If there's a tougher course out there than Oakmont, I'm not sure many professional golfers will want to attempt to play there. Oakmont is known for its brutally challenging rough, but the course as a whole is a difficult one to get through, particularly when the U.S. Open is played there.
It's so hard, in fact, that it's a major accomplishment for a golfer just to finish above or at even par at this course, based on the last U.S. Open held at Oakmont.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the U.S. Open history at this course and how many golfers we might expect to finish around or above par this time around.
When was the last U.S. Open at Oakmont?
The last U.S. Open came in 2016. The tournament had a $1.8 million prize and 600 FedExCup points waiting for the winner, which turned out to be Dustin Johnson. The 2025 U.S. Open will mark the 10th time that Oakmont has hosted the historic event.
How many players were under par at the 2016 U.S. Open?
Golfer | Score |
|---|---|
Dustin Johnson | -4 |
Jim Furyk | -1 |
Shane Lowry | -1 |
Scott Piercy | -1 |
Nope, I didn't leave anyone off. Only four players finished below par in the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, which is hard to fathom. The course is a monster to deal with, but you'd expect the best golfers in the world to be able to handle it without issue. The winner, Dustin Johnson, was the only golfer to even finish comfortably below par, though, showing how much of a challenge the course is the navigate.
What makes the 2016 U.S. Open even crazier is that only a pair of golfers, Sergio Garcia and Branden Grace, finished at even par. A grand total of six golfers of the massive field could say they finished even or below par. That's unheard of.
It'll be interesting to see if the field this season can match or top what the golfers nearly a decade ago were able to accomplish when the tournament gets underway on Thursday.
When will the U.S. Open return to Oakmont next?
Fortunately for the golfers set to participate and for fans hoping to see lots of birdies and eagles, the U.S. Open doesn't have plans to return to Oakmont until 2033, giving everyone seven years to recover from what's to come.
While it'll be a while until the men return to Oakmont for the U.S. Open, there are plans for the U.S. Women's Open to take place at Oakmont in 2028 and for the Walker Cup to be held at Oakmont for the first time in 2032.