Is Scheffler playing 'catch up' after offseason?
Scottie Scheffler feels he is "dialing things in" ahead of The Houston Open, and Golf Today discusses how his layoff may have set him back as someone who is traditionally very "structured."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
11 hours ago
- NBC Sports
U.S. Open power rankings: Every player at Oakmont ranked Nos. 1-156
Treacherous, lightning-fast greens. Deep, juicy rough. A brilliant design. There's no doubt about it: Oakmont is going to be a beast. The best players in the world will take on the Henry C. Fownes masterpiece for this week's U.S. Open. It's the 10th time Oakmont has hosted this national championship – and the first time since 2016, when Dustin Johnson took advantage of Shane Lowry's Sunday misfortune to win his first of what is now two major titles. If there's ever a course to test every club in the bag, it's Oakmont, a par-70 layout that will tip out at 7,372 yards and features poa greens, bent and poa fairways and Kentucky bluegrass rough. 'The Fownes' were good players, and they were adamant to protect that golf course,' said Gil Hanse, who led the 2023 renovation of the course. "... It is unapologetically difficult, and that is what they wanted.' The most noticeable changes from 2016 will be larger greens with more hole locations and more penal edges, some additional fairway width in spots to encourage more options, rebuilt bunkers that could see more balls end up closer to lips, and even a bigger church-pew bunker between Nos. 3 and 4 (about 15 yards). And what about the trend from the 2021 U.S. Amateur, where players were driving it into adjacent fairways for better angles? About 5 inches of rough should deter most of that, along with added length on No. 11 and a later start to the 11th fairway, which will make it tough to avoid the rough if hitting it left off No. 10. Statistically, it's hard to go wrong with total strokes gained. But diving deeper into the metrics, look for players who hit fairways (length shouldn't be a prerequisite, though if you're long and straight, you'll do well anywhere), are strong approach players, scramble well and have good speed on the greens (approach putting). Guys also always have a ton of meaningful putts, usually for par or worse, between 4-8 feet at U.S. Opens. My model also uses a fair bit of gut feelings, too. Scottie Scheffler will be the pre-championship favorite for good reason, but what about everyone else? Let's rank them all: (Currently, the 156-player field is at 150 players with Matthew Jordan replacing the injured Sahith Theegala on Friday; the additions will be made Sunday evening, likely all from the alternate list.) Nos. 1-10 1. Scottie Scheffler: Has collected three trophies in his last four starts. Leads Tour in strokes gained off the tee, strokes gained approach, proximity and bogey avoidance. He's also third in rough proximity. 2. Jon Rahm: Starting to get his major groove back – T-14 at Masters, T-8 at PGA. Should be considered among the three or four best in the world off the tee, plus arguably one of the best short games as well. 3. Bryson DeChambeau: Even with frustrating iron play of late, he's managed some great results, including a T-5 at the Masters and co-runner-up at the PGA. I could see some dialed-back version of the bomb-and-gauge style that he employed at Winged Foot working at Oakmont. 4. Keegan Bradley: Hear me out on this one! He's essentially top 20 in several important metrics, including 17th in total driving, 12th in strokes gained approach and fourth in approach putt performance. And he's riding back-to-back top-10s. 5. Si Woo Kim: Another name that popped insanely high on my model. Great at finding fairways and an elite short game. Plus, he was recently T-8 at the PGA. 6. Collin Morikawa: Second on Tour in driving accuracy with a top-10 approach game. He's built to win this championship. I just wish he had some better finishes coming into this week. 7. Sepp Straka: Another great fit for Oakmont as he's top 3 in strokes gained approach and proximity, and top 6 in rough avoidance off the tee and bogey avoidance. The MC at Quail was an anomaly, as he sandwiched that with a win at Truist and solo third at Memorial. 8. Corey Conners: He's cracked the top 25 in 10 of his last 19 major starts. Nothing better than T-6, but with his ball-striking and his surprisingly decent speed on the greens, Conners could challenge that this week. 9. Joaquin Niemann: Also T-8 at Quail, his first-ever top-10 in a major championship. That could be just what the LIV star needs to kick the door down at Oakmont. 10. Jordan Spieth: He's just outside the top 70 in strokes gained approach, but he's basically top 30 in the other key areas. He's also No. 1 in approach putting and is coming off a top-10 at the Memorial. Jun 6, 2025; Caledon, Ontario, CAN; Shane Lowry reacts to his tee shot at the 3rd hole during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Nos. 11-20 11. Shane Lowry: Ranks third in strokes gained approach and proximity, and he should be able to give himself lots of looks from the fairway. He'd be ranked higher on this list if he wasn't prone to the odd blow-up here and there. And remember his final-round 76 in 2016? 12. Daniel Berger: Top 15 in total driving and proximity. Would be top 10 on this list if not for back-to-back missed cuts. 13. Rory McIlroy: Somewhat controversial leaving Rory outside the top 10, but I'm just not feeling the attitude lately. Yes, he and Scottie are far and away the best drivers of the golf ball on Tour, but remember, this is a new driver in the bag, and McIlroy also isn't hitting it particularly close with the irons this year. I'd go with the other big names before McIlroy this week. (I wrote this before his missed cut by miles in Canada, so this may be validated now.) 14. Patrick Cantlay: Top 10 in strokes gained approach and approach putting, and he's nearly top 30 off the tee. This is his major, too, as he has four straight top-15s, including a T-3 last year at Pinehurst. 15. Xander Schauffele: He's had plenty of rounds to get the stats up, and we're still seeing him ranked outside the top 120 in strokes gained off the tee. Schauffele excels on these impossible setups, so we can't drop him too far. 16. Robert MacIntyre: Top 25 in strokes gained off the tee and approach, plus he's really reliable on those 4- to 8-footers that everyone will have for par. Also just hasn't played bad in a long time. 17. Justin Thomas: Top 10 in strokes gained approach and one of the best iron players out of the rough, too. Always like JT to embrace these classic setups – he was nearly top 30 here back in 2016. I'm just concerned about the driving – outside the top 90 in strokes gained off the tee – plus he's kind of cooled off in recent starts. 18. Bud Cauley: The first final qualifier on the list. Top 10 in total strokes gained this season with the ball-striking a huge reason for that. 19. Patrick Reed: Hard to measure strokes gained toughness, but Reed is one of the best in that category. Third at the Masters before missing the PGA cut, but he's made seven straight U.S. Open cuts with four top-20s during that streak. 20. Tommy Fleetwood: Sneakily ranks sixth in total strokes gained this year. And he's finished outside the top 25 just twice in his past 22 starts. That's insane. May 24, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Chris Gotterup walks from the ninth green during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Nos. 21-30 21. Russell Henley: He's really let us down in the majors with MCs at both this year. His lack of length shouldn't be as big a deal at Oakmont, and we love that his top 12 in driving accuracy and second in proximity. 22. Harris English: Has top-12s in three of his last four starts, including a T-2 at the PGA. Also has three top-10s in his last five U.S. Open appearances. 23. J.J. Spaun: We've rolled with him in each of the year's first two majors, and he's done OK. Top 20 in total driving and fifth in strokes gained approach has him high in the model, but he gets bumped down a little until he proves it more in majors. 24. Chris Gotterup: Another qualifier. Hits it forever but struggles to find fairways, so this is risky. But he's also top 10 in bogey avoidance and he's posted five top-20s in his last seven starts. 25. Ben Griffin: He's in elite form right now, just nothing statistically jumps out to say he'll contend in a U.S. Open, especially his debut. 26. Aaron Rai: No has hit more fairways or at a higher percentage. And though he's missed two straight cuts, he's been solid in the major this year – T-27 at Masters, T-19 at PGA. 27. Tyrrell Hatton: Scrambling and finding fairways have kept Hatton right around the top 25 in recent U.S. Opens. That's probably where he ends up again. 28. Taylor Pendrith: Pendy has been hot since his T-5 at Quail. He's fifth in total driving and nearly top 30 in strokes gained approach. 29. Tony Finau: Trending similarly to last year when he was T-3 at Pinehurst. He's turned around the iron play and his short game has been a real weapon, too. Plus, we know he can send it. 30. Brooks Koepka: Just waiting for Major Brooks to return. It's been a while – no top-20s since the 2023 U.S. Open. He's just not putting well. Jun 6, 2025; Caledon, Ontario, CAN; Ludvig Aberg hits his tee shot at the third hole during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Nos. 31-40 31. Carlos Ortiz: A win and a couple other top-10s in his last four LIV starts. He's kind of like LIV Spieth with a worse short game. 32. Sungjae Im: Top 8 in both driving accuracy and strokes gained around the green. The big concern is he's missed three straight U.S. Open cuts. 33. Viktor Hovland: Top 10 in strokes gained approach and nearly top 30 in total driving should have him higher, but the short game and putting speed continue to hamper him. 34. Ludvig Aberg: Was T-12 in his U.S. Open debut last year, but he's still ranked outside the top 115 in strokes gained approach. Still, top 25 in total driving and top 15 in proximity, so a top-20 isn't a terrible bet. 35. Michael Kim: He's cooled bit, and it's been because of a combination of different things. But Top 20 in strokes gained around the green and bogey avoidance, and I've always thought his game set up well for these classic U.S. Open tests. 36. Gary Woodland: He's not been better than T-49 in his last eight major starts, but top 25 in total driving and proximity. The rough won't bother him. 37. Maverick McNealy: A good bet to lead the field in strokes gained putting this week. Just needs to hit more fairways and scramble better. 38. Hideki Matsuyama: Might be the lowest I've ever ranked Hideki. A couple top-6s in his last three U.S. Open starts, and though I love his short game, he's just not striking it well right now. 39. Sam Burns: Has four top-20s in his last five starts, and he's rolling his rock right now. Different grasses at Oakmont, sure, but Burns' T-9 last year at Pinehurst was promising. I just need to see it more. 40. Nick Taylor: He's missed nine of his last 10 major cuts. Gulp. But he's top 20 in a bunch of stats – driving accuracy, strokes gained approach, bogey avoidance. Get him on a course where distance isn't necessarily king, and I like him here. May 4, 2025; McKinney, Texas, USA; Erik van Rooyen prepares to play a shot from the sixth tee during the final round of the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Nos. 41-50 41. Min Woo Lee: He's simmered since winning in Houston. But there's a lot to like if he can hit fairways. Granted, that's a big if. 42. Ryan Gerard: Ranks 20th in total strokes gained – and that's with a putter that's been frustrating over recent months. T-8 at PGA should give him some major confidence, too. 43. Erik van Rooyen: Sixth in total driving, though he must hit his irons better than he did at Quail. Three straight MCs at the U.S. Open, but he was T-23 at Winged Foot in 2020. 44. Thorbjorn Olesen: Doing everything above average right now, which explains why he's 13th in total strokes gained. His play in Canada gives me extra confidence. I'd rank him higher if his major record was better. 45. Emiliano Grillo: The iron game has really flashed of late as he's posted four top-25s in his last six starts. Could another Argentine contend at Oakmont? 46. Brian Harman: Since his T-2 at the 2017 U.S. Open, he's not missed a cut at this championship. 47. Akshay Bhatia: Top 25 in strokes gained approach and proximity, though outside the top 125 in total driving. Some of that is distance related. Also, his short game has been uncharacteristically poor of late. But he was T-16 at Pinehurst last year, and if he figures it out, has the game to win one of these someday. 48. Cameron Smith: Not the same guy who posted five top-10s, including a win, in a nine-major span a few years ago. Has missed three straight major cuts as he just doesn't drive it well enough to contend. 49. Andrew Novak: Breakout year, and he's done most of his work on the better designed courses on the Tour rota. Good short game and speed on the greens. He'll make his first major cut this week. 50. Brian Campbell: He will rank last in the field in driving distance, but not many will find more fairways and display a better short game. May 14, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Matt McCarty pitches out of the bunker on the ninth hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Nos. 51-60 Adam Scott Victor Perez Lucas Glover Matt McCarty Davis Thompson J.T. Poston Sam Stevens Denny McCarthy Tom Hoge Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen Nos. 61-70 Marc Leishman Stephan Jaeger Nico Echavarria Jordan Smith Matt Wallace Matt Fitzpatrick Laurie Canter Cameron Young Jason Day Jackson Koivun (a) Nos. 71-80 Max Greyserman Johnny Keefer Mark Hubbard Jhonattan Vegas Thomas Detry Wyndham Clark Mackenzie Hughes Rasmus Hojgaard Davis Riley Niklas Norgaard Nos. 81-90 Justin Rose Tom Kim Christiaan Bezuidenhout Jacob Bridgeman Ben James (a) Frederic LaCroix Chris Kirk Lanto Griffin Jose Luis Ballester Matthew Jordan Nos. 91-100 Byeong Hun An Alvaro Ortiz Nick Dunlap Matthieu Pavon Justin Lower Cam Davis Joe Highsmith Sam Bairstow Richard Bland Trevor Cone Nos. 101-110 Jacques Kruyswijk Edoardo Molinari Will Chandler Dustin Johnson Zac Blair Maxwell Moldovan Ryan McCormick Kevin Velo Scott Vincent Trent Phillips Nos. 111-120 Guido Migliozzi James Nicholas Preston Summerhays Adam Schenk Andrea Pavan Phil Mickelson Michael La Sasso (a) Thriston Lawrence Jackson Buchanan Zach Bauchou Nos. 121-130 Bryan Lee (a) Jinichiro Kozuma Joakim Lagergren Justin Hastings (a) Lance Simpson (a) Evan Beck (a) Matt Vogt (a) Philip Barbaree Riley Lewis Tyler Weaver (a) Nos. 131-140 Frankie Harris (a) Brady Calkins Zachery Pollo (a) Cameron Tankersley (a) Emilio Gonzalez Harrison Ott Noah Kent (a) Roberto Diaz Austen Truslow Alistair Docherty Nos. 141-156 Yuta Sugiura Chandler Blanchet Mason Howell (a) James Hahn George Duangmanee Joey Herrera George Kneiser Justin Hicks Grant Haefner Trevor Gutschewski (a)
New York Post
11 hours ago
- New York Post
Fanatics Sportsbook promo for 2025 U.S. Open: New users get $1,000 no sweat first bet
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. The third major of the season has arrived. The 2025 U.S. Open begins on Thursday morning at Oakmont in Pennsylvania. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Bryson DeChambeau are the three favorites. McIlroy and Scheffler won the first two majors in 2025, while DeChambeau is the defending U.S. Open champion. Fanatics is offering new users a no-sweat first bet of up to $1,000 for the 2025 U.S. Open. Fanatics Sportsbook promo for the 2025 U.S. Open The offer is valid for new users in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. You must place at least a $1 bet with odds of -500 or longer for 10 straight days to be eligible for the no sweat bet. How to sign up at Fanatics Sportsbook Select your bonus offer. Choose your state. Fill out your login details. Enter the promo code. Make a deposit. What our Post expert thinks about the 2025 U.S. Open The U.S. Open is always an arduous test, and Oakmont is a notoriously difficult course. That'll make it hard for anybody to overcome the three-headed monster at the top of the odds. That said, we've seen plenty of long-shot winners at the U.S. Open in the past, including Wyndham Clark (2023) and Gary Woodland (2019) in recent years. New customers in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VT, VA, WV, or WY only. Must apply this promotion in your bet slip and place a $1+ cash wager with odds of -500 or longer each day for 10 straight days. Your 10 days begin the day you establish your account. Wager must settle as a loss to qualify for Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets will equal the amount of the losing wager(s) (up to $100 in Bonus Bets per day) and expire 7 days from issuance. This offer is not available in NY. Terms apply- see Fanatics Sportsbook app.
Newsweek
12 hours ago
- Newsweek
Scottie Scheffler Tweaks Tour Schedule with Major Ramifications
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 in full grind mode after his injury comeback. Fresh off his PGA Championship victory, where he secured his third major title, Scheffler wasted no time keeping the momentum alive. Just weeks later, he defended his Memorial Tournament title, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods to win back-to-back at Muirfield Village. His Memorial triumph further cemented his dominance, marking his 16th career PGA Tour win and a permanent lock to his Ryder Cup spot. MONTREAL, QUEBEC - SEPTEMBER 25: Scottie Scheffler of the U.S. Team gestures during a practice round prior to the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club on September 25, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec,... MONTREAL, QUEBEC - SEPTEMBER 25: Scottie Scheffler of the U.S. Team gestures during a practice round prior to the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club on September 25, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by) More Getty Images Now, with the U.S. Open just days away, the World No. 1 is preparing himself for one of the toughest tests in golf. Oakmont's 7,372-yard, par-70 layout. After the 3rd major at Oakmont ends, the World No. 1 has confirmed his play at the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club. Scheduled to take place from July 10-13, the Scottish Open will occur just before he heads to Royal Portrush for The Open Championship. "It's an event and a course I enjoy playing given we only get to play links golf a couple of times a year," Scheffler said after tweaking his schedule. He is not alone. Several elite players in the world rankings use the tournament as major prep. CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, left, shakes hands with Xander Schauffele of the United States on the 18th hole green after finishing the second round of the PGA Championship... CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, left, shakes hands with Xander Schauffele of the United States on the 18th hole green after finishing the second round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club on May 16, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. More Photo byRory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Åberg, Justin Rose, and Matthew Fitzpatrick will all be playing as well. Not only this, but defending champion Robert MacIntyre will also return, looking to repeat his dramatic victory from last year, where he picked up four strokes in his final five holes to edge out former Masters champion Adam Scott. MacIntyre's 2024 win was a career-defining moment, as he rolled in a 22-foot birdie putt on the 18th to seal the victory. "This was the one I wanted, and it was the one I got. I can't believe it's happened," MacIntyre said after his emotional win. Scottie Scheffler is currently the favorite golfer going forward to the US Open, and his strategic tweak to fine-tune his game is another great move toward major success. More Golf: Tiger Woods' Son, Charlie, Back in Full Force After AJGA Victory
