepka
Age: 35
Country: United States
World ranking: 404
Worldwide wins: 17
Majors: U.S. Open (2017, 2018), PGA Championship (2018, 2019, 2023)
U.S. Open appearances: 11
Best finish: Won at Erin Hills in 2017 and at Shinnecock Hills in 2018
Backspin: Each major brings more attention on Koepka, who has not finished one in the top 10 since he won the PGA Championship in 2023. He has missed the cut in both majors this year.
Sepp Straka
Age: 32
Country: Austria
World ranking: 7
Worldwide wins: 4
Majors: None
U.S. Open appearances: 4
Best finish: Tie for 28th at Pebble Beach in 2019
Backspin: He quietly has become one of the biggest threats in golf with his ball striking. Straka joins Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy as the only multiple winners on the PGA Tour. The majors are the next frontier. He has missed the cut in both of them this year.
Dustin Johnson
Age: 40
Country: United States
World ranking: 854
Worldwide wins: 29
Majors: Masters (2020), U.S. Open (2016)
U.S. Open appearances: 17
