Scheffler helped lead the Longhorns to NCAA prominence in the golf field.
Scottie Scheffler enters the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club riding a wave of dominance that has the golf world taking notice—and the oddsmakers making history.
After a relatively slow start to the season by his lofty standards, Scheffler has surged to win three of his last four events, including victory at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow last month. The former Texas Longhorn has now held the world No. 1 ranking for 107 consecutive weeks and is a strong contender for what would be a record-tying fourth straight PGA Tour Player of the Year award.
Scheffler’s recent run is drawing comparisons to Tiger Woods, the gold standard of professional golf excellence. Woods remains the only player in recent memory to have enjoyed a stretch as dominant as Scheffler’s current form.
Scheffler is not just headlining the field at Oakmont—he is the overwhelming favorite. According to BetMGM, his +275 odds to win are the shortest for any player in a major since Woods in 2009. Trailing Scheffler in the betting are defending U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, 2025 Masters winner Rory McIlroy, and two-time major champion Jon Rahm.
Oakmont, widely considered one of the toughest courses in the world, presents a stern test for the field. The last time the U.S. Open was held here in 2016, only six players finished even or under par. Scheffler, then an amateur and student at Texas, made his major championship debut at Oakmont that year. He shot a one-under 69 in the opening round but followed with a 78 on Friday, missing the cut by a single stroke.
“I remember coming here and thinking it was really fun, really cool to be playing in the U.S. Open,” Scheffler said Tuesday in a pre-tournament press conference. “You know, it was my first major and it was maybe my third start on the pro tour at the time … It definitely made me excited to get out here for real because it was a really fun week. Obviously, I had a really good first round. I didn’t play as well in the second, and that was a tough pill to swallow, missing the cut by one.”
Scheffler’s game has matured since that first U.S. Open appearance. He now boasts the best birdie-to-bogey ratio on the PGA Tour this season, a testament to his consistency and composure under pressure. As he prepares for another test at Oakmont, Scheffler remains focused on his own game, despite the growing chatter around his status as the betting favorite.
“Starting Thursday morning, we’re at even par and it’s up to me to go out there and play against the golf course and see what I can do,” Scheffler said.
Scheffler will tee off alongside Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland at 1:25 p.m. ET on Thursday as he seeks his second major title of the season—and perhaps another step toward golf history.
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