By Frank Pingue
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – Scottie Scheffler, who has cemented himself as the preeminent force in golf, enters this week’s U.S. Open seeking the third leg of a career Grand Slam while Rory McIlroy hopes to reclaim his major magic and Bryson DeChambeau eyes a repeat title.
World number one Scheffler has three wins in his last four starts, including last month’s PGA Championship, and is clear favorite at Oakmont Country Club where his driving proficiency, elite short game and patient approach could be the difference.
Oakmont, arguably the toughest course in the United States, is a quintessential U.S. Open venue given its penalizing rough, narrow fairways and nerve-testing greens that many expect will ultimately result in a winning score above par.
The physical and mental grind expected this week could open the door for three-times major champion Scheffler, who tends to be in contention wherever he tees it up given his unflappable temperament and exacting style that can wear down a field.
“He’s got no weaknesses in his game. You just feel like when you’re behind Scottie, you have to press because you know he’s not going to make any mistakes,” NBC Sports/Golf Channel analyst Smylie Kaufman said on a U.S. Open media conference call.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam of golf’s four majors at the Masters in April but at the PGA Championship he finished well out of contention while using a back-up driver after his preferred one failed a conformity test.
Now the world number two, fresh off a missed cut at the Canadian Open, will get another crack at an event where he has endured his fair share of heartbreak in recent years.
At the 2024 U.S. Open, where the Northern Irishman was seeking his first major triumph in a decade, McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes and finished runner-up for a second consecutive year.
BIG-HITTING DECHAMBEAU
DeChambeau, looking to become the event’s first repeat winner since Brooks Koepka in 2018, has become a regular force at golf’s biggest events and with five top-six finishes across the last six majors he should be in the mix this week.
The big-hitting DeChambeau, who this year briefly held the final-round lead at the Masters and finished runner-up at the PGA Championship, has become one of the game’s biggest draws due partly to his eponymous YouTube channel.
His willingness to embrace fans when he is in contention for the game’s biggest prizes could him to a third major title as he defends his crown, having also won the U.S. Open in 2020.
“He’s learned that whipping up the crowd, becoming connected with the crowd only helps him — not only helps him get cheered for, but I think it helps him with his own confidence level,” said NBC Sports play-by-play commentator Dan Hicks.
“He’s become a lot more dangerous of a guy, especially at the biggest ones they play, the majors. And that’s proven to be true.”
Among some of the other notables in the 156-player field at Oakmont are Spaniard Jon Rahm, British Open champion Xander Schauffele and Swede Ludvig Aberg.
A stern test awaits at Oakmont — which is hosting a U.S. Open for a record 10th time and first since 2016.
Accuracy off the tee will be paramount given the penal rough lining Oakmont’s narrow fairways that lead to greens that could be the fastest players compete on all year.
“It’s going to be an absolute physical, mental grind,” said Kaufman. “I think you’ll see the toughest players on Sunday that are in contention, it will be the guys that have been able to keep their wits about them, not have those blow-up holes completely derail their championship.
“It sounds like it’s going to be crazy, crazy hard.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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