The 2025 US Open at Oakmont will challenge elite players in a more traditional manner compared to the 2014 championship at Pinehurst No. 2.
Pinehurst was by no means a pushover – Bryson DeChambeau’s six-under winning score demonstrated just how hard the North Carolina venue was playing. However, tee-to-green, the 2024 venue wasn’t as challenging as other US Open venues.
The US Open at Oakmont will return to its core values; there’s no doubt the Pennsylvania venue will host the most challenging major of 2025. Thick, rough, and lightning-fast greens could make for relatively high scoring.
Smylie Kaufman believes Oakmont’s greens are ‘insane’, and Rory McIlroy spoke about how challenging the venue was in 2016, the last time the US Open was held there.
Oakmont also hosted the US Open in 1994, and Pennsylvania native Arnold Palmer discussed the testing layout during his pre-tournament press conference.
What Arnold Palmer said about Oakmont before the 1994 US Open
Palmer initially spoke about his experience of Oakmont when he was just 12 years old.
“I was about twelve years old, and I came here with a guy by the name of Harry Saxman who was a member here, and it was one of the great thrills of my life, just coming here, and I remember almost every detail of that day at twelve years old, and as you know, that is 52 years ago,” Palmer said.
“The fairways, bunkers, rough – there were very, very few trees on this golf course. You could see the entire back nine, and from the 10th tee with maybe the exception of the 16th green, and I mean, it was just wide open. It was grass. It was very much a links-period golf course and the same on the front nine. The Pennsylvania Turnpike wasn’t there yet, so that tells you something.”
Jack Nicklaus, who was sitting beside Palmer, intervened: “It wasn’t there?” Palmer replied: “It was not there.”
The seven-time major winner then revealed that he shot 82 whilst playing Oakmont in his formative years.
“As a matter of fact, if you want to know what was there, there was an old railroad that ran up that draw — there was a bridge across it, and the railroad came up under there because I used to — as a kid, I used to stand and watch the trains when I was playing golf from under the bridge,” Palmer added.
“So the answer is, yeah, I remember it, and I loved it. I thought it was the most elegant locker room I had ever seen, and it was. The wooden lockers were the same as they are today; the carpeting on the floors; the little bar just off midway back through the downstairs locker room, all those things were just sort of a tradition, and to come here and play and then having played all these years, it has been a great thrill for me.
“I think I shot 82, which was pretty good for me. Jack wanted to know if they had cars back then.”
Who won the 1994 US Open Championship?
Ernie Els, aged just 24, won the first of his four major titles at the 1994 US Open. The Big Easy edged out Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie on the second sudden-death playoff hole.
Els was firmly in contention on two under after the first round; one shot back of Tom Watson (three under). Montgomerie started the weekend in the lead on six under before carding a 73 on moving day.
The South African made his move during the third round, carding a seven-under 66 to sit two shots clear. However, during a testing final round, Els was reeled in by Roberts and Montgomerie before the dramatic playoff ensued.
The 1994 US Open was also Palmer’s last. Aged 64, Palmer was granted an exemption by the USGA to play in his home state.
As the golfing world prepares for June’s event, LIV Golf star Jon Rahm has been backed to win his second US Open title at Oakmont. Those who hit fairways and are metronomic with approach shots will be rewarded in Pennsylvania.
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