The U.S. Open, golf`s third major championship of the season, is just one week away.
Many of the leading golfers from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League circuits are focusing on refining their skills in the days leading up to the event at Oakmont Country Club, situated near Pittsburgh.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy is set to compete again on the PGA Tour at the RBC Canadian Open. Meanwhile, the reigning U.S. Open champion, Bryson DeChambeau, will be playing in the LIV Golf League tournament held in Gainesville, Virginia.
Regarding his upcoming major defense, DeChambeau remarked, “We are all striving to achieve accomplishments that haven`t been seen in a long time. Winning consecutively would be fantastic. Achieving three victories in a row would be an even greater feat, so that`s certainly on my mind.”
Upcoming Event on the PGA Tour
RBC Canadian Open
- When: Thursday-Sunday
- Where: TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course), Caledon, Ontario
- Defending champion: Robert MacIntyre
- Purse: $9.8 million
Rory McIlroy`s Return
After not participating in last week`s Memorial Tournament, a designated signature event, McIlroy is back in action north of the border. Having previously won the Canadian Open in 2019 and 2022, McIlroy is aiming to become only the fourth player to win the event three times, joining a distinguished group that includes Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, and Lee Trevino.
McIlroy expressed his approval of the PGA Tour`s decision to move the Canadian Open a month earlier in the schedule.
“I genuinely like the change in date,” McIlroy commented. “I appreciate that it`s scheduled for the week before the U.S. Open. I`ve shared this before, but prior to playing this event in 2016, 2017, and 2018, I missed the cut three consecutive times at the U.S. Open. Since I started playing the Canadian Open the week before, I`ve recorded six consecutive top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open, so there seems to be a connection.”
Following his victory at the Masters, which completed his career Grand Slam, McIlroy admitted that “spending three or four hours on the driving range every day might be a little more challenging than it used to be.”
“When you have a significant goal you`ve worked towards and you achieve it, sometimes it`s difficult to find the motivation to get back on track and push forward,” McIlroy stated. “I believe the past two weeks have been beneficial for me, serving as a reset to evaluate my mental state, determine my objectives, and decide where I want to play. Yes, resetting some goals was important.”
Scottie Scheffler Secures Ryder Cup Spot
With the Ryder Cup still more than three months away, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has become the first player to officially secure a place on the U.S. team. This team will face the Europeans at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York, from September 26-28.
The PGA of America announced on Wednesday that Scheffler has accumulated 25,918.25 Ryder Cup points, more than double the total of any other golfer. Xander Schauffele is currently second with 11,905.84 points.
U.S. team captain Keegan Bradley commented in a statement, “Scottie consistently demonstrates why he is the top player globally, displaying remarkable consistency and dominance week after week. He is the ultimate team player, and I am confident he will be prepared and motivated come September. I couldn`t be more thrilled to have him as a member of the U.S. Team.”
The top six eligible golfers following the BMW Championship on August 17, 2025, will automatically make the squad. Captain Bradley will also have the discretion to make six captain`s picks.
This will mark Scheffler`s third appearance in the Ryder Cup. He finished with a 0-2-2 record during the U.S. team`s 16½-11½ loss at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club near Rome in 2023. As a rookie in 2021, he posted a 2-0-1 record in a dominant 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
Scheffler stated, “Representing the United States in the Ryder Cup has been one of the greatest honors of my career, and I eagerly anticipate doing so for a third time this September. I will dedicate myself to helping our team reclaim the Cup and I`m excited to play in front of the enthusiastic New York fans at Bethpage Black.”
Promising Young Golfers Turn Pro
Three golfers in the RBC Canadian Open field—Luke Clanton, Gordon Sargent, and David Ford—are making their professional debuts this week.
High expectations already surround Clanton, a former standout at Florida State. Last year as an amateur, he finished as a runner-up twice on the PGA Tour, tying for second place at both the John Deere Classic and the RSM Classic. He was the first amateur since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 to record three or more top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in a single season.
This year, Clanton tied for 15th at the Farmers Insurance Open and for 18th at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches.
“It`s been incredible,” Clanton told reporters in Canada. “As I`ve said, it`s something you constantly dream about. To now be here and call myself a professional feels a little strange at first, honestly, because I`ve always been an amateur.”
“It`s amazing. I`m just eager to get out here and compete. It`s not about the money. It`s not about fame. It`s about competing against these guys on tour. It`s something I`ve pursued my entire life, especially with my family`s support.”
Clanton was the top-ranked amateur in the world before turning pro this week. He also received the Ben Hogan Award, recognizing him as the top collegiate golfer, after winning four times for FSU this spring.
In the first two rounds, Clanton will be playing alongside Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Åberg.
On Tuesday, Clanton expressed his gratitude to his mother, Rhonda, who recently retired after over four decades as a Delta flight attendant, and his father, David, who owned two businesses to support his son`s private school education and golf career.
“What they did, not just for me but also for my two older sisters, to help us through everything was incredible,” Clanton said. “Again, my mom and dad are incredibly hard-working people, and they will never, ever take credit for it, which sometimes annoys me because they truly did everything they could.”
Clanton is known for his long driving distance (his average of 312.4 yards would rank 14th on tour if he had played enough rounds to qualify). He also considers his “strong mentality” to be one of his best assets.
When asked if the LIV Golf League attempted to recruit him, Clanton stated clearly, “I want to play the PGA Tour, it`s quite simple. I want to compete against the best players, I want to participate in major championships, and that`s it. Simple.”
Gordon Sargent was the NCAA individual champion as a freshman at Vanderbilt in 2022 and the low amateur at the 2023 U.S. Open. He secured a PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program in October 2023 but chose to defer turning professional to finish his time at Vanderbilt.
David Ford, who achieved five victories for North Carolina this past season, earned his tour card by finishing first in the PGA Tour University Rankings. He received both the Jack Nicklaus Award and the Fred Haskins Awards this spring.
All three players are guaranteed status on the PGA Tour through the 2026 season.
Upcoming Event in the LIV Golf League
LIV Golf Virginia
- When: Friday-Sunday
- Where: Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Gainesville, Virginia
- Defending champion: Harold Varner III
- Purse: $25 million
Bryson DeChambeau: On and Off the Course
In addition to tying for second place at the PGA Championship and preparing to defend his U.S. Open title, Bryson DeChambeau has recently been filmed hitting tee shots in various unconventional locations, including Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a mountain range, the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, and the White House lawn.
This is just part of a typical month for golf`s “content king,” who boasts over 2 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
“How do I manage to sleep? I actually sleep quite well,” DeChambeau said. “It requires a lot of planning. We prepare, strategize, and execute our plans according to other people`s schedules.”
DeChambeau mentioned being a passenger for a couple of laps at 180 mph at the famous Indiana oval and noted that he now uses salt from Utah in his cooking.
DeChambeau was initially hesitant about hitting golf balls on the White House back lawn until prompted by President Donald Trump.
“I never imagined I`d get an opportunity like that in my life, but the President himself said, `Just go out there and hit some shots,`” DeChambeau recounted. “I responded, `Okay, yes, sir.` It was quite an experience. The distance was 105 yards, and I hit a few good shots that landed within a couple of feet, and I nearly made a few of them too.”
The reigning U.S. Open champion reiterated that his main objective remains winning golf tournaments.
“Do I want to win every single tournament I enter? Absolutely, 100 percent,” DeChambeau stated. “I will never be anything less than the most determined competitor, from my perspective. But these activities also allow me to engage in other meaningful pursuits.”
“Creating my YouTube channel was something I always wanted to do, inspired by what MrBeast and Dude Perfect accomplished in the mid-2010s. I thought, `Why can`t I do something similar?` I believe there`s an opportunity to be as impactful as I am now, and this is just the beginning. I think there`s much more to come.”
Joaquín Niemann`s Major Breakthrough
Torque GC captain Joaquín Niemann is hopeful he has finally turned a corner in major championships after tying for eighth at the PGA Championship. This result was his first top-10 finish in 24 starts in the four major tournaments. His total score of 4-under 143 left him seven strokes behind Scottie Scheffler.
“I didn`t feel like I played my absolute best game,” Niemann commented. “I felt there was a lot more potential at the time to play better. I knew I could have achieved a significantly better result. But I think we can focus on the positives and progress step by step. It`s my first top-10 in a major, so that is a positive outcome.”
Winning on the LIV Golf League circuit has not been an issue for Niemann. He has secured first place five times since February 2024, including three victories this season. His consistent success in the Saudi Arabian-backed league led Phil Mickelson to controversially call him the best golfer in the world.
“I think because LIV is still relatively new, people don`t fully appreciate the field strength and the level of competition, and the fact that you are consistently playing against the same top players,” Mickelson explained. “Joaco is winning while competing every single week against players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson. He faces that same high level of competition week in and week out, and it`s challenging for people to fully grasp how significant and difficult that is when it`s a new circuit.”
Preparation for Oakmont
Phil Mickelson, Joaquín Niemann, and other LIV Golf participants believe the setup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club this week provides excellent preparation for next week`s U.S. Open at Oakmont.
“We have greens rolling at 14 to 15 on the stimpmeter, just like we will next week,” Mickelson noted. “We have contours and undulations similar to what we`ll see next week. The short game, touch, chipping around the greens, rough, speed, lag putting drills, and touch on the greens—all of that is crucial here, just as it will be next week. It couldn`t be a better place to get ready.”
The last time the U.S. Open was held at Oakmont in 2016, Dustin Johnson`s winning score was 4-under 276. Only four golfers managed to finish with scores under par for the tournament.
“It`s going to be difficult,” Niemann predicted. “I know it will be a tough challenge. Greens will be extremely fast, so I anticipate there won`t be many 5-foot or 6-foot birdie putts. I feel like the key will be positioning your ball to have an uphill putt, which will be easier.”
“They aim for the winning score to be over par, so ultimately, I feel it`s not about who makes the most birdies, but rather who makes the fewest bogeys and mistakes.”
