logo
U.S. Open: 3 Biggest Storylines to Watch For at Oakmont

U.S. Open: 3 Biggest Storylines to Watch For at Oakmont

Newsweek6 hours ago

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.
The last few months saw some of the biggest headlines in golf history. In April, Rory McIlroy finally donned the green jacket. May belonged to Scottie Scheffler, securing the PGA Championship.
And now, we are just days away from the golf's third major - the U.S. Open from Oakmont Country Club.
LIV Golf's Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and PGA Tour's Rory McIlroy Heading Towards US Open. (Image Collage | Credits: Getty Images)
LIV Golf's Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and PGA Tour's Rory McIlroy Heading Towards US Open. (Image Collage | Credits: Getty Images)
Getty Images
Major weeks bring drama, thrill, and that undeniable feeling of butterflies in the stomach. But this one is shaping up to be wilder than most, with some jaw-dropping storylines from LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.
Here are the three biggest storylines we are keeping our eyes on.
3. Phil Mickelson's Final Chance at Grand Slam?
In 2022, Mickelson made a bold claim saying, "If I win the U.S. Open, I will retire."
The reasoning was simple—a victory would complete his career Grand Slam, solidifying his place among golf's elite list that includes only six names.
But Lefty's hopes seemed to have derailed in recent years. Before he impressed everyone with his LIV Golf Virginia performance, Mickelson hinted that this U.S. Open might be his last.
"There's a high likelihood that it will be [his last appearance], but I haven't really thought about it too much."
His five-year exemption from the 2021 PGA Championship win expires after Oakmont, and the timing of his admission? Not coincidental.
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 17: Phil Mickelson of the United States acknowledges the crowd from the ninth green during the second round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 17,...
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 17: Phil Mickelson of the United States acknowledges the crowd from the ninth green during the second round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 17, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by) More
Getty Images
At 50, he became the oldest major champion in history. But now, his body tells a different story. His candid assessment of his physical limitations suggests he's coming to terms with an inevitable transition.
Though Mickelson stunned everyone with his vintage shot on Sunday, Lefty has often talked about struggling to beat young players like Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler and others. The irony is glaring, his best golf now demands more from him than his worst rounds ever did.
So, as Mickelson approaches what might be his final U.S. Open, the weight of the moment is bigger than golf. Every aging athlete faces the reality that the body eventually stops keeping up with ambition.
And Mickelson? His ability to accept it with grace might be his most admirable shot yet. As they say, Father Time is undefeated.
2. Rory McIlroy's Driver 'Concerns'
That perfect driver in your bag—the one that feels like an extension of your hands. You've played hundreds of rounds with it. The face shows battle scars. The sweet spot feels sweeter over time.
For most golfers, this evolution is a gift. For Rory McIlroy, it became a violation at the PGA Championship—forcing him to switch his driver just days before the tournament.
But here's the problem. His switch failed him spectacularly.
At the RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy's driver issues hit crisis mode. After missing his first cut since The Open in 2024, he admitted:
"Yeah, of course it concerns me. You don't want to shoot high scores like the one I did today."
CALEDON, ONTARIO - JUNE 05: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks off the 10th green during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open 2025 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on June 05, 2025...
CALEDON, ONTARIO - JUNE 05: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks off the 10th green during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open 2025 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on June 05, 2025 in Caledon, Ontario. (Photo by) More
Getty Images
His 8-over 78 sealed the worst PGA Tour 36-hole finish of his career, featuring one quadruple bogey, one double, eight bogeys, and just five birdies.
The TaylorMade Qi35 driver, meant to solve his off-the-tee struggles, backfired completely.
"I went back to a 44-inch driver to get more control, but if I'm going to miss fairways, I'd rather have the ball speed and miss the fairway than not," McIlroy explained.
His stats painted an ugly picture—losing 2.233 strokes off the tee, hitting just 13 of 28 fairways, and carding a quadruple-bogey 8 on Friday's fifth hole.
Most telling? This was his second failed driver switch this year.
"This is the second time I've tried the new version, and it hasn't worked out for me."
With four days before Oakmont, McIlroy admitted: "I'd say I'll be testing quite a few drivers over the weekend."
And he needs to be fast because with Oakmont's brutal setup, any inconsistency off the tee could spell disaster.
1. Bryson DeChambeau Defends His U.S. Open Crown
While Scottie Scheffler was painting masterpieces with wind-bending iron shots, Bryson DeChambeau kept his stellar play in majors.
His T2 finish at the PGA Championship continued his excellent stretch of majors.
It started back in 2016, when he earned low amateur honors at the Masters, becoming a Rolex ambassador in the same week.
This year, he came close at Augusta, finishing solo second before tumbling on Sunday with a 74, settling for T7. At Quail Hollow, he was co-runner-up at the PGA Championship.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 15: Bryson DeChambeau of the United States plays a shot from the ninth tee during the first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 15,...
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 15: Bryson DeChambeau of the United States plays a shot from the ninth tee during the first round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 15, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. More
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Now, he heads to Oakmont—a big, brawny ballpark that fits his game perfectly. He's already won two U.S. Open titles, first at Winged Foot in 2020, then again at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2024.
And he's coming with new weapons—switching his irons to a custom-made LA Golf set, co-designed with Jeff Meyer.
Speaking on the Golf Digest Podcast, DeChambeau teased:
"We were hands-on, went through the whole process, testing, researching. You're going to see something special that no other OEM is doing."
Some might call his club overhaul risky, but if DeChambeau has proven anything, it's that he thrives in high-stakes moments.
Last year, he was hot on the heels of Scheffler, finishing second at the PGA Championship. At Augusta, he was one step away from his first Green Jacket—ultimately finishing fifth at the Masters.
With his aggressive style, bold equipment changes, and confidence, DeChambeau enters Oakmont with something bigger than momentum—he's hunting a three-time U.S. Open legacy.
Three Days Until the Battle Begins
Mickelson's potential farewell, McIlroy's fight to fix his driver, and DeChambeau's title defense, each storyline promises to shape the 125th U.S. Open in historic fashion.
Oakmont will test resilience, strategy, and the ability to survive the sport's most unforgiving conditions starting from June 12th.
More Golf: Scottie Scheffler Tweaks Tour Schedule with Major Ramifications

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now take their terrific rivalry from the French Open to Wimbledon

time20 minutes ago

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now take their terrific rivalry from the French Open to Wimbledon

The takeaways from Carlos Alcaraz's fifth-set tiebreaker victory over Jannik Sinner in the riveting and record-breaking French Open men's final were multiple and significant. Let's start with this: Anyone worried about how men's tennis would survive in the post-Big Three era can rest easy. Alcaraz and Sinner produced 5 1/2 hours of evidence Sunday that the game is in good hands — and that their rivalry will be, and perhaps already is, a transcendent one. Take it from no less an authority than Roger Federer. The retired owner of 20 Grand Slam titles, and rival of Rafael Nadal (22 majors) and Novak Djokovic (24), began a post on social media by declaring, '3 winners in Paris today,' then listed Alcaraz, Sinner and 'the beautiful game of tennis. What a match!' This was the 12th Alcaraz-Sinner meeting, the first in a major final. 'Hopefully not the last time,' Alcaraz said. 'Every time that we face ... each other, we raise our level to the top.' It would be shocking if there weren't many more of these to come — perhaps as soon as at Wimbledon, where play begins on June 30 and No. 2-ranked Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion. His comeback against No. 1 Sinner from two sets down, then three championship points down, to win 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) was unprecedented at Roland-Garros. It was unforgettable. Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, described his guy's best trait this way: 'His strength is (to) keep believing all the time, until the last ball is gone.' Alcaraz's five Grand Slam titles at 22 — that's the age at which Nadal, Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras also got to five; no one's done it younger — show how special he is. So does the Spaniard's 5-0 record in major finals, a career start surpassed among men only by Federer's 7-0. Sinner is pretty good, too. Tuesday marks a full year that he has been ranked No. 1. He has reached the finals of his last eight tournaments, a run last accomplished by Djokovic a decade ago. He has won three majors. He has won 47 of his last 50 matches. Notably, all three of those losses came against — yes, you guessed it — Alcaraz. That hearkens back to the days when Federer would beat everyone other than Nadal. Sinner had claimed 31 Slam sets in a row right up until the moment he was up 2-0 against Alcaraz. What was unmistakable to anyone watching in-person at Court Philippe-Chatrier or following along from afar on TV is that Alcaraz vs. Sinner is a must-see. 'The level,' Alcaraz said, 'was insane.' Sinner's take? 'I'm happy to be part of this,' the 23-year-old Italian said. 'Would be even more happy if I would have ... the big trophy.' As with any great rivalry — think Evert vs. Navratilova or Borg vs. McEnroe or Federer vs. Nadal, no first names needed — Alcaraz vs. Sinner provides a clash of excellence and a study in contrasts. Alcaraz displays emotion, pumping his fists, pointing to an ear to ask for more noise, yelling 'Vamos!' Sinner is rather contained. Sinner's long limbs get him to nearly every ball. Alcaraz's motor reaches speeds no one can equal. Sinner's ball-striking is pure. Alcaraz's drop shots are legendary. Both hammer groundstrokes that leave opponents exasperated and spectators gasping. Both can improve. Sinner has never won a match that lasted four hours. Alcaraz loses focus on occasion. Both are eager to improve. When Sinner returned from a three-month doping ban last month, he introduced a new, angled return stance. Alcaraz tweaked his serve and backhand technique. Who knows what heights each can reach? They split the past six Slam trophies, and eight of the past 11. Federer saw this coming. During an interview with The Associated Press in December 2019, Federer predicted someone would win major after major the way he, Nadal and Djokovic did. Just didn't know there would be a Big Two doing it. 'It's going to happen, inevitably,' Federer said. 'And it's almost not going to be that hard, maybe ... because the players will have seen what we did. And they didn't see just one guy doing it, once every 30 years. They saw like three guys doing it, in the shortest period of time. ... Players are going to believe more."

U.S. Open 2025 odds, betting, lines: Scottie Scheffler is the biggest favorite in 15 years
U.S. Open 2025 odds, betting, lines: Scottie Scheffler is the biggest favorite in 15 years

Yahoo

time21 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

U.S. Open 2025 odds, betting, lines: Scottie Scheffler is the biggest favorite in 15 years

The 2025 U.S. Open tees off Thursday at Oakmont Country Club in Plum, Pennsylvania, and Scottie Scheffler (+275 at BetMGM) is the overwhelming favorite to win. Scheffler has the shortest odds heading into a U.S. Open since Tiger Woods was a +175 favorite in 2009, according to Sports Odds History's database. Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world, has won three of the last four tournaments he's played in, including the 2025 PGA Championship by five strokes over the field. Scheffler has been incredibly consistent as well, finishing in the top 11 in 10 of the 12 tournaments he's entered this season. Advertisement He's such a big favorite that BetMGM is even offering a proposition wager where bettors can take Scheffler (+275) or the entire field (-400) to win the tournament. Not surprisingly, Scheffler is the most-bet player by total wagers (17.8%) and total dollars wagered (31.3%) at BetMGM. Scheffler also represents the biggest liability for the sportsbook of any golfer. Bryson DeChambeau (+750) is the only other player with single-digit odds and has the second-most tickets (12.8%) and handle (16.7%), along with the second-biggest liability. Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy have the next-best odds at 12-1. McIlroy finally won his first Masters in April, but most recently missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open this past week. He is the third-biggest liability at BetMGM. Advertisement Xander Schauffele (22-1), Collin Morikawa (25-1) and Ludvig Aberg (25-1) are the only other players with odds better than 30-1. Jordan Spieth (50-1), Brooks Koepka (66-1), Dustin Johnson (125-1) and Phil Mickelson (250-1) are a few former major winners with longer odds.

2025 U.S. Open menu: Food, drinks, prices at Oakmont Country Club
2025 U.S. Open menu: Food, drinks, prices at Oakmont Country Club

Yahoo

time39 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

2025 U.S. Open menu: Food, drinks, prices at Oakmont Country Club

The 2025 U.S. Open is here, but let's forget about the golf for a quick moment. It's food talk time. It didn't take long for pictures of the concessions menu at Oakmont Country Club to find their way to social media Monday morning, when practice rounds began ahead of the third men's major championship of the year. Advertisement The Masters always make headlines with inexpensive concession items, and for fans venturing to Western Pennsylvania this week, they'll be spending a bit more than they would at Augusta National, but that doesn't mean they'll go broke trying to buy snacks and refreshments while following the action. How much do the U.S. Open concessions cost? The cheapest item on the menu is a banana, priced at $1.95. Then there are chip bags, a cookie, and Kind bars, which will run you $3.49. For the most expensive item on the menu, there are three things with a total of $13.95: A Philly Cheesesteak, a black cherry seltzer White Claw and a Canned Lemon Wedge by Dewar, the official cocktail of the U.S. Open. Advertisement The menu features a selection of items for breakfast and lunch, plus a good assortment of snacks and alcohol for those who want to indulge while on the course. What are some of the best food items at the U.S. Open? A Philly Cheesesteak in Pennsylvania? How could you go wrong? Oakmont may be in Pittsburgh, but a staple of Pennsylvania food is cheesesteak. Combined with U.S. Open, golf sounds like a pretty good pair. What are some of the best drink items at the U.S. Open? There's water, Gatorade and Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Starry, but if you're looking for alcohol, there's a good selection of drinks, too. Advertisement Corona Premier, Corona Extra, Modelo and Miller Lite will run you $11.95, and as mentioned, the Canned Lemon Wedge and White Claw are an additional $2. In the morning, there's also an iced coffee option for $5.95 and orange juice for $4.45. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: U.S. Open concessions menu: Prices for food and drinks

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store