Early arrivals ready for tough Oakmont challenge
A few players have already descended upon Oakmont in preparation for this week's U.S. Open. Todd Lewis catches up with Gary Woodland, Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth on what the course has to offer -- or, rather, take.
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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Scottie Scheffler Reveals Venmo Payments from Fans, Requests for Cash
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Scottie Scheffler is just outside of Pittsburgh, PA for the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. The 125th rendition of the event is expected to be brutal, with some players calling it the hardest course they have ever played. Much of the talk during Tuesday's press conferences was about the course itself. Rory McIlroy even admitted to shooting an 81 during his practice round, despite playing well. While every player answered questions pertaining to the rough and slope of the greens, Scheffler fielded a question that only could be asked of him. A reporter asked whether he can hear fans who have financial interest in his performance, seeing as he is considered a heavy favorite. Scheffler in typical fashion, was extremely candid in response. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 10: Scottie Scheffler of the United States speaks to the media during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 10, 2025 in Oakmont,... OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 10: Scottie Scheffler of the United States speaks to the media during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 10, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) More"I think everybody hears from fans whether they have a financial benefit or anything in their outcome," Scheffler said. "That's why I had to get rid of my Venmo because I was either getting paid by people or people requesting me a bunch of money when I didn't win. "It wasn't a good feeling." The World No. 1 is likely used to being the betting favorite these days. He has been the world's top-ranked golfer for 107 consecutive weeks, which include two of his three major championships. He broke through and won the 2022 Masters Tournament. But it was what he did last year that was stuff of legend. Scheffler won nine times worldwide, including another Masters title, the Arnold Palmer, the PLAYERS, RBC Heritage, and The Memorial, all of which are Signature Events on the PGA Tour. He capped it off with his first Tour Championship. Despite suffering a hand injury that cost him a month to start 2025, the Ridgewood, NJ native has picked up where he left off. Scheffler has won three times already this year, including his first PGA Championship. Going into the U.S. Open, the former Texas Longhorn is +275 to win the tournament. The next closest golfer is McIlroy at +850. So, he is at least three times more likely to win than anyone else. Of course, Scheffler remained level-headed though with the task at hand. "But no, I don't pay attention to the favorite stuff or anything like that. Starting Thursday morning we're at even par and it's up to me to go out there and play against the golf course and see what I can do." Throughout his young career, he has already amassed over $86 million in official prize money. Suffice it to say, people who have been betting on him have done better than those that bet against. More Golf: Xander Schauffele Showers DeChambeau with Praise, Omits McIlroy
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Rory McIlroy shot 81 during rough US Open practice round
Oakmont Country Club wasn't kind to Rory McIlroy during a recent practice round. The reigning Masters champion said Tuesday that he shot an 81 over 18 holes at the Pennsylvania course on June 2 ahead of the U.S. Open, which starts on Thursday. 'Last Monday felt impossible,' McIlroy said during a press conference Tuesday. 'I birdied the last two holes for 81. It felt pretty good. It didn't feel like I played that bad.' McIlroy added that he expects the conditions he'll face this weekend will be a bit less challenging than what he took on earlier this month. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks to the media during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 10, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Getty Images 'This morning it was a little softer,' he said. 'The pins aren't going to be on 3 or 4 percent slopes all the time. If you put it in the fairway, it's certainly playable. But then you just have to think about leaving your ball below the hole and just trying to make as many pars as you can. You get yourself in the way of a few birdies, that's a bonus.' McIlroy hasn't played like his usual self in recent weeks, finishing T-47 at the PGA Championship and missing the cut at the RBC Canadian Open last week. McIlroy's mini-slump comes after his driver was deemed non-conforming before the PGA Championship. He told reporters Tuesday that he hopes those troubles are behind him heading into the year's third major tournament. Rory McIlroy tees off on the tenth hole during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect 'Every driver sort of has its own character and you're trying to manage the misses,' McIlroy said. 'I feel like, as the last few weeks go, I think I learnt a lot on Thursday and Friday last week and did a good bit of practice at home and feel like I'm in a better place with everything going into this week.' After completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy admitted that it's been tough to stay motivated on the golf course. 'I worked incredibly hard on my game from October last year all the way up until April this year (and) it was nice to sort of see the fruits of my labor come to fruition and have everything happen,'' McIlroy said Tuesday. 'But at the same time, you have to enjoy that. You have to enjoy what you've just accomplished. I certainly feel like I'm still doing that and I will continue to do that. 'At some point, you have to realize that there's a little bit more golf left to play this season — here, Portrush [the British Open], Ryder Cup — so those are obviously the three big things that I'm sort of looking at for the rest of the year.'
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Two-time major champion Jon Rahm comes into the U.S. Open off another top 10 at LIV Golf, which is nothing new. The Spaniard has never come in lower in the 20 events he has finished since joining the Saudi-backed league at the start of last year. Is that a big deal? 'I would happily trade a bunch of them for more wins, that's for sure,' said Rahm, who has two LIV victories but has yet to win this year. 'But I keep putting myself in good position.' One of the criticism of LIV is the 54-man fields over 54 holes, especially with a half-dozen or more considered past their prime and several unproven young players. Rahm delivered some context on his streak. 'Listen, I'm a realist in this case,' he said. 'I've been playing really good golf, yes, but I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't easier to have top 10s with a smaller field. That's just the truth, right? Had I been playing full-field events, would I have top 10 every single week? No. But I've been playing good enough to say that I would most likely have been inside the top 30 every single time and maybe even top 25.' He considered that impressive, and he figures most of those would be top 10s. Rahm tied for eighth last week in Virginia without ever having a serious chance of winning over the final few holes. He said against a full field, he doubts that would have been a top 10. 'I think winning is equally as hard, but you can take advantage of a smaller field to finish higher,' he said. 'As much as I want to give it credit personally for having that many top 10s, I wouldn't always give it as the full amount just knowing that it's a smaller field.' DeChambeau and LIV Bryson DeChambeau says the contract he signed to join Saudi-funded LIV Golf is up next year and he's already looking ahead to a new one. 'We're looking to negotiate end of this year, and I'm very excited. They see the value in me. I see the value in what they can provide, and I believe we'll come to some sort of resolution on that,' DeChambeau said Tuesday. 'Super excited for the future.' LIV contracts are confidential and there has been ample speculation whether the Public Investment Fund will shell out the kind of signing bonuses that helped lure players away from the PGA Tour in 2022. Meanwhile, unification with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf appears at a standstill as PIF officials want any future to include team golf. 'I think that LIV is not going anywhere,' DeChambeau said. He said Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor behind the rival league, 'has been steadfast in his belief on team golf, and whether everybody believes in it or not, I think it's a viable option.' DeChambeau believes LIV is going in the right direction and referenced the indoor tech-infused TGL as having teams making money. 'I believe there is a sustainable model out there,' he said. 'How it all works with the game of golf, who knows? But I know my worth.' Xander and YouTube Xander Schauffele might spend less time on his phone than anyone, usually only scrolling through the news. A few weeks ago at the Memorial, during a rapid-fire series of random questions, he was asked who he would take with him on 'The Amazing Race' reality show. 'What's 'The Amazing Race,'' he asked. So when he was told about Tommy Fleetwood's latest venture with YouTube and asked if he would considering doing something like that, Schauffele replied, 'Is that like a serious question?' But he has spent time on YouTube for a reason. Schauffele made his U.S. Open debut in 2017, the year after the Open at Oakmont. What better way to check out the course than watching a U.S. Open at Oakmont? 'I watched some of the '16 coverage on YouTube. I would have watched it on any platform that would have been provided, but I watched some of that coverage there just to see sort of how guys were hitting shots and how the ball was reacting,' Schauffele said. Turns out that wasn't his first experience on YouTube. 'I've been in dark places where I've looked up swing tip things on YouTube as well, trying to make sense of it, just like every golfer has. I'll confess to it,' he said. "I'm luckily not there anymore, which is probably healthy for myself and my family. 'Yeah, there's a lot on there, I can tell you that much.' Rory and his driver Rory McIlroy expressed concern about his driver after badly missing the cut in the Canadian Open, his last tournament ahead of the U.S. Open. He said he worked at home over the weekend and realized he was using the wrong driver. And he was coy about which one he was using, suggesting that people could always go to the range to find out for themselves. McIlroy got plenty of attention with his driver when it was leaked at the PGA Championship that his driver did not pass inspection. It's a common occurrence, and testing takes place randomly at every major. Scottie Scheffler also had to change drivers after his didn't pass the test. He wound up winning by five shots. So was that a problem for McIlroy at the PGA Championship? 'It wasn't a big deal for Scottie,' McIlroy said. 'So it shouldn't have been a big deal for me.' The best honorary member Dustin Johnson had not played Oakmont since the won the U.S. Open in 2016. That's not to say he hasn't been back to the fabled club. Oakmont Country Club honors its major champions by offering them honorary membership. Johnson went back a few years later for the honor, going to a dinner and getting his green jacket (he got the more famous green jacket a few years later at the Masters). Honorary membership has its privileges that Johnson doesn't use. 'I'm probably their favorite member because I never come,' he said. 'Quite a few,' he said. 'And I don't use very many, either.' ___
