2025 U.S. Open leaderboard: J.J. Spaun sizzles as Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm chase in difficult start at Oakmont

Spaun shot a bogey-free 66 to surprisingly lead the pack as Oakmont bared its teeth once again

The first round of the 2025 U.S. Open lived up to the billing as Oakmont Country Club yielded only 10 rounds under par -- with an average score near 5 over par -- despite ideal conditions on Thursday.  The round of the day belonged to J.J. Spaun, who shot a bogey-free 66, becoming just the second player to achieve that mark in the last three U.S. Opens at Oakmont dating back to 2007.

The only other man to accomplish that feat was Dustin Johnson (Round 1, 2016), and Spaun will now focus on ensuring the rest of his tournament goes as well as Johnson's did that year when he won his first major title.

While Spaun made Oakmont look pretty simple, the course showed its teeth to many of the world's best. Scottie Scheffler (73), Bryson DeChambeau (73) and Rory McIlroy (74) all struggled to get around Oakmont as the three players who led on the pre-tournament odds sheet coming all have plenty of work to do Friday if they plan to move into contention. 

The star that performed best Thursday was Jon Rahm. The 2021 U.S. Open champion navigated his way around Oakmont for a 69 that included 14 pars, two bogeys, one birdie and an eagle on the par-5 4th. With that performance, Rahm became the betting favorite to win his second U.S. Open, leaping Scheffler, per BetMGM Sportsbook.

Also in pursuit of Spaun is another former U.S. Open champion in Brooks Koepka, who hasn't contended at a major since his last win at the 2023 PGA Championship. Koepka found his A-game seemingly out of nowhere Thursday, closing with a birdie on No. 18 to post 68 and sit just two back.

Friday will go a long way toward informing us whether the Koepka of old is back, the player who piled up five majors and briefly stood as the greatest competitor of his generation in such events. But at least for one day, he was again sensational to watch.

2025 U.S. Open leaderboard breakdown, Round 1

1. J.J. Spaun (-4): Spaun did all of his damage on his first nine after starting on No. 10, making four birdies to turn at 31. On his second side, he couldn't reproduce the same level of ball-striking but atoned for that with an unbelievable performance on the greens as he made six par putts from over 7 feet on the day -- four coming on his second side. Now the challenge is getting through another clean round at Oakmont, where it's often difficult to maintain that level of success on the greens.

2. Thriston Lawrence (-3): Lawrence made a double on No. 9 to turn at even par, but he rallied on the back nine with three birdies and no bogeys to move into second place. While Spaun has elevated himself into the top 25 in the world this season and pushed Rory McIlroy to a playoff at The Players, this is a far more shocking performance from Lawrence, who missed 7 of his last 8 cuts on the PGA Tour. However, he did have a fourth place finish at last year's Open, so this isn't entirely uncharted territory for the South African. 

T3. Si Woo Kim, Brooks Koepka, Sungjae Im (-2): Kim played a fantastic round in the morning and then delivered the funniest quote of the day after shooting a 68 where only two other players beat him: "Honestly, I don't even know what I'm doing on the course. Kinda hitting good, but [I] feel like this course is too hard for me. So, kinda like no expectation, but I played great today." 

We'll see whether Kim can find a way to play great again Friday, but he's not even putting pressure on himself to replicate that performance given the known difficulties Oakmont will throw his way. Joining him at 2 under is fellow countryman Sungjae Im, who had the solo lead at 5 under after 11 holes but gave three shots back coming into the clubhouse. 

The other name at 2 under is Koepka. The two-time U.S. Open champion's success at difficult major tests used to make him a pre-tournament favorite at this event every year, but he's been a non-factor in majors of late and entered this week at 90-1. That made his 68 on Thursday surprising, but we all know how well Koepka can grind through a difficult U.S. Open setup. After the way he played Thursday, no one should be shocked if he's in the mix through Sunday. 

T6. Jon Rahm, Thomas Detry (-1): Rahm is starting look like his old self again, and after a top 10 at the PGA, he's right back in the mix at Oakmont. His opening-round 69 has him as the new betting favorite, leaping Scheffler after the world's No. 1 struggled to a 73. Detry, Nicholas and Neergaard-Petersen round out the rest of the players that were able to get it in red figures on Thursday. Neergaard-Petersen was 3 under for much of his day and had multiple putts to tie the lead, but a tough closing stretch dropped him back. 

T11. Jordan Spieth, Russell Henley, Adam Scott, Collin Morikawa and five others (E): It was a vintage Spieth rollercoaster round with five birdies and five bogeys, but he has to be encouraged by his ball-striking and a solid effort on the greens. Morikawa hit some stunning iron shots to set up birdies, but as is often his issue, he couldn't hole enough midrange putts to really make a move into red figures. Still, he's in good position after the first round; if he can get anything going on the greens, with his ball-striking, he will be a real threat. Then there are Scott and Henley, two incredibly consistent, steady player. It's no surprise to see them play a solid round, though Scott took a page out of Spieth's book with a wild scorecard on his first nine, including just one par. 

T20. Viktor Hovland and 12 others (+1): There were times Hovland looked like the best player on the course, as he ripped off three birdies in a row in the middle of his round, but other times where he looked lost. That's a microcosm of Hovland's season, and he'll have to figure out how to clean up his card if he's going to contend this week. 

T33. Ludvig Åberg, Xander Schauffele and 15 others (+2): Åberg made the turn at 2 under but had a disastrous close to his round with four bogeys in his last five holes to fall six shots off the pace. Schauffele, meanwhile, had the opposite journey to 2 over, as he struggled mightily until closing with back-to-back birdies to put a solid score on the card. 

T49. Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and 13 others (+3): Scheffler and DeChambeau had high hopes coming in, but neither could string together much of anything positive. DeChambeau stumbled home with four bogeys in his final 10 holes after getting it to 1 under, while Scheffler made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes with six bogeys on his card. They're both still sitting near the top of the odds sheet, but they have little margin for error the next three rounds if one of them is going to win their fourth major title. Reed, meanwhile, earns an honorable mention for having an albatross and a triple bogey on his card, which I can't imagine has happened often anywhere. 

T62. Rory McIlroy and 18 others (+4): McIlroy's day started off with so much promise as he made the turn at 2 under and looked in full control of his game. And then the wheels came off on the front nine (his second side) with a 6-over 41 that he capped with a double on the 8th. After his missed cut at the Canadian Open, McIlroy really needed to get off to a strong start to turn his mojo around; instead, he's left searching once again and with some work to do Friday to make the cut. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 7:18 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Jon Rahm is now the betting favorite after his 1-under 69

The lack of top stars on the first page of the leaderboard has created quite the shift in the U.S. Open betting odds. Scottie Scheffler opened the week as the biggest pre-tournament favorite since Tiger Woods in 2009 at 11/4, but he's now slid back to 13/2 at BetMGM after a 3-over 73 (which, it's still incredible for someone 7 back to be at that number). 

Leaping him into being the betting favorite is Jon Rahm, who shot a 1-under 69 on Thursday to get into the top 10 just three off J.J. Spaun's lead. Rahm is currently 6-1, with a bunched up group behind with Brooks Koepka at 12-1 after his strong start, Spaun at 12-1, Collin Morikawa at 14-1 and Bryson DeChambeau at 18-1 despite a 73 of his own. It seems like there will be a lot of volatility as the week progresses in the betting market given the lack of stars at the top and few expecting the leaderboard as it stands now to be the same as when we arrive at the end of the second round, much less the end of the tournament. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 7:01 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Scottie Scheffler shoots a disappointing first round 73, seven back of the lead

Scheffler came into Thursday as the biggest pre-tournament favorite at a major since Tiger Woods in 2009, but the world No. 1 did not have his A-game at Oakmont. He looked terrific early, making a birdie on No. 2 to get into red figures and put his name prominently on the leaderboard, but things went awry after that, as he made just two more birdies all round with five bogeys. 

Scheffler's trademarked accuracy and ball-striking did not come through for him on Thursday, as he hit the fairway just 50% of the time off the tee and was right around the field average in strokes gained on approach. That's not the formula for Scheffler to have success, much less dominate, at a course like Oakmont, and when you add in some putting woes to go along with his scratchy ball-striking, you get a 73. 

The good news for Scheffler is it's Thursday and a 73 at an Oakmont U.S. Open is much better than shooting 3 over just about anywhere else. He's just seven off the lead and is capable of playing the kind of golf to reel in J.J. Spaun and the rest of the leaderboard, but he certainly needs to find something that was missing on Thursday. 

He didn't seem particularly comfortable with some of the shots he faced, which is rare for Scheffler, and when he returns to the course on Friday morning he will need to find a different level if he's going to get back into contention. History also isn't on his side, as the last comeback from 7 shots or more down to win a U.S. Open was all the way back in 1998 when Lee Janzen did it, per Justin Ray. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 6:32 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Brooks Koepka finishes with a birdie on No. 18 to shoot 68

For the first time in two years, Brooks Koepka is on the first page of the leaderboard at a major. We haven't seen the version of Brooks that won five majors in some time, but he brought out some of his best on Thursday at Oakmont. The two-time U.S. Open champion fired a first round 68 to get into T5 at the time he signed his card, two back of J.J. Spaun's lead. 

Koepka only broke par on three holes all day, but he made them count and kept his card mostly clean otherwise. Koepka struck early with a long eagle putt on the 4th hole to get into red figures and made eight pars otherwise on his front nine. He dropped both of those shots on the back nine, but closed strong with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18, playing the closing hole at Oakmont to perfection. 

He will have a quick turnaround to a 7:18 a.m. tee time on Friday, where he'll hope to keep the good vibes going in his second round. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 6:08 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Scottie Scheffler drops back to +3 thru 15 as his struggles continue

The world's best player is not having a lot of fun at Oakmont this afternoon. Scottie Scheffler got off to a fast start with great looks at birdie on the first two holes, converting on the second to get to 1 under and it felt like he might go make an early statement. Instead, he immediately gave that birdie back with back-to-back bogeys after visiting the church pew bunkers twice on No. 3 and No. 4, and made two more bogeys and one birdie on his front nine to go out in 37. He picked one shot back up on the 11th and, again, looked like he'd hang around and plot his way to a decent round, but bogeys on the 13th and 15th holes have dropped him back to +3. 

Scheffler's struggles have continued what has been a brutal day for the world's top players. The three leading favorites are now a combined 10 over after Bryson DeChambeau's 73 and Rory McIlroy's 74 earlier in the day. Scheffler will have three holes left, including the drivable par-4 17th, to try and get another shot or two coming into the clubhouse, but it looks like golf's three top stars will all have lots of work to do on Friday to get into contention. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 5:43 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Sungjae Im makes back-to-back bogeys to drop out of the lead

After surging into the solo lead at 5 under, Sungjae Im has lost his bearings a bit at Oakmont. Im was bogey-free in his first 11 holes but has dropped shots at the 3rd and 4th holes to move back into a tie for second with four others at 3 under. On the 3rd he found the church pew bunkers on the left and left his layup in the rough, while on the 4th he tried to cover too much out of the first cut and left his second in a bunker and then went long and into the rough on his third into the par 5. Im looked like he had it on rails after his back-to-back birdies to start the front nine (his second nine), but got a reminder of how quickly things can change at Oakmont. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 5:31 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Jon Rahm eagles the 4th to move to -2

The top of the leaderboard has been light on big names aside from very early in the morning, but Jon Rahm broke into the first page with a tremendous eagle on the par-5 4th hole (his 13th). Rahm hit a great drive to leave 252 yards in and then hit a beautiful long iron 25 feet below the hole and allowed it to release up to hole high. 

Rahm rolled that putt in for eagle to get to 2 under on the day and move into red figures for the first time all day after making a birdie on the 3rd. The 2021 U.S. Open champion will be looking to continue his second nine charge on Thursday to get even closer to the leaders at 4 under, as he looks to add a third major championship to his collection. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 4:50 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Sungjae Im moves to -5, passing J.J. Spaun for the first round lead

When J.J. Spaun posted 66 in the morning wave, it seemed like a tall order for anyone to match him in the afternoon. With the breeze looking like it might pick up and greens firming up, conditions didn't seem to be getting easier for the late wave, and only five players posted scores under par including Spaun from the morning. 

However, Spaun is now looking up at Sungjae Im, who is -5 thru 11* in his first round, getting into a share of the lead with a birdie on the 1st hole (his 10th) and then becoming the first to reach 5 under with another at the 2nd. 

Im got hot early on his first nine with birdies on the 12th, 13th and 14th holes before closing out the inward nine at Oakmont with four straight pars. As he made the turn, he picked up right where he left off with another run of birdies to take the solo lead. The challenge will be getting through the next seven holes unscathed, but Im appears on his way to one of the best rounds of the day. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 4:02 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Jordan Spieth makes back-to-back birdies to get to -1

The 2015 U.S. Open champion hasn't been in the mix in a major since the 2023 Masters, but he's off to a solid start to his first round at Oakmont, making three birdies and two bogeys in his first eight holes. Most recently he's made back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th holes, getting into red figures for the first time thanks to a nice up-and-down from the bunker short of the drivable par 4. 

It is never just an easy-going round with Spieth, but the positive right now is that he looks very comfortable on the greens, which was always his strength when he was at his very best. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 3:29 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Sam Burns, Sungjae Im with the best rounds on the course at -3

The low rounds of the afternoon wave currently belong to Sam Burns (thru 7) and Sungjae Im (thru 6*), as they are 3 under on their first nines and sit tied for second, one back of J.J. Spaun's lead. 

Burns made three birdies in his first five holes, as he's carried over his strong form from a runner-up finish at the Canadian Open last week. 

On the opposite side of the course, Im began the day on No. 10 and went on a run of three straight birdies on Nos. 12, 13 and 14 to climb the leaderboard. We saw in the early wave a number of players get off to solid starts, but the challenge at Oakmont is maintaining that form and focus for 18 holes. Only five players could do that in the early wave to post under par rounds, and with 17 players in red figures early in the afternoon, we'll see how many can stay there once it's time to sign their cards at the end of the day. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 3:00 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Patrick Reed holes out from 286 yards for 4th double eagle at U.S. Open since 1983

The shot of the tournament now belongs to Patrick Reed, who went from 1 over to 2 under with one swing of a fairway wood on the par-5 4th hole. Reed had 286 yards in on the 622-yard par 5 and hit an inch-perfect wood, landing it 30 feet below the hole and had it track up the hill straight into the cup. 

Reed had no idea he's holed his shot, as you can't see the hole from the fairway, so he had an extremely subdued reaction to his historic shot. It is just the fourth albatross since 1983 in a U.S. Open, and making one at the ever-difficult Oakmont is quite the accomplishment. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 2:30 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Thriston Lawrence shoots a 3-under 67, one back of J.J. Spaun

The last players from the morning wave are finishing up their opening rounds, and Thriston Lawrence became the fifth player to post a round under par with a tremendous 3-under 67 to get into second alone. He trails leader J.J. Spaun by one, and did his damage on the back nine, making three birdies on the back side to get into the clubhouse with the second best round of the day. 

Lawrence has missed the cut in 3 of his last 4 major starts and 7 of his last 8 starts on Tour, but found a little something on Thursday at Oakmont and now is in great position to not only make the cut but get in real contention for the second time in his career at a major -- he finished 4th at last year's Open. The challenge will arrive on Friday when he has to sleep on what figures to be a top 5 position at minimum, even with half the field still on the course, and arrives at the course with plenty of eyeballs on him for his second round. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 2:24 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Brooks Koepka hits a bomb for eagle to move to 2 under

The 2-time U.S. Open champion hasn't been a factor in the majors for two years, but perhaps the challenge of Oakmont will bring about the return of Big Course Brooks. After opening with three straight pars, Koepka found the middle of the green in two on No. 4, and while the hope was for a two-putt birdie, he got a bit of a bonus as the hole got in the way of a putt that was moving with some speed and dropped for eagle. 

Would that putt have gone 12 feet by if it missed? Perhaps, but who cares. That's a big bird for Brooks who is now 2 under early and can get that feeling again of being in contention at a major for the first time since winning the 2023 PGA Championship. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 2:06 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Scottie Scheffler birdies No. 2 to get into red figures early

The world No. 1 and heavy favorite is on the course, and after coming up an inch short of a birdie on the 1st, Scottie Scheffler made easy work of the 2nd to open his birdie account this week at Oakmont. Scheffler pumped his drive up just shy of the bunker on the left and left himself a short wedge shot that he kept just below the hole. From there, Scheffler could be aggressive putting back up the hill and poured in the birdie putt to move to 1 under. 

While the lead is 4 under after J.J. Spaun's incredible 66, it's pretty clear that anything at even or better is going to be a fantastic score on Thursday (and all week) at Oakmont. Scheffler is one of the best at getting off to solid starts and staying close enough to the leaders that, over the course of four rounds, his steadiness will eventually push him to the top of the leaderboard. That could be his formula again at Oakmont, but he'll also see if he can't put some pressure on Spaun in this first round. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 1:21 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Bryson DeChambeau opens with a 73, Rory McIlroy shoots 74 as favorites struggle to close out Thursday at Oakmont

Early Thursday morning, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau were both on the first page of the leaderboard as McIlroy made the turn at 2 under, while DeChambeau was 1 under for much of his front side before making the turn at E. However, unlike J.J. Spaun, the two stars could not maintain that pace on their second nines and fell well off the pace set by Spaun's sensational 66. 

McIlroy made a mess of the front nine (his back nine) with four bogeys and a double, to fall all the way back to +4. After putting together a clean first nine, McIlroy started to find himself in the Oakmont rough more often than he'd like, including this adventure on the par-5 4th -- that he somehow limited the damage to a bogey. 

His biggest blowup came on the 276-yard par-4 8th, when he missed the green to the right and left his first chip in the rough, and couldn't get up-and-down from there to save bogey. It was a disappointing close to McIlroy's day that started so promisingly, as he seemed to finally be back in the groove we saw him in early in the year. At 4 over, he's certainly not out of contention for the weekend (or, really, even the win), but he will have to figure out how to straighten things out before Friday if he's going to stabilize things. 

DeChambeau's round followed a similar pattern to McIlroy's, as he got to red figures midway through his front nine, but dropped back to E on the 9th and couldn't get anything going on the back side. He made a mess of the par-5 12th after hitting it over the green in two, hitting a horrific chip that sailed all the way over the green into the rough on the other side of the hole and then left that in the rough for his fourth. Like McIlroy on the 4th, he made a rather incredible bogey putt from off the green to avoid a huge blow-up, but could never get that back despite some reasonable looks at birdie. 

The reigning U.S. Open champion is now seven back of Spaun and, like McIlroy, has a chance to win but will need to find more fairways and find his feel on the greens. Putting has been his strength in the majors lately, but he did not look comfortable with the speed of the greens at Oakmont on Thursday. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 12:47 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

J.J. Spaun shoots bogey-free 66 to take the lead at the U.S. Open

The round of the day belongs to J.J. Spaun, who managed to get around Oakmont without dropping a shot in a phenomenal round of golf, shooting a 4-under 66 to post a new clubhouse lead. It is Spaun's lowest career round in a major and comes at the most difficult major venue out there. 

Spaun began his day on the back nine and got off to a terrific start by chipping in from the rough just right of the flag on the 10th. 

Spaun carried that momentum through his entire first nine, making three more birdies and putting on a ball-striking clinic, headlined by this tee shot on the long par-3 16th to set up his third birdie of the day. 

When he made the turn to the front nine, he was just in the business of hanging on as conditions continued to get more difficult and his swing was no longer on cruise control. Spaun missed off the tee on a few holes, including finding the church pews left of the 4th, but was a magician on the greens, pulling off incredible escapes to put pars on the card. Spaun made 10 straight pars from the 18th thru the 9th, including some lengthy par-saving putts like this 17-footer on No. 6 after finding the bunker off the tee. 

Spaun's 66 is the first bogey-free round at Oakmont in the U.S. Open since Dustin Johnson opened the 2016 U.S. Open without a dropped shot on his way to a victory. Spaun will hope to make that stat into a trend, and it'll take something spectacular from the rest of the field to prevent him from being the solo leader by the end of today. Spaun will have some things to work out on the range after a scratchy ball-striking second nine, but if he can keep up this feel on the greens all week, he will have a great chance to stay in contention. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 12:34 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Back-to-back bogeys drop Bryson DeChambeau to +3

After a strong start to the day, the reigning U.S. Open champion is feeling the full brunt of Oakmont over his last eight holes. DeChambeau closed his front nine with a bogey on No. 9 and has added bogeys on No. 12, 15 and 16 to fall back to 3 over, seven behind leader J.J. Spaun. While 3 over isn't a disaster, DeChambeau looked to be in the mix for a top 10 position early in his round, but has started to leak a bit of oil with wayward tee shots that have put him in difficult positions. He does have the drivable 17th coming up to try and get something back before he battles the long 18th to finish out his day. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 11:56 am ET · Robby Kalland]

J.J. Spaun continues to pull off miraculous pars to stay at 4 under

After an incredible 31 on the back nine (his first nine) at Oakmont, J.J. Spaun has been fighting some misses on the front side (his second nine) off the tee and with his irons. And yet, Spaun hasn't dropped a shot and remains the solo leader by two shots thanks to some incredible saves on the green to keep his round bogey free. 

Spaun made an incredible two-putt on the 1st to save par after tugging his approach to the far left side of the green. He drove it into the church pews on the 4th hole, but got up-and-down after a punch out for a par save there. On the par-3 6th, he left his tee shot in the bunker short and could only splash out to 17 feet behind the hole, but once again rolled in a lengthy par putt to stay on the tracks. 

It has been incredible to watch Spaun keep this thing together as he's not had his best on his second nine, but keeps finding ways to make pars. If he can make 3 more and post a 66, he'll have a great chance at holding the 18-hole lead, even with the afternoon wave still left to play. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 11:46 am ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy makes an incredible bogey on the par-5 4th after driving it in a ditch

The first real wayward swing of the day for Rory McIlroy off the tee came on the par-5 4th (his 13th) as he sprayed it well right into one of the ditches filled with long fescue that's marked as a hazard. Rather than taking a drop, McIlroy opted to hack out but put himself in even more trouble in the rough just above a bunker with a terrible stance. He could only advance that 10 yards and then had to hack out of more long rough to leave 175 yards in for his fifth. 

He hit a solid approach from there to just outside 30 feet and seemed like he could escape with a double, but did one better than that by pouring in his bogey putt to avoid a real disaster and stay at even for the tournament. 

That, like a similar bogey save from Bryson DeChambeau on the 12th, could prove incredibly important as the week goes on. At Oakmont, it's all about double avoidance and McIlroy did that in incredible fashion on the 4th to keep things on the tracks. Bogeys won't kill you in this year's U.S. Open, and if anything he'll feel like he stole a shot or two after how the hole started. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 11:18 am ET · Robby Kalland]

Shane Lowry holes out for eagle on No. 3

The first 11 holes of the day did not go as planned for Shane Lowry, as he made two doubles, two bogeys and no birdies as he opened his U.S. Open, showing Oakmont's challenge even in ideal conditions. However, the Irishman got a little ray of sunshine on the 3rd hole (his 12th) when he holed out from the fairway for eagle, moving from +6 to +4 -- and offering a response fitting of a man that far down the leaderboard. 

Like Maxwell Moldovan at the 1st earlier in the morning, Lowry's eagle is the first ever in U.S. Open play on the 3rd at Oakmont. While we've seen some excellent scores early on Thursday, there's a long way to go before we reach the cut on Friday afternoon and an eagle to get back to 4 over could go a long way in getting Lowry into the weekend. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 10:30 am ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy makes the turn at -2 in impressive first nine showing

Of the names at the top of the world of golf, no one came into this week's U.S. Open with more doubt than Rory McIlroy. Fresh off a missed cut at the Canadian Open, McIlroy was searching for answers off the tee and had many questioning his motivation as he'd seemed flat ever since winning at the Masters. That made his performance on Thursday morning all the more impressive, as McIlroy looked better than we'd seen him since Augusta in his first nine, going out in 2-under 33 on the back nine at Oakmont. 

A long birdie putt on the 11th got him into red figures and he backed that up with a birdie on the par-5 12th, which he reached in two thanks to a 392-yard drive that proved he'd straightened out his driver problems. 

McIlroy would make six straight pars after that to keep his card clean through the first nine, making the turn to the front side two behind J.J. Spaun but looking to be in great form once again. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 10:01 am ET · Robby Kalland]

Ludvig Åberg, Adam Scott make the turn at -2 after a terrific birdies on the 18th

The scoring in red figures continues as the morning wave enjoys some ideal conditions at Oakmont. After J.J. Spaun made the turn at -4, Åberg and Scott have followed suit with 33s on the back nine thanks to some sporty birdies on the usually difficult 18th. Both Åberg and Scott found the fairway off the tee and then took dead aim at the flagstick, firing approaches to inside 6 feet to set up birdies. 

Scott managed to fit his approach inside Åberg's from a bit closer, setting up his fifth birdie of the round. 

Åberg's round has been steady, with just one bogey on the card and three birdies, while Scott has explored the space a bit more at Oakmont with a wild card with five birdies, three bogeys and just one par. They'll now turn to the front nine (which is typically the more difficult side) and see if they can reel in Spaun and get to the top of the leaderboard early in the U.S. Open. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 9:29 am ET · Robby Kalland]

J.J. Spaun remains red-hot, pushes lead to -4

The early solo leader at the 2025 U.S. Open is not someone many expected to see at the top of the leaderboard at any point, but J.J. Spaun has played some incredible golf on his first eight holes to get to 4 under -- one ahead of Gary Woodland in second. 

Spaun chipped in for birdie out of the thick rough on the 10th (his first) and has been a fairway and green finding machine ever since, keeping his card bogey-free through the eight holes. It's been a ball-striking exhibition, with his best coming on the par-3 16th as he stuffed one to inside 6 feet leading to his third birdie of the day. 

He followed that up by driving the short par-4 17th, running just through the green into the rough and got up-and-down for birdie from there to move it to -4 going to the 18th (his ninth). We'll see if he can navigate the final 10 holes of his round as smoothly as he's started, but if he can stay even par through the rest of his round (a tall order, for sure) he could post a number that might hold up as the lead all day. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 9:11 am ET · Robby Kalland]

Maxwell Moldovan makes the first eagle at No. 1 in Oakmont's U.S. Open history

The early morning wave has enjoyed the best of the scoring conditions we will see at Oakmont this week, and the result has been some tremendous approach shots. No one has hit a better approach on Thursday morning than Maxwell Moldovan, as the qualifier opened his championship with an eagle 2 at the first hole, using the slope short of the green to work the ball towards the cup. 

It wasn't just a rare eagle, but it was a history making one as Moldovan's 2 on the 1st was the first time anyone had eagled that hole in U.S. Open play -- with more than 3,000 opportunities over the years. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 8:30 am ET · Robby Kalland]

Rory McIlroy buries a long birdie putt on No. 11, hits 392-yard drive on No. 12

Rory McIlroy's odds coming into the week plummeted after his recent struggles, most notably a missed cut at the Canadian Open where he looked completely lost off the tee. McIlroy went back to an old driver model he was more comfortable for this week, and while the true test will be how it holds up across 72 holes, the early returns are positive. 

McIlroy pulled less than driver on his first two holes of the day -- the 10th and 11th -- and cashed in a long birdie putt on the 11th to get into red figures early on his first round.  

He then unleashed the driver on the 618 yard par-5 12th, carrying the bunker down the left for what became a 392-yard drive that showed that maybe he really had figured something out. 

McIlroy would pay that off with an excellent two-putt birdie from over 50 feet (after a great second shot that just kept rolling away from the hole). That moved him to 2 under and tied for the early lead. If this version of Rory shows up all week, we are going to have to recalibrate our expectations this week. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 8:15 am ET · Robby Kalland]

Ludvig Åberg, J.J. Spaun get off to a hot start

As difficult as Oakmont is, we're seeing some early birdies on both sides of the golf course on Thursday morning. Ludvig Åberg began his first round with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11 thanks to two absolute darts from the fairway. 

Also on the back nine to start his day is J.J. Spaun, who chipped in for birdie on the 10th and added another on the 12th to get himself to -2 early in his opening round. 

Spaun's chip showed how delicate short game shots are at Oakmont, but with how pure the greens are they're doable if you can get the ball to pop out of the rough softly. The challenge for both will be to maintain their pace -- Åberg appears headed for a bogey on No. 12 after leaving his fourth from the bunker in the rough -- on a course where danger lurks at every turn. 

[Jun 12, 2025 at 7:40 am ET · Adam Silverstein]

Stars explain key equipment changes

Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy are expected to be two of Scottie Scheffler's biggest threats this week, and both players are making some significant equipment changes that will be put to the major test for the first time this week at Oakmont. For McIlroy, his change is an unsurprising one -- putting a new (old) driver in the bag after last week's disaster at TPC Toronto in the RBC Canadian Open.  For DeChambeau, his change is even more dramatic as he's putting new irons in play for the first time at a major. 

2025 U.S. Open: Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau explain key equipment changes ahead of major at Oakmont

Robby Kalland

[Jun 12, 2025 at 7:25 am ET · Adam Silverstein]

Tiger Woods weighs in about Oakmont

For the third major in a row, Tiger Woods will not be part of the field at the 2025 U.S. Open as he continues his rehab from a torn Achilles earlier this year. However, while the legend isn't teeing it up at Oakmont Country Club, he knows a thing or two about competing in U.S. Opens at the venue. Tiger finished tied for second behind Angel Cabrera in 2007, coming painfully close to what would've been, at the time, his third U.S. Open title. (He added it a year later in his iconic performance at Torrey Pines.)

Woods knows the kind of brutal test Oakmont presents and shared some thoughts this week: "You just have to hit the golf ball well there. There's no faking it about Oakmont. The golf course is big, yes, but it just -- there's no way around it. You just have to hit the golf ball well. And it favors longer hitters, just because of the greens, the complexes, it helps so much to be coming in with a shorter iron to be able to stop the ball on the greens. And it's about missing the ball in the correct spots. Because if you don't, it's an auto-bogey."

Tiger Woods explains why 'there's no faking it' around Oakmont ahead of U.S. Open 2025

Robby Kalland

[Jun 12, 2025 at 7:10 am ET · Adam Silverstein]

U.S. Open TV schedule, coverage guide

The third major championship of the 2025 golf season has arrived with the game's two best players already claiming the most notable titles of the year. The USGA has loaded up its premier event with nearly all the best golfers in the world competing as the 2025 U.S. Open features 156 contenders hoping to battle across 72 holes at Oakmont Country Club for the 10th time.

The most visited U.S. Open site -- hosting for the first time since 2016 -- begins play with Scottie Scheffler atop the odds board as a heavy 11/4 favorite, per BetMGM. The reigning PGA champion, who went from winless in 2025 to becoming a three-event PGA Tour victor in the span of about a month, will seek the third leg of his career grand slam with two green jackets and a Wanamaker Trophy already in his possession.

As far as the legends go, Tiger Woods remains sidelined while recovering from unexpected surgery as Phil Mickelson looks to be making his 11th and final run at the career grand slam. Mickelson has finished 2nd at the U.S. Open an astounding six times (1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2013), and while he is a severe longshot at Oakmont, stranger things have happened in golf.

Here's where you can watch as much U.S. Open as possible during the week.

2025 U.S. Open TV schedule, coverage, channel, where to watch online, live stream, golf tee times at Oakmont

Adam Silverstein

[Jun 12, 2025 at 6:55 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

One of these nine golfers will win at Oakmont Country Club

OAKMONT, Pa -- Major championships have moved in favor of the best players in the world in recent years. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and reigning national champion Bryson DeChambeau have combined to win the last six, and one of them may well extend that streak to seven this week at the 2025 U.S. Open.

The gap between the world's best and the rest is noticeably similar to a ravine crossing through the fairways at Oakmont Country Club or the yardage on the par-3 8th, which stretches to nearly 300 yards. It catches one's eye, and it is hard to ignore. That would normally make a prognostication for this U.S. Open somewhat simplistic, but this tournament has a way of turning things on its head, making one reconsider what they believe.

Let's take a look at the nine golfers most likely to conquer Oakmont Country Club by Sunday evening.

2025 U.S. Open predictions, picks, favorites: One of these nine golfers will win at Oakmont Country Club

Patrick McDonald

[Jun 12, 2025 at 6:40 am ET · Patrick McDonald]

U.S. Open picks, expert predictions, favorites to win

OAKMONT, Pa. -- The 125th edition of the U.S. Open returns to the USGA's favorite stomping grounds for the first time in nine years as Oakmont Country Club hosts the national championship for the 10th time in tournament history. The key question everyone is asking remains the same across the golf world: Who are you picking to win the 2025 U.S. Open?

With an extraordinary 156-man field featuring the best golfers in the game contending at the nation's most difficult course, the third major championship of the season should be an epic ride from Thursday's first round through Sunday evening. While the U.S. Open field is stacked, what was once a three-headed monster at the top of the sport -- Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau -- has quickly lost one of its noggins. 

Jon Rahm's resurgence at the PGA forces us to turn attention back the way of the Spaniard, while the likes of Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth represent a trio of Americans hoping for a breakthrough victory to end a variety of recent struggles. Take a look at a variety of expert picks and predictions from our CBS Sports staff.

2025 U.S. Open picks, odds: Expert predictions, favorites to win from betting field at Oakmont

Patrick McDonald