What are the challenges of our opening in Oakmont? 2 stars explain pain

The best in the world spent Thursday at the 2025 U.S. Open, Oakmont Country Club kicked teeth. That was expected.

When Dust settled after the first round, the average score was 74.64, making it the hardest first round since 2018 at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, where the wind vanished. There were only two holes hitting two under par on Thursday, compared to 16 rounds in the 1980s. Only eight players shot under par in the first round.

Rory McIlroy hit a quarter of 74, one shot short of World One Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau.

“It’s hard to serve and it’s hard to catch the ball,” Scheffler said after the round. “As long as you don’t have the right amount, the golf course can become really challenging.”

But there is no complaint from the opening of the United States. They were punched in the mouth through a challenging but fair test. That’s what Henry Fownes wanted when he built the course, and Gil Hanse’s recovery exacerbated the pain.

So, what makes Oakmont so difficult, even without the conditions? Two holes in the two best stories in the game.

First, we start with Scheffler and Par-5 hole 12. Scheffler hit his tee for 367 yards and rolled into the first shot. Often, that would be the green light that wears the national flag and has the potential to let yourself see the eagle. But in Oakmont, even if you play a good tee, the challenge has just begun.

“You think of 12 holes,” Scheffler said. “I drove a good momentum from the tee and it got there in the first cut and you think you have a 6 iron in your hand that would be a pretty good scoring chance, and I was sitting on the fairway and I was going to sit there, I don’t know where I would hit this thing because if I would hit the green on the green, then I would be on the green on the 50s and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be on the hill and I would be , and I will be on the mountain, and I will not let me be sad, and that is my hillside, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain, and I will touch it on the mountain. lying, if I hit it, I will shoot a bunker basically from 40 yards of green.

“You basically just try to shoot right because that’s the hard chip, because it’s in the first cut, so I can’t keep it on the green and you hit it to the right and the ball ends up in the hole between the rough and the first cut. Sometimes the ball ends up being the first cut and it’s easy for me. Some days, it’s in the rough and tough challenge.”

Scheffler hits his second shot in a rough run near the green front. He had to pop the chip to the left of the flag, then pull it through the green and sit in the rough dirt. Scheffler fluctuated from 31 yards, but his scoring chance disappeared.

As the day progressed, the 12th hole became more and more difficult and the fairway was firm. Schffler pointed out that it is nearly impossible to land the ball in the middle of the fairway and prevent it from running into rough places.

For Jon Rahm, he hit 69 on Thursday’s 69 shots, and it was 16 of 16, with its demonic green standing out in his mind. Rahm hit a great 5-iron to eight feet, but the green slope prevented him from being aggressive on the Birdie to avoid risking himself back too much.

“Hit one of the 5 best iRons I can hit, maybe [8 1/2 feet] Ram said. Spiritually, like I wanted to make that putter, but I thought I was going to hit three feet and it was downhill. I want to insert it. There are things like this that you don’t realize, or if you leave it in the green [No.1] On that small uphill, how difficult it is to put the rod. There are so many things and so many instances on the golf course that you are not physically there, even if you are in the stands, you don’t understand the real difficulty of it. ”

Robert MacIntyre walked out of the course on Thursday with a uniform round of par. You would think he took the course record from the light he emitted.

“You shot four levels of five-shot matches and walked away with medals and trophys,” McIntyre said.

“It’s so hard – to be honest, every shot you’re on the edge of the knife.”

Welcome to the US Open in Oakmont.