The 2025 U.S. Open, held at the notoriously difficult Oakmont Country Club, quickly demonstrated why it is often labeled the toughest test in golf. On Thursday, many of the world’s top players, including Scottie Scheffler, struggled to tame the course’s punishing conditions, with Scheffler unable to escape a 3-over-par first round. Despite his recent success and status as world number one, Scheffler’s performance appeared to be affected by the challenge of Oakmont alongside the echoes of a warning he received from Tiger Woods about the course’s unique demands.
Oakmont’s infamous rough, often extending ankle-deep, and extremely fast, glass-like greens impose severe demands on players’ precision and touch. Success at Oakmont hinges on excellent ball placement, adept spin control, and subtle putting skills. Even with his outstanding scoring average, Scheffler found these conditions unforgiving, as he encountered difficulty balancing aggression and patience under intense pressure early in the tournament.
Scheffler Reflects on Mistakes and the Course’s Brutal Nature
After completing his opening round, Scottie Scheffler openly acknowledged the errors that cost him shots.
“Slow day. I made some silly mistakes out there, but at the same time, I made some key putts and some good momentum saves in my round, but overall just need to be a little sharper,”
he said during a post-round press conference. This admission came despite his recent victory at The Memorial, revealing how Oakmont’s conditions reset even the confidence of top-performing players.
His iron play, one of the game’s strongest weapons, is essential on a course like Oakmont. Tiger Woods, who shared his insights prior to the tournament, emphasized the importance of solid ball striking.
“You just have to hit the golf ball well there. There’s no faking it,”
Woods stated, noting that long hitters gain an advantage by reaching the green in fewer strokes and using shorter irons for more control.
Woods highlighted the utility of shorter irons in managing Oakmont’s lightning-fast greens:
“It just helps so much for coming in with a shorter iron, to be able to sock the ball.”
His main advice warned players about the risks of poor contact:
“It’s about missing the ball in the correct spots, because if you don’t, it’s an oddball.”
This cautionary note mirrors Scheffler’s experience after carding six bogeys in his first round due to errant shots and putting struggles.
Scheffler Aims to Adjust and Improve with Patience
Despite his challenges, Scheffler showed moments of resilience and awareness during the round. He stressed the necessity of patience on Oakmont’s demanding greens and his efforts to maintain solid positioning.
“You’ve got to do your best to stay under the hole and stay patient. I felt like I did a pretty good job of executing today. I’ve just got to be a little bit sharper tomorrow,”
Scheffler reflected, having made three birdies, including on the notoriously tough 7th hole, a long par 4 measuring 485 yards.
Scheffler described the strategic dilemma facing players on Oakmont’s 12th hole, a reachable par 5 that can be rewarding or punishing depending on club selection and shot placement. Attempting to attack the green in two risks overshooting into difficult lies, while playing conservatively may leave an uphill chip from the rough and likely bogey. Such decisions highlight why Oakmont demands both precision and patience from every golfer.
Scheffler’s Putting Woes Add to Oakmont’s Challenge
Alongside his ball striking issues, Scheffler endured trouble on the greens. He reflected on key moments that undermined his score, such as a costly three-putt on the 13th hole, a mishit wedge on 14, and a missed short putt on 15.
“I felt like I was battling back pretty well after the start, and then I had the three-putt there on 13 where I felt like I hit two good enough putts to make a two-point there and get out of there with a par and then kind of a sloppy wedge on 14 and I missed a short one on 15. The greens just got challenging out there late in the day,”
Scheffler said.
The prolonged pace of play, beginning his round at 1:24 PM and lasting over five and a half hours, contributed to both physical and mental fatigue.
“Gosh, I don’t know. I mean, that round took a while. What time did we tee off, 1:24? That’s over five and a half — that’s a long time to be out there on the golf course, especially on a day where there was almost no conditions,”
Scheffler added, pointing to the taxing nature of Oakmont’s course setup.
Even with these setbacks, Scheffler recognized that Oakmont offers opportunities for low scoring if players can manage its demands—a sentiment that contrasts with his own struggles but underlines the challenge’s potential rewards.
J.J. Spaun Emerges as Unexpected Leader
While many favorites found Oakmont unrelenting, J.J. Spaun seized the day with an impressive 4-under-par round, standing alone at the top of the leaderboard after the first round. Spaun’s performance was particularly striking as he had missed the cut in his last tournament, the Memorial, but arrives at Oakmont with valuable experience from two second-place finishes earlier this season, at the Players Championship and the Cognizant Classic.
Spaun delivered a flawless scorecard featuring four birdies without a single bogey, marking him as just the eighth golfer in history to post a bogey-free round during a U.S. Open at Oakmont. Beginning his round from the 10th hole, Spaun quickly gained momentum with a birdie there, followed by a rare birdie on the tricky 12th hole. He maintained strong play with consecutive birdies on the 16th and 17th holes and closed his front nine at even par to stay atop the leaderboard.
This unexpected surge by Spaun amid Oakmont’s punishing conditions raises questions about who truly masters the course on any given day. His steadiness and accuracy so far contrast sharply with the struggles of some favorites, including Scheffler.
Debate Continues: Did Scheffler Underestimate Oakmont or Did Spaun Simply Outperform?
After the opening round, discourse emerged around Scottie Scheffler’s performance and the challenge posed by Oakmont. The question remains whether Scheffler underestimated the course’s brutality or if J.J. Spaun’s quiet and steady approach was simply superior on the day.
Did Scottie Scheffler underestimate Oakmont, or is J.J. Spaun just the better golfer today?
As the tournament continues, Scheffler and other top competitors will look to adapt their strategies and precision in hopes of climbing the leaderboard, while Spaun seeks to maintain his advantage in this intense battle of skill and patience on one of golf’s most punishing stages.