U.S. Open Player Power Rankings: Top 10 Players To Watch

June 8, 2025

TourPicks ranks his top-10 Players to watch for at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. His insights on the top-10 golfers for the week and reasons why they are primed to win.

Its professional golf's ultimate examination of skill, patience, and perseverance. Welcome to U.S. Open week, my personal favorite tournament of the year, and Oakmont Country Club is ready to push players to their breaking point. It's one of the most iconic venues on American soil, and I set out to find the ten players who are best positioned for success. Who's got what it takes to tackle Oakmont?

In this article, given the historical context and data, I'll break down my Top 10 Power Rankings for players based on recent form and specific player profiles that I believe are the best data-driven fits for Oakmont Country Club. It's not only a question of who will survive, but also a question of who is built to thrive when put to the ultimate test in golf.

Let’s get right into my Top 10 Power Rankings for the 2025 U.S. Open:

No. 10 - Shane Lowry

• Hard to ignore the extraordinary Ballstriking run that Shane Lowry is currently on. He's playing the best in his career from tee to green.

• One of the most accurate players in the field off the tee, and Lowry takes advantage often on courses that demand precision. He ranks 2nd best in the field in strokes gained Approach on courses with a high missed fairway penalty, like Oakmont.
• Will he exercise the demons from 2016, when he led the U.S. Open thru 54 holes at Oakmont Country Club? Lowry shot +6 on Sunday.

Shane Lowry told an incredible story about the Sunday before the 2016 U.S. Open. 😂https://t.co/nhFvPIxfp1

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 5, 2025

No. 9 - Sepp Straka

• When it comes to elite play with their irons, the only player better than Sepp Straka at the moment is Scottie Scheffler.

• Ranked 2nd in SG: Approach over the past 36 rounds played. Straka has two wins this season and just finished 3rd at the Memorial.
• He's getting better in Majors, and while he hasn't truly threatened contention, Straka has elevated his game on courses with tough scoring conditions of late.

No. 8 - Patrick Cantlay

• He's the type of strategic technician that you want to back at a U.S. Open. He can play with unwavering focus and has a veteran caddie in Joe Lacava carrying his bag, who understands the assignment.

• Over the past 30 rounds, Cantlay ranks 21st in SG: OTT and 5th best in SG: APP. You have to be in good control of your golf ball around Oakmont, and this should bring Cantlay confidence.
• He's been inconsistent with his putter this season, but Cantlay often excels on lightning-fast greens. Oakmont has stated they will aim to get their greens rolling at a 14!!

No. 7 - Collin Morikawa

• Morikawa remains highly accurate off the tee. I don't expect Oakmont to reward power with the Driver disproportionally, but rather an advantage to playing from the fairways and avoiding the five-inch rough.

• Ranks 3rd best in the field in strokes gained total on hard golf courses. Oakmont will be the hardest course that they play all season.
• Quite frankly, it's been way too long for a player of the caliber of Collin Morikwa to go winless. I don't think he ends the drought this week, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the first page.

No. 6 - Xander Schauffele

• Schauffele is a proven commodity in Major Championships. Now fully healthy, it's time for him to return to contention.

• His iron play is improving and showing signs. He's gained strokes on approach in five of his last six tournaments, including +4.3 at the Memorial Tournament.
• Which Schauffele will get OTT? He ranks a measly 79th OTT over his past 36 rounds, but he 4th best in the field over the past 36 rounds at Majors only.

No. 5 - Joaquin Niemann

• There are too many quality players who haven't tasted the feeling of a win in a long time. Niemann isn't him. He just racked up another victory at LIV Virginia.

• Niemann has the power and accuracy with his Driver to possess an extreme advantage OTT in tournaments like U.S. Open's.
• He may have finally cracked the code for the Major at Quail Hollow. It feels like he's now primed to be a regular on Championship Sundays.

LIV events this season: 8

LIV events won by Joaquin Niemann this season: 4
pic.twitter.com/L19EqmE5Sx

— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) June 8, 2025

No. 4 - Jon Rahm

• Rahm respawned back into the Major Championship scene at the PGA Championship. He finished T8, but was tied for the lead on the back nine on Sunday.
• Underrated short game with proven ability around the greens on courses with thick greenside rough. He's got great hands and an arsenal of shots he can play.
• With wet conditions expected, Rahm has the sheer power to carry it about as long as any player in the field. The former U.S. Open Champion is ready to win again.

No. 3 - Rory McIlroy

• When you zoom in, McIlroy is in a weird place heading into this Major. Media drama, his schedule under a microscope, and driver questions make it hard to garner confidence.

• Zooming out a bit, he won the Masters, the Players, and the Pebble Beach Signature Event in the last four months!
• He's got the perfect skill attributes to take on a course with the difficulty of Oakmont. McIlroy will be playing the Driver-Wedge combo a lot.

Rory McIlroy admits he's been struggling to stay motivated after winning The Masters and achieving the career grand slam, "Grinding on the range for 3 or 4 hours everyday is maybe a little tougher than it used to be." pic.twitter.com/MMRkJIAoUK

— Chris McKee (@mrmckee) June 5, 2025

No. 2 - Bryson DeChambeau

• DeChambeau is the best value proposition on the odds board to win. It's Bryson, Scheffler, and then the rest of the field as far as I'm concerned, and DeChambeau if 3x the odds.

• Ranks #1 in SG: OTT in the following categories: last 30 rounds total, last 30 rounds in Majors, last 30 rounds on courses with long rough.
• Vastly underrated short game, DeChambeau is averaging +5.4 strokes gained with his short game in the past six Major Championships.

No. 1 - Scottie Scheffler

• What's really left to say. He's on a generational run that will go down as one of the best in the history of golf.
• I'm holding out hope of a small chance that he becomes frustrated by the course conditions, because Scottie is the only thing that can stop Scottie at this point.
• A surgeon off the tee, an artist with the irons, and a wizard around the greens. All that said, it's his course management and strategy that make him the best in the world. Oakmont will demand patience and strategy, and no player is better suited for the challenge.

Betting on Scottie Scheffler is the best investment around. 😂

(H/T: @bookies) pic.twitter.com/XNuGgF8XFt

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 6, 2025

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