Five players to watch at U.S. Open

The U.S. Open tees off today at the historic Oakmont Country Club, a four-day event that will see the top 156 golfers in the world descend on Oakmont, Pa.

Here are some players and their storylines to watch throughout the tournament:

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER
Unstoppable force meets immovable object

Scheffler is operating on another level. From his composure to his perfect control of the golf ball, it’s hard to see anything getting in his way to secure another major championship this weekend.

That is, until he meets the beast: Oakmont. Known as one of the hardest courses in the world, Oakmont's thick rough, church pew bunkers, and fast sloping greens are no easy feat for even the best tour players. However, Scheffler isn’t your average tour player. He’s coming off a hot streak, winning three of his last four tournaments. In his last seven tournaments, he’s placed in the top single digits every time. Whenever you try to analyze player charts and data, his name always tops the leaderboards. 

He currently leads the PGA in Total Strokes Gained, SG: Tee-To-Green, SG: Off-The-Tee, and SG: Approach the Green. These will be the three key statistics to success at Oakmont, as Scheffler acknowledged this week.

“When you're in the fairway, there's opportunity," he said. "But what's so special about this place is pretty much every time you're off the fairway, it's going to be very difficult for you to get the ball to the green.”

Scheffler has already won a major championship this year, and if he were to win the U.S. Open, he’d be one win away from completing his Grand Slam in July - the same year that Rory McIlroy completed his. He has something to play for.

Scheffler has come close to winning the U.S. Open in the past, coming in second in 2022 and third in 2023. He didn't putt well in 2024, which caused him to plummet to 41st, an anomaly for him. He is hungry and feels like he deserves to win. As long as he and his caddie, Ted Scott, do their homework of the course, he’ll be in contention come Sunday.

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU
The defending champion

DeChambeau is arguably the most popular golfer at Oakmont ... not from playing on tour, but from his YouTube videos. Presenting new and interesting ways to train and challenge himself, and at the same time experimenting with unique equipment, Dechambeau has earned the nickname “The Scientist”. With a background in physics, DeChambeau is always trying to find creative ways to gain a slight edge over the competition. This time around, he will be showcasing his new LA Golf irons, which he has constantly been fine-tuning to get the right center of gravity and weight distribution.

“Yeah, I've got some new irons in the bag, which have been great," DeChambeau said. "I've optimized it a little bit more, so hopefully that helps with those overdraws in my irons. You never know. But they seem to have helped this week, and hopefully it aids for me this week. I've got such heavy grips and heavy golf shaft that it moves the CG of the club all the way to the heel so we try to offset that with that tungsten weight on the toe. That's very simply what it is.”

A post by CBS Sports' Rick Gehman demonstrates how much further DeChambeau hits the ball than the field due to all of the improvements he’s been making to his game: 

He’s already secured a win on the LIV tour this year, played 11 starts with nine T10s, and he finished T5 in both majors this season. DeChambeau has been playing in major tournaments far better than he ever has over the last year. He has also had the opportunity to play Oakmont earlier this year, where he shot even par. Because of the weather and conditions, I expect that he will play slightly better this time around, so long as he doesn’t blow up and get in his head after a bad hole or two. 

We’re also seeing a very similar pattern in DeChambeau’s tournament resume. Last year, he finished second at the PGA Championship and won the U.S. Open the next month. This year, he yet again finished second at the PGA Championship. Does this mean we will see a repeat of last year and see DeChambeau win a third U.S. Open Championship? 

Only time will tell. 

COLLIN MORIKAWA
Mr. Consistent

Morikawa remains one of the most consistent players at the U.S. Open, finishing T14, T14, 5, and T4 in his last four trips to U.S. Opens. Morikawa enters Oakmont with arguably the most complete iron game on the PGA Tour. He leads the tour in Hit Fairway Percentage, which is a key component to even having a chance this weekend. He is also consistently highly ranked in strokes gained metrics, usually around the top 10. 

Morikawa has had the most heartbreaking stretch of golf in the last ten months, with four runner-up finishes, totaling 11 runner-up finishes in his career. Given the lack of closing abilities, Morikawa is more motivated than ever to end this losing streak.

The main piece of the puzzle he is lacking statistically is his putting. If he can gain strokes with his putter, he will be a serious contender to lead the field. Still, with two Major championships under his belt, a hunger to win, great U.S. Open experience, and just the right amount of recent success, this could potentially be the perfect time for Morikawa to ignite a Championship performance.

SEPP STRAKA
The Sleeper 

Straka may not be the flashiest name in the field, but he’s proven time and time again that he can handle major championship pressure. He finished T2 at last year’s Open Championship and followed it up with a steady performance on tour, winning the Truist Championship in May. He doesn’t try to overpower golf courses — he dismantles them piece by piece.

This year, he’s found consistency off the tee and ranks inside the top 30 in driving accuracy. That’s going to be critical at Oakmont, where being just a couple of feet offline can land a ball in a terrible lie in the rough. His iron play has also seen a quiet surge, especially inside 125 yards, giving him an edge on scoring holes.

He may not have the same star power as others on this list, but Straka is built for this kind of week. He’s the type of player who flies under the radar until suddenly he’s 4-under through 12 on Saturday.

COREY CONNERS
The Canadian

Conners is without a doubt the best player to come out of the great white north. Statistically, Conners has very impressive metrics that line up well for Oakmont’s test. He ranks 11th in the PGA in Hit Fairway%, 13th in Greens In Regulation, is top 15 in Strokes Gained Off-The-Tee, and is third in Weighted Strokes Gained. 

Conners enters the U.S. Open riding one of the hottest stretches of his career. He fits the profile, but unlike others who have won a major before, Conners is still seeking his first — and Oakmont might be the perfect place. His putting, long the Achilles’ heel, has shown signs of life this season, moving him into neutral territory — exactly where he needs to be.

Conners doesn’t have to dominate with the flatstick. He just needs to hold steady and let his ball-striking do the work. If he can survive Friday’s chaos and hang around the lead, he’ll be a very real contender to become the first Canadian to win the U.S. Open.

PICKING A WINNER

According to the Lines at Lunch podcast, nine of the last 10 U.S. Open winners were in the top 25 in world golf rankings, in the top 25 at a past U.S. Open, and in the top 10 in recent major starts. That narrows down the field from 156 to just 10. Only three of the past 10 U.S. Winners had a previous Major Win in their career. Using these metrics, only four players emerge: Ludvig Aberg, Harris English, Corey Conners and Sungjae Im.

They have rightfully predicted the winners for the Masters and PGA Championship this year and have decided to opt for Harris English to win.

Still, I don’t see Scheffler losing momentum anytime soon, and that's why he's my prediction for the 2025 U.S. Open Champion. Yes, it’s a boring pick. Yes, he’s the favorite. But Scottie Scheffler is playing at a level that is completely dominant in all aspects of the sport. I predict that he will be somewhere in the single digits under par, one of the very few under par at all.