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Last year’s U.S. Open was what we in the sports media business call dramatic. Bryson DeChambeau won by one stroke behind a remarkable 55-yard bunker shot on the 72nd hole at Pinehurst, Rory McIlroy heartbreakingly botching a handful of makeable putts down the stretch and every sportswriter salivating over the chance to write the patented “what the hell just happened?” piece.
Now, one year later, McIlroy has the career Grand Slam wrapped up and DeChambeau is a mainstay atop major leaderboards. But there’s also Scottie Scheffler, who’s in the midst of a generational run. And Jon Rahm, who seemed to have figured some things out at Quail Hollow. Plus, there are the up-and-comers and journeymen all looking for their first majors, such as Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Rickie Fowler. What we’re trying to say is that things are shaping up pretty nicely for a wild four days at Oakmont Country Club and the upcoming 125th U.S. Open.
Moving forward to the prestigious Pennsylvania course—hosting for a record 10th time—the possible storylines that await are intriguing. Will a golfer who survived Local and Final Qualifying make a run at the title or will one of the game’s best add to his already storied legacy? It’s the U.S. Open … anything can happen.
With that as a primer, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions to get you ready for what’s sure to be a thrilling major at Oakmont.
When is the U.S. Open played?
Traditionally, the U.S. Open is scheduled every year for the third weekend of June, with the final round scheduled for Father’s Day Sunday. This year that means from June 12-15. The one recent exception came in 2020, when the USGA moved the championship to mid-September in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, then moved it back to its usual slot in 2021.
Who conducts the U.S. Open?
The United States Golf Association (USGA) conducts the championship.
When and where was the first U.S. Open? And who won?
The first U.S. Open was played in 1895 at Newport (R.I.) Golf Club. At the time, it was a nine-hole course, so the championship was a 36-hole, one-day competition. The winner was an Englishman named Horace Rawlins, a 21-year-old who beat a field of nine other professionals and one amateur. He won with a score of 173 and was awarded $150, a gold medal and custody of the U.S. Open Trophy for one year.
What is the format of the U.S. Open? How many players are in the field?
The U.S. Open is a four-round, 72-hole stroke-play championship, with a cut after 36 holes. The field includes 156 players with the top 60 and ties playing playing on the weekend.
If players are tied after 72 holes, how is the winner determined?
Until 2018, if players were tied after 72 holes, the winner was determined in an 18-hole stroke-play playoff on Monday after the final round. The USGA has since changed the format to a two-hole aggregate playoff. If still tied after two holes, players will compete in sudden death until a winner is crowned.
When was the last time an 18-hole playoff occurred?
Tiger Woods reacts as he sinks a birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate at the 2008 U.S. Open. Woods would beat Mediate in 19 holes the next day to win his third U.S. Open title – Gina Ferazzi
The last time the U.S. Open went to an 18-hole playoff was in 2008 at Torrey Pines between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate. They were still tied after 18 holes, so it then went to a sudden-death playoff, with Woods winning on the 19th hole.
THE BUNKER SHOT OF HIS CAREER!
@b_dechambeau has this putt left to win the U.S. Open! pic.twitter.com/Vleb6k6PvO
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 16, 2024
We were just one shot away from seeing extra holes at Pinehurst No. 2 last year. Bryson DeChambeau needed a par on the 72nd hole to cement the victory, which he accomplished behind a ridiculous bunker shot. Were he to bogey, DeChambeau and McIlroy would’ve gone to extra holes.
Where is the 2025 U.S. Open being played?
This year’s U.S. Open is being played at the historic Oakmont Country Club, a National Historic Landmark established in 1903. It’s one of the oldest top-ranked courses in the United States and has hosted the U.S. Open nine times already. Oakmont’s most recent U.S. Open was back in 2016, in which Dustin Johnson won by three strokes.
The Pennsylvania track has also played host to three PGA Championships, six U.S. Amateurs, three NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships and two U.S. Women’s Opens.
What type of course is Oakmont?
Ranked No. 5 in our brand-new America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses ranking, Oakmont is one of the most prestigious courses in the United States. It’s known for its extremely fast and undulating greens, as well as its nasty rough and challenging bunkers. The course was designed by Henry Fownes in 1904 and then renovated by Tom Fazio and Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner in 2015 and 2023, respectively.
Can you play Oakmont?
Only if you know the right people or have the winning lottery ticket. Oakmont Country Club is a private club that’s invitation-only, with membership initiation fees around $200,000.
Is Tiger Woods playing in the 2025 U.S. Open?
Unfortunately not. Woods, who was forced to accept a special exemption back in 2024, will be sidelined this year due to his ruptured Achilles tendon injury. He ultimately missed the cut last year at Pinehurst No. 2.
How many U.S. Opens has Tiger Woods won?
Tiger Woods sits talking with caddie Steve Williams on the fairway during the 100th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach – David Cannon
Woods has won three U.S. Opens, the last coming in 2008 at Torrey Pines. He previously won the U.S. Open in 2002 at Bethpage Black and in 2000 at Pebble Beach, when he set the record for the largest margin of victory in major championship history, winning by 15 strokes.
Who has won the most U.S. Opens?
Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus hold the record for most U.S. Open victories, each winning four.
Is Phil Mickelson playing in the U.S. Open?
Yes, he is—for the 34th time in his career. Lefty is exempt after his 2021 PGA Championship victory. The U.S. Open is the one major Mickelson has never won, having finished second (or tied for second) a record six times in his quest to complete the career Grand Slam.
How can you qualify for the U.S. Open?
The U.S. Open is open to any professional or amateur with an up-to-date men’s USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 0.4.
The USGA allows those eligible players—a record 10,202 submitted entries this year—to attempt to qualify for the national championship. Qualifying consists of two stages, local and final (previously known as sectional). Local qualifying is played over 18 holes at more than 100 courses around the United States. Those who advance out of Local Qualifying (roughly 530) then compete in Final Qualifying, which is staged at 13 sites. Players compete in one-day, 36-hole events with roughly 65 golfers overall playing their way into the championship proper.
Has a U.S. Open ever been won by someone who earned a spot through Final Qualifying?
Lucas Glover celebrates his 2009 major victory on the 18th green at Bethpage State Park – TIMOTHY A. CLARY
Yes. The last time was Lucas Glover at Bethpage in 2009.
Has the U.S. Open ever been won by someone who earned a spot through Local and Final qualifying?
Yes. The last time was Orville Moody at Champions Golf Club in 1969. Prior to that it was done by Ken Venturi in 1964.
Is there an age limit to qualify?
There is no age limit to qualify for the U.S. Open. The youngest player ever to make the field was 14-year-old Andy Zhang in 2012.
What site has hosted the most U.S. Opens?
Oakmont Country Club outside of Pittsburgh has hosted the most U.S. Opens with nine, the most recent in 2016. Oakmont is set to host for the 10th time.
What state has hosted the most U.S. Opens?
New York has hosted the most U.S. Opens with 20. In addition to Winged Foot’s six, Shinnecock Hills has hosted the U.S. Open five times, Oak Hill three times, Bethpage Black two times with Fresh Meadow, Inwood, Country Club of Buffalo and Garden City each hosting once.
What is the U.S. Open scoring record?
Rory McIlroy holds up the trophy after winning the 111th US Open by eight strokes over Jason Day – JIM WATSON
The U.S. Open scoring record is held by Rory McIlroy, who shot a total of 16-under 268 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda in 2011.
What is the highest winning score of the U.S. Open?
The highest winning score is held by Fred Herd, who won the 1898 U.S. Open with a total score of 328.
What is the lowest round in U.S. Open history? Highest?
Prior to 2023, six players held the record for the lowest round in U.S. Open history with a score of 63. They were Johnny Miller (shot in the final round at Oakmont in 1973), Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Vijay Singh, Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood. Thomas’ 63 was the lowest score in relation to par (nine under) when he shot the score in the third round of the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, where he finished T-9. Fleetwood shot his 63 in the final round at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, only the second 63 posted in the final round, along with Miller’s.
All these 63s, however, moved down a spot in the USGA record book when Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele both shot 62s in the first round of the U.S. Open two years ago at Los Angeles Country Club. Amazingly, their rounds finished within half an hour of each other.
The highest round belongs to J.D. Tucker, who shot a 157 at Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton in 1898.
Who is the oldest winner of the U.S. Open? Youngest?
The oldest player to win the U.S. Open is Hale Irwin, who won the 1990 U.S. Open at Medinah Country Club in Medinah when he was 45 years and 15 days old.
The youngest champion is John McDermott, who won the 1911 U.S. Open at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill., when he was 19 years and 315 days old.
Has an amateur ever won the U.S. Open?
Bobby Jones holds the U.S. Open trophy after his 36-hole playoff victory over Al Espinosa in 1929 at Winged Foot – Bettmann
Five amateurs have won eight U.S. Opens in history: Francis Ouimet (1913), Jerome D. Travers (1915), Charles Evans Jr. (1916), Bobby Jones (1923, 1926, 1929, 1930) and Johnny Goodman (1933).
How many times has an American won the U.S. Open?
Of the 124 U.S. Opens that have been contested, an American has won 88 of them. The latest was Bryson DeChambeau just last year.
When was the last time an international player won the U.S. Open?
Matthew Fitzpatrick plays his second shot on the 18th hole during the final round at Brookline – David Cannon
Three years ago. Matt Fitzpatrick hails from England and has made Brookline his home away from home, winning both a U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur at the same course. Spain’s Jon Rahm won the year before that at Torrey Pines’ South Course. Before that, it was Germany’s Martin Kaymer at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014, while England’s Justin Rose won in 2013.
Which countries have produced the next most U.S. Open wins?
Second to the United States in U.S. Open victories is Scotland with 13. Englishmen have won eight times, while South African-born players have won five.
What type of conditions are the U.S. Open played in?
The U.S. Open is typically played under very difficult scoring conditions, where accuracy off the tee is essential. Fairways are often narrow and guarded by thick rough, and the course is generally set up quite long. Even par is usually a good score for the week, although the USGA contends that it’s not looking at even par as a barometer.
What are the confirmed future sites of the U.S. Open?
2026: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.
2027: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
2028: Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, N.Y
2029: Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (No. 2), Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
2030: Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa.
2031: Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, Calif.
2032: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
2033: Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
2034: Oakland Hills Country Club (South), Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
2035: Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (No. 2), Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
2036: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.
2037: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif
2038: The Country Club, Brookline, Mass.
2039: The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club (North Course)
2040: Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa.
2041: Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (No. 2), Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
2042: Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
2044: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
2047: Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (No. 2), Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
2049: Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
2050: Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa.
2051: Oakland Hills Country Club (South), Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
How much is the purse of the U.S. Open, and how much does the winner receive?
The purse for the 2025 U.S. Open has yet to be announced. The purse in 2024 was a record $21.5 million, with the winner receiving $4.3 million.
How many World Ranking points does the U.S. Open winner get?
The winner of the U.S. Open receives 100 world ranking points.
How many FedEx Cup points does the U.S. Open winner get?
The winner of the U.S. Open receives 750 FedEx Cup points.
Who broadcasts the U.S. Open?
In June 2020, NBC Universal reacquired the U.S. broadcast and media rights for the U.S. Open, taking over the remainder of a 12-year, $1.1 billion contract the USGA had signed with FOX Sports that began in 2015 and expires in 2026. NBC had been the official broadcast partner of the USGA from 1995 through 2014. Four full days of televised coverage will begin on Thursday, June 15, on NBC and the USA Network, with additional early morning coverage on NBC’s streaming service Peacock.
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Main Image: Ross Kinnaird
