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US Open: When it starts, how to watch, what's at stake, betting odds for golf's next major

US Open: When it starts, how to watch, what's at stake, betting odds for golf's next major

OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Open long has been regarded the toughest test in golf, and this year it returns to what is arguably the toughest course in America.
Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh is the talk of the 125th U.S. Open, a course built in 1903 that is more about being feared than being fair. The rough is as thick as ever. The greens are as fast as any. There's also the famous Church Pew bunkers between the third and fourth holes.
Scottie Scheffler shot 69 in his U.S. Open debut as a Texas teenager. He missed the cut the next day in 2016. Now he's the favorite as he comes to Oakmont having won three of his last four tournaments,
including the PGA Championship
.
Here is a look at what you need to know leading up to the U.S. Open:
When is the US Open?
Golf's second-oldest championship — it dates to 1895 — starts Thursday at 6:45 a.m. Players in groups of three will start on the first and 10th tees, morning and afternoon. The biggest names typically start on No. 10 in the morning or on No. 1 in the afternoon to get peak TV coverage.
The top 60 and ties make the 36-hole cut Friday and advance to the weekend.
How can I watch the US Open?
NBC and its platforms get their first major of the year, and there is wall-to-wall coverage of the U.S. Open.
Thursday starts on USA Network from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Peacock takes over until 8 p.m. Friday starts on Peacock at 6:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., and then NBC goes until 8 p.m.
Saturday has USA Network from 10 a.m. to noon, and NBC goes from noon until 8 p.m. The final round Sunday starts at 9 a.m. until noon on USA Network, and NBC takes over until the end.
Who are the betting favorites?
The odds keep getting better for Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world. BetMGM Sportsbook has him at +275. Next in line is defending U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (+750).
Rory McIlroy was the second favorite on the BetMGM Sportsbook money line last week at +700. He missed the cut at the Canadian Open last week and goes into the U.S. Open at +1200, along with Jon Rahm. They are followed by Xander Schauffele at +2200.
Phil Mickelson needs the U.S. Open to complete the career Grand Slam and this likely is his last appearance. The 54-year-old Mickelson is at +25000.
Who are the players to watch?
Scottie Scheffler is being compared to Tiger Woods based on modern statistics. He is being compared to Jack Nicklaus for the way he plays the game from tee-to-green with minimal mistakes. He has won three of his last four starts going into Oakmont.
A victory at the U.S. Open would send Scheffler to the British Open with a shot at the career Grand Slam
.
Rory McIlroy is No. 2 and the Masters champion, along with becoming the latest player to complete the Grand Slam. There was thought the Masters title would give him freedom because he had gone 11 years without any major. But he missed the cut in Canada last week and said he found it hard to get motivated when he was practicing.
Xander Schauffele is coming off a year in which he won two majors. He was out with two months because of a rib injury. But he plays this major well. Schauffele has played the U.S. Open eight times and only once has finished outside the top 10.
Not to be overlooked is Bryson DeChambeau as the defending champion. He loves brute tests like Oakmont. And he was in the mix in the final round at the Masters and the PGA Championship. DeChambeau won his two U.S. Opens at Winged Foot (2020) and Pinehurst No. 2 (2024).
What's at stake?
The U.S. Open trophy doesn't have a name. The winner also gets the gold medal named after four-time champion Jack Nicklaus. The prize money hasn't been announced yet, but it was $21.5 million last year, with $4.3 million going to the winner.
The champion also gets a 10-year exemption to the U.S. Open, along with a five-year exemption to the Masters, PGA Championship and British Open.
What happens in case of a playoff?
The U.S. Open has gone the longest of the four majors without a playoff. That was in 2008, when Tiger Woods famously made a 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force an 18-hole Monday playoff against Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines. That took 19 holes for Woods to win.
Since then, the U.S. Open has gone to a two-hole aggregate playoff on the Sunday after the conclusion of regulation. That has not been used yet.
What's the weather forecast?
There's been a lot of rain in the last week that has softened the course. The weekday rounds should be reasonably dry. But there's a good chance of thunderstorms on Saturday and lingering rain on Sunday.
What happened last year?
Bryson DeChambeau got up-and-down from 55 yards away in a bunker, making a 4-foot putt for a 1-over 71 and a one-shot victory over Rory McIlroy at Pinehurst No. 2. McIlroy had the lead late in the round but bogeyed three of his last four holes. That included missing a 30-inch par putt on the 16th hole and a par putt just inside 4 feet on the last hole. DeChambeau captured his second U.S. Open. McIlroy left without talking to the media.
___
AP golf:
https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf
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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. Oakmont need not to be offended. Johnson was asked how many clubs he had honorary membership and he didn't bother counting. 'Quite a few,' he said. 'And I don't use very many, either.' ___ AP golf:

Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf
Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf

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time37 minutes ago

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Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, right, laughs with Shane Lowry, of Ireland, as they walk on the 18th green during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Xander Schauffele hits from a bunker on the 14th hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Dustin Johnson tees off on the 13th hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Jon Rahm, of Spain, pauses for a drink on the 12th hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Jon Rahm, of Spain, tees off on the 13th hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Jon Rahm, of Spain, tees off on the 13th hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, right, laughs with Shane Lowry, of Ireland, as they walk on the 18th green during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Xander Schauffele hits from a bunker on the 14th hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Dustin Johnson tees off on the 13th hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Jon Rahm, of Spain, pauses for a drink on the 12th hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Jon Rahm, of Spain, tees off on the 13th hole during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) 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? Advertisement '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.' Advertisement 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. Advertisement '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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement '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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Oakmont need not to be offended. Johnson was asked how many clubs he had honorary membership and he didn't bother counting. 'Quite a few,' he said. 'And I don't use very many, either.' ___ AP golf:

Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf
Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf

Associated Press

time38 minutes ago

  • Associated Press

Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf

Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] 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. Oakmont need not to be offended. Johnson was asked how many clubs he had honorary membership and he didn't bother counting. 'Quite a few,' he said. 'And I don't use very many, either.' ___ AP golf:

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