With the U.S. Open returning to Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh’s north suburbs next week, there are many players and story lines that casual sports fans should know about as they follow the action.
The U.S. Open is one of the four major golf tournaments, with the other three being the Masters, The PGA Championship, and The Open. In the U.S. Open’s 125-year history, it has been held at Oakmont Country Club nine times, with the last time being in 2016.
The tournament consists of 72 holes of golf across four days, starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday. At the beginning of the tournament there are 156 golfers; after the first 36 holes, the tournament is cut down to the 60 lowest scores.
To qualify for the U.S. Open, golfers must be ranked in the top 60 in the world or have won a major event. If they are not, they compete in qualifying events, with the final qualifier being 36 holes of golf in one day. It is known as golf’s longest day.
This tough qualifying standard can leave many notable golfers out of the competition. This year, golfers such as Max Homa, who placed 12th at The Masters this year, and Rickie Fowler, who placed seventh at the Memorial tournament, were left out.
A total of 10 amateur golfers managed to qualify this year. One of those amateurs is a high school golfer from Georgia, Mason Howell, who at 17 years old shot 18 under par through two rounds.
Some of the top competitors in this year’s competition are Scottie Scheffler, Bryson Dechambeau, and Rory McIlroy.
Scheffler has been on a tear for the past few years, but he has been even more as of late. In his last four tournaments, Scheffler has won three, with one of them being the PGA Championship. He also won the 2023 and 2024 Masters and is ranked first in the world golf rankings.
Dechambeau has performed very well in the U.S. Open over the years, having won in 2020 and in 2024. Last year Dechambeau barely beat McIlroy, winning the tournament on the last hole. Dechambeau is only ranked 10th in the world, but despite this he is definitely a fan favorite due to his presence on social media.
McIlroy is a veteran golfer who just completed the career grand slam after winning the 2025 Masters. He is ranked second in the world, but he is known to fall short in big moments. If he and Dechambeau face off in the final round again, like they did in the last U.S. Open and in The Masters, it will certainly be a great watch.
