US OPEN 2025: Can anyone stop Scottie Scheffler? Competitors and predictions of teaching for greater victory at Oakmont | Golf news

Scottie Scheffler has played his status as an overwhelming favorite for us open victory, but will the world # 1 enjoy greater success, or can anyone stop him at Oakmont?

Scheffler registered a five -shot victory at the PGA championship last month -his third big win -and followed it up with another impressive success in Memorial Tournament, where the world # 1 is now searching for a fourth win in its last five starts.

The 28-year-old leads all players in Majors since 2022 in several statistics, including scoring and ball striking, with Scheffler producing consistency in recent seasons that were not seen since Tiger Woods.

He has only ended outside the top 10 in four of the last 17 majors, including two top -threes in his last two US Open starts, leaving Scheffler as the shortest betting favorite in a major – with American bookmakers – since Woods at 2009 PGA Championship.

“I’m not aware of the favorite things or something similar,” Scheffler said at his press conference before the tournament. “From Thursday morning we’re on a straight couple and it’s up to me to go out there and play against the golf course and see what I can do.”

Scheffler has been the top of the world arrangement since May 2023 and on course to finish the top of the FedExcup season for a fourth year in a row, while the US Open Victory would give him the chance to end his career Grand Slam in the open next month.

Who is best primed to challenge Scheffler’s bid for back-to-back greater success? We look at some of his most important challengers …

Rory McIlroy

The Nordirishman has placed six consecutive top-nine finish at the US Open and been runner-up for the past two years, missing out on Wyndham Clark in 2023 and Bryson DeChambeau last year, after also demanding his girl-big title in the 2011 competition.

McIlroy is leading Birdies or better on the US Open since 2018 – an average of 3.85 a round – and tops “Strokes got total” statistics in the event in the last five years, with the world # 2 admitting that he has become a “much more confident US open player”.

He ended his wait for an evasive fifth big title and ended his career Grand Slam with a dramatic play-off victory over Justin Rose on Masters, while a win this week would see him drawing the level with Sir Nick Faldos’s all the time Major.

McIlroy said he has to “get his stuff together” this week after not fighting the PGA championship and miss the clip at the US Open, where he fought for tee, but a return to well -known driver model could have a return to the form.

Xander SchaUffele

Last year’s winner of the PGA championship and Open has the best cumulative score for Pari in Majors since the beginning of last year, currently at 38 under and two strokes better than Scheffler.

Schauffele has not gotten worse than 14. In its previous eight US Open appearances, where only Jack Nicklaus (12 years) and Sam Snead (nine years) offer more consecutive top 15s in cases since World War II.

World # 3 has five top-eight finishes in its last six big starts and gets strokes on the field in all eight of its rounds in Majors this season, plus has the best scoring average in the US Open History for players with 20 or more career rounds in the event.

Schauffele is still on his race at 65 consecutive cuts that extend back to Masters in 2022. It would be no surprise to see him challenge for the third part of his career Grand Slam.

Bryson DeChambeau

Dechambeau has delivered Scheffler-Esque levels of consistency in majors, with five top six finish-inclusive last year’s victory and one last day duel on with McIlroy on Masters, ending tied to fifth-in his last six big starts.

The American has disputed in both Majors this year – also completed Runner -Up on the PGA Championship for another consecutive season – and now seems to attend Brooks Koepka (2017 and 2018) as the only players of this century defending their US open title.

He won a Life Golf League event in Korea and has top-five finishes in each of his last four appearances on the Saudi-backed circuit, where Defechambeau recently implemented a “version three” of 3D-printed iron to improve his inconsistent approach.

Dechambeau dominated with a driver in both his 2020 US Open Success and last year’s win, ending in the top four for stroke that got tee in both weeks – with a distance, which is likely to be a big advantage again this week around one of the toughest big tests.

Collin Morikawa

Morikawa has seven top-five finishes in majors since the beginning of 2020 and won the PGA championship that year and the open the following season, with Morikawa also with an excellent American open record.

World # 4 is back without victory this season despite the fact that Runner-Up has finished Sentry and Arnold Palmer Invitational, though he said ahead of this week’s major that he “has played to win” around Oakmont.

Morikawa has four top-15 finishes on the US Open despite historically slowly starting and placing a combined 10 over in opening rounds during this period compared to six during the last three rounds. A good start to Oakmont would attach morikawa to the mixture.

Who else could impress?

Jon Rahm Produced a final round fee during the last month’s PGA championship before it finished tied eighth, while the Spanish is completed in the top 10 in all 21 starts on Liv Golf League since leaving the PGA tour ahead last season.

A player who has surpassed both Rahm and Defechambeau on this orbit is Joaquin NiemannIt goes into the US Open via USA’s new Life Golf League exemption, with last week’s victory in Virginia his fourth of the season.

Justin Thomas won the RBC heritage to quit three years without a PGA Tour -Sejr but is not finished in the top 10 in its last four majors while Shane Lowry held a four-shot lead after 54 holes at Oakmont in 2016 before ending at the bound second behind Dustin Johnson.

Lowry is a former major champion at the outdoors and has already disputed several times on PGA Tour already this season, ending Runner-Up to McIlroy on AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and missed Sepp Straka by the Truist Championship.

Straka is a two-time winner on PGA Tour in 2025 and among those searching for a virgin title, with Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood A former US Open Runner-Up, which has three top 10s in its last five worldwide starts. Will Fleetwood make his first PGA Tour title a big win?

Radar: Scheffler has Tiger Odds

Sky Sports Golf’s Wayne Riley:

“Can anyone stop Scheffler this week? Anyone can stop Scheffler as long as they are on their game, and he is not, especially an McIlroy.

“You can go straight down to a guy like Corey Conners, which is one of the straight men he has a game that fits this type of us open format. You need to stay on the fairway.

“But when he looks at it, he is not 3/1 for no reason, it’s Tiger Wood’s odds of a bigger championship.

“Very difficult, but a straight hitter. Why not Xander?

“If he gets this victory here, he is one away from his career Grand Slam, but right now it’s hard to see former Scheffler.

“We hold onto straws and try to find players who can beat Scottie, but who knows?”

Lowry’s week?

Sky Sports Golf’s Nick Dougherty:

“Someone can stop him, but it’s unlikely.

“If that will happen, it will be Shane Lowry because he is the second best iron player on the PGA Tour, unfortunately behind Scottie Scheffler.

“Tee to Green He has been fantastic all year and obviously has a great story here, he had a bad Sunday, but led the US open in 54 holes and will lead it through 72 at the end of this week.”

Who wins the US open? Watch extended coverage all week live on Sky Sports, with the opening round Live Thursday from 7 p.m. 12.30 Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or Stream No Contract On Now