The 2025 US Open held at Oakmont was a major that the players were dreading. This is a golf course that is infamously difficult to the point where players once boycotted it. In the lead-up to the major, a video went viral of groundskeepers operating a fleet of lawnmowers as part of a compromise with the players. It didn’t go well with players claiming that the rough is still too tall and “unplayable.” Now, with the third round coming to a close, fans can see that the players who missed the cut were some of the highest-level players on the field. Others are struggling through it as Oakmont claims its victims.
US Open Champions Who Were Cut
In the lead-up to the US Open, while confirming contract renewal talks, Bryson DeChambeau was the returning champion. He won last year’s tournament and seemed to be poised to defend that title. Failing that, he would at least make it in the top ten, but faith had other ideas. The first two rounds were a struggle for him, so much so that he missed the cut with 10 over. He managed to get three double bogeys in a row.
Shane Lowry was in a very tough spot. He was getting bogey after bogey, just like DeChambeau, and was clearly out of it by the end of the second round at Oakmont. At one point, he was so checked out that he made a rookie mistake of moving his ball before marking its spot. A move that gave him a one-stroke penalty, but he had a good sense of humor about it. He was cut with 17 over.
Players Struggling
Plenty of other players are struggling with this major; Rory McIlroy is one such example. He was Shane Lowry’s playing partner when he made the marker mistake. McIlroy has been struggling since his victory at Augusta National. He reached a breaking point at Oakmont when he missed a tee shot on the 12th hole on Friday. He responded in anger by throwing his club. McIlroy has refused to speak with the media after the incident until Saturday.
2025 US Open Tough As Always
Going through the Oakmont course must be a humbling experience for the players involved. There are past champions who were either cut or are trailing. A major note about the past champions who fell behind is that they didn’t win at Oakmont. The last time the tournament was held at this notorious country club was in 2016 when Dustin Johnson won. He was also cut with eight bogeys and no birdies on Friday. This is a merciless course that takes no prisoners; it’s no wonder that it was almost boycotted in 1953. The players are losing sight in the high rough, they’re struggling to get their balls out of the rough, and all the top players are hurting.
Some players are overcoming the conditions of the course. At the time of writing, Sam Burns is in the lead. In the end, there is some good news for some of the players out on the field. One thing is for sure: the players are ready for the US Open to come to an end, and they can leave Oakmont.
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