Golf’s greatest face Oakmont’s ultimate test at 125th U.S. Open

The likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau have arrived in Oakmont with ambitions of raising a trophy Sunday at the 125th U.S. Open being held at historic Oakmont Country Club.

They will be greeted, starting with practice rounds on Monday, by tens of thousands of fans and 7,372 yards of brutally difficult tees, fairways, rough, greens and bunkers that have been promised to bring the world’s best to their knees.

“It’s hard to win a U.S. Open,” said USGA president Fred Perpall. “Oakmont is really hard.”

Pledging to keep the course fast and firm, as long as the weather cooperates, the USGA spent the past several years preparing Oakmont Country Club to host its 10th U.S. Open.

Bolstered by a restoration orchestrated by architect Gil Hanse, Oakmont has sharpened its teeth ahead of this week’s championship.

Whether it’s the narrow fairways, deep and steep bunkers, lightning-fast greens or the 5-inch rough, there’s no shortage of challenges to navigate when stakes are at the highest for this major championship.

“I don’t know if the players are going to suffer. I don’t know if they’re going to be happy at Oakmont,” said USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer. “But if they play well, I know they’ll feel like they really accomplished something.”

Practice rounds are set for Monday through Wednesday, with the first and second rounds of play on Thursday and Friday, respectively. The field will be cut in half ahead of Saturday’s third round, which will set the stage for the final round Sunday.

It will take a complete effort for the winner to join an illustrious group of champions at Oakmont that includes Tommy Armour (1927), Sam Parks (1935), Ben Hogan (1953), Jack Nicklaus (1962), Johnny Miller (1973), Larry Nelson (1983), Ernie Els (1994), Angel Cabrera (2007) and Dustin Johnson (2016).

“You’ve got to play precise golf,” said Jeff Hall, USGA managing director of the U.S. Open. “That’s certainly what a U.S. Open, a USGA championship is all about.”

This is the 18th USGA championship at Oakmont, with future U.S. Open events set for 2034, 2042 and 2049 as part of the club’s anchor status. It also will host the U.S. Women’s Open in 2028 and 2038, the Walker Cup in 2033 and the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2046.

“We go to America’s greatest venues,” Bodenhamer said. “We consider them the cathedrals of the game.”

Many pros will be relegated to praying for relief amid the challenges of this cathedral, notably while dealing with landmarks such as the “Church Pews” bunker between the third and fourth holes, or on the eighth hole, which will play over 300 yards as the longest par 3 in U.S. Open history.

The struggle will all be worth it come Sunday for the pro who lifts the U.S. Open trophy over his head on the 18th green, adding his name to the championship legacy at one of the world’s renowned venues.

“It matters where the pros win their championships,” said John Lynch, president of Oakmont Country Club. “That’s one of the many reasons why Oakmont is on the rotation and is considered an anchor site.”