Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy or Bryson DeChambeau – US Open contenders

By Phil Casey, PA Golf Correspondent

Bryson DeChambeau will defend his title when the 125th US Open takes place at Oakmont from June 12th-15th.

DeChambeau is bidding to win his third US Open following victories at Winged Foot in 2020 and Pinehurst last year, where he edged out Rory McIlroy in a thrilling finish.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the main contenders for the year’s third major championship.

Scheffler recovered from a relatively slow start to the season to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson by eight shots in his adopted home state of Texas and followed up with a five-shot victory in the US PGA Championship for his third major title.

The world number one was a 19-year-old amateur when he held the clubhouse lead after bad weather brought the first day’s play to an early end the last time Oakmont hosted the US Open in 2016 and it would be no surprise to see his name on top of the leaderboard again nine years on.

McIlroy could only follow his Masters triumph with a share of 47th in the US PGA at Quail Hollow, a venue where he had won four times before, and declined to speak to the media after every round.

The world number two’s driver was deemed non-confirming earlier in the week and he struggled off the tee, but McIlroy – who missed the cut at Oakmont in 2016 and in each of the next two US Opens – has come to relish the tough test it provides and his form figures since 2019 read 9-8-7-5-2-2.

DeChambeau has become a fixture on major championship leaderboards since his move to LIV Golf, his US Open win last year one of five top-six finishes in his last six starts.

DeChambeau led after two holes of the final round of the Masters before fading to a closing 75 and also failed to convert a promising position in the US PGA before finishing in a tie for second, but his 2020 victory at Winged Foot proved he can overpower a traditional US Open-style venue, with Oakmont very much in that category.

Lowry held a four-shot lead after 54 holes at Oakmont in 2016, but struggled to a closing 76 to finish three shots behind Dustin Johnson.

Three years later he converted the same advantage into his first major title in the Open Championship at Royal Portrush and although he has not won as often as a player of his ability should, five of his six DP World Tour victories have come in prestigious events.

Rahm made a welcome return to contention in the majors with his performance in the US PGA Championship, where he wiped out a five-shot deficit to claim a share of the lead after 11 holes of the final round, only to drop five shots on the closing three holes after Scheffler had responded with two crucial birdies.

He won his first major in the 2021 US Open at Torrey Pines and added the Masters title in 2023 but had struggled to produce his best form following his shock move to LIV Golf at the end of 2023.