Golf News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Jordan Spieth chips out of the rough on the 10th hole during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Three dark-horse contenders at the U.S. Open

By Jack Dougherty | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 11:23 AM ET

The prevailing sentiment heading into the U.S. Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club is that the tournament will come down to big guns Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy. While that may end up being the case, there are a few intriguing long shots ready to play spoiler in the Thursday-Sunday tournament.

Here are three:

Jordan Spieth

There was a time when Spieth entered major championships as the favorite to win, but that's no longer true. The 31-year-old has dropped to No. 47 in the Official World Golf Ranking, and he has gone nine straight major starts without a top-10 finish.

Despite his struggles over the past few years, Spieth is quietly putting together a solid season. In 14 starts, the American has seven top-20 finishes and four top-10s. He also ranks seventh on the PGA Tour in strokes gained from off the tee over the past three months. Driver will be the most important club in the bag at Oakmont, and Spieth is grooving it off the tee with a ton of confidence now.

Harris English

Many players fall apart when the rough grows out, the greens get firm and fast and pars start to feel like bogeys. English is just the opposite. The five-time PGA Tour winner plays his best in difficult scoring conditions, as evidenced by his three top-10 finishes in his past five U.S. Open appearances.

Most consecutive years making the cut at the U.S. Open - longest active streaks

Xander Schauffele, 8
Hideki Matsuyama, 8
Patrick Cantlay, 7
Bryson DeChambeau, 7
Harris English, 6
Rory McIlroy, 6
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) June 10, 2025

Over the past 24 rounds in "very difficult scoring conditions," English ranks 10th on the PGA Tour in total strokes gained and fourth in strokes gained from putting. The 35-year-old also has a win earlier this season at the Farmers Insurance Open, and he's riding a streak of four top-12 finishes in his past six starts.

English finished runner-up at the PGA Championship and T12 at the Masters. Now he rolls up to his favorite major in great form.

Emiliano Grillo

Grillo doesn't fit the mold as a bomber who can overpower Oakmont, but that might not be necessary to contend. Sure, Dustin Johnson rode his prolific power to the U.S. Open title at Oakmont in 2016, but accurate plodders such as Jim Furyk, Shane Lowry, Kevin Na and Zach Johnson littered the top of the leaderboard. You can tackle Oakmont with accuracy off the tee and precise iron play, which will be Grillo's game plan at the U.S. Open.

Grillo is absolutely striping the ball now. Over his past 16 rounds, the Argentinian ranks second on Tour in strokes gained on approach, fifth in strokes gained from tee to green and second in proximity to the hole from 150-200 yards.

If fairways and greens are going to be the name of the game at Oakmont, Grillo stands a fighting chance.

TV broadcast information (all times Eastern):
Thursday, June 12: 6 a.m.-5 p.m (USA Network), 5-8 p.m. (Peacock)
Friday, June 13: 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; 7-8 p.m. (Peacock), 1-7 p.m. ET (NBC)
Saturday, June 14: 10 a.m.-noon (USA Network), noon-8 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, June 15: 9 a.m.-noon (USA Network), noon-7 p.m. (NBC)

Jack Dougherty

Jack Dougherty has been writing professionally since 2015, contributing to publications such as GoPSUSports. com, Centre Daily Times, Associated Press, and Sportscasting. com

More must-reads: