Beginner’s guide to the US Open: All you need to know ahead of Oakmont

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The biggest names in men’s golf are in Pennsylvania this week for the US Open, but why is the event so important and how difficult will players find Oakmont? Here’s all you need to know ahead of the 2025 contest, live on Sky Sports…

What is the US Open?

The US Open is one of the biggest events in the golfing calendar and is the third of four men’s majors annually, following on from The Masters in April and PGA Championship in May and ahead of The Open in July.

It is staged in the USA by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and traditionally finishes on the third Sunday in June, with the venue used changing for each edition.

Where is it taking place?

This year’s US Open, the 125th edition, will be held at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. The venue has previously been described as having the ‘scariest’ greens in golf and the ‘ultimate examination’, with thick rough and the longest par-three in major history among its challenges.

The course hosts the US Open for a tenth time – more than any other venue – and for the first occasion since Dustin Johnson’s 2016 victory. It has also hosted two US Women’s Opens, three PGA Championships and multiple editions of the US Amateur.

Ben Hogan (1953), Jack Nicklaus (1962), Johnny Miller (1973) and Ernie Els (1994) are among the other former US Open winners at Oakmont, which is being set up for this year’s edition as a par-70 and measuring up at 7,382 yards.

Who gets to play in it?

Any professional or amateur with a 0.4 handicap index or lower can sign up to feature, resulting in a record-breaking 10,202 entries for qualifying and the chance to join players already fully exempt.

Local qualifying took place in 110 sites across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the leading players in those 18-hole events then progressing to the final qualifying stage.

A series of 36-hole qualifying events were played in May and June to finalise the field, with 10 sites used in the United States alongside one in each of Canada, England and Japan.

How strong is the field and who is likely to contend?

All the world’s top 60 are eligible to tee it up at the US Open, along with all multiple winners on the PGA Tour over the past 12 months and all major champions over the previous five years.

Bryson DeChambeau will return as defending champion after last year’s one-shot victory over Rory McIlroy, who won The Masters in April to complete the career Grand Slam, while world No 1 Scottie Scheffler is favourite after his PGA Championship success last month.

Xander Schauffele and Scheffler both could move three-quarters of the way towards the career Grand Slam with a victory, while Shane Lowry – who held a four-shot lead after 54 holes in the 2016 US Open – is among the Europeans chasing major glory.

What is the cut and play-off format?

The starting field of 156 golfers play two rounds of golf on Thursday June 12 and Friday June 13, with the top 60 and ties making the cut and progressing through to the weekend.

The leading scorer after 72 holes will win the trophy, while a two-hole aggregate play-off will take place if scores are tied after the final round. The tournament previously used an 18-hole play-off the following day, with Tiger Woods the last to win under that system in 2008.

How much prize money is available?

The USGA has yet to announce the prize purse or the winner’s share for the 2025 contest, having had a record-breaking amount on offer last year.

The $21.5 million prize fund in 2024 was the largest in all majors, while the $4.3m to the winner was the biggest cheque for a one-off event outside of the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship.

What does the winner get?

The US Open champion receives the Jack Nicklaus Medal, a replica version of the trophy and a list of exemptions, including an invite to the tournament for the next 10 years.

The winner also secures invites to the next five editions of The Masters, PGA Championship, Open Championship and The Players, along with a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

What else is up for grabs?

The top 10 finishers – and ties – will be exempt into the following year’s US Open, while the top four finishers and ties will be invited to The Masters at Augusta National the following April.

There’s more FedExCup points on offer than regular PGA Tour events, with 750 going to the winner, while players from Europe and the United States can earn qualification points in the race to qualify for this September’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

How did DeChambeau win last year?

DeChambeau capitalised on a late collapse from McIlroy to win the US Open for a second time with a dramatic one-shot victory at Pinehurst No 2.

The American took a three-shot lead into the final day but found himself two behind when McIlroy – playing in the penultimate group – made four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn.

McIlroy remained one ahead until he followed back-to-back bogeys from the 15th with another at the par-four last, missing two putts from inside four feet over that closing stretch, as DeChambeau produced a sensational up and down at the last to secure his second major title.

Who else has impressed before?

2011 champion McIlroy has finished runner-up at the last two US Opens and has posted top 10 finishes in each of the last six years, while Schauffele has been no lower than 14th in his previous eight US Open appearances.

Scheffler was one of the runners-up when Matt Fitzpatrick won the US Open at Brookline in 2022, with Wyndham Clark (2023), Jon Rahm (2021), DeChambeau (2020), Gary Woodland (2019) and Brooks Koepka (2017 and 2018) the other recent winners.

Will Tiger Woods be involved?

Woods is no longer exempt to automatically be included in the US Open field, having last won the event in 2008, not added to his major tally since 2019 and significantly dropped down the world rankings in recent years.

The 49-year-old was handed a special exemption by the USGA to tee it up in last year’s contest, where he missed the cut, but will be missing from the field for the fourth time in five years.

Woods underwent surgery on an Achilles injury in March and has already missed the first two majors of the year, with the former world No 1 playing a limited schedule since a car crash in February 2021 that left him with career-threatening injuries.

How can I watch live on Sky Sports?

“Live from the US Open” will bring eight hours of build-up, interviews, analysis and practice action on Tuesday and Wednesday of tournament week, with coverage getting under way from 2pm each day, before round-the-clock coverage from all four rounds.

Coverage from the first two rounds begins from 12.30pm on Thursday and Friday, with around 12 hours live from both days, with the action starting at 4pm over the weekend.

Daily one-hour highlights will be available on Sky Sports Golf, while the Women’s Amateur Championship and the LPGA Tour’s Meijer LPGA Classic will also be live on Sky Sports during the week.

Who will win the US Open? Watch extended coverage throughout the week live on Sky Sports, with the opening round live on Thursday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream no contract on NOW.

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