After Rory McIlroy, Ben Griffin and KFT’s James Nicholas expose Oakmont’s harsh conditions ahead of U.S. Open

The 2025 U.S. Open is just days away, and players are already talking about how tough Oakmont Country Club is this year. After Rory McIlroy's tough outing during a practice round, Ben Griffin and Korn Ferry Tour’s James Nicholas have also shown just how brutal the setup is ahead of the third major of the season.

The 125th U.S. Open will take place from June 12 to 15 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. This will be the 10th time the course hosts the event, more than any other venue. Oakmont is renowned for being one of the most challenging golf courses. For this year’s tournament, the course has been stretched by about 150 yards since it was last hosted in 2016. Now, it measures 7,372 yards, and both par-5 holes are over 600 yards long.

Ben Griffin recently posted a clip on TikTok giving fans a preview of Oakmont’s thick rough. In the video, shared by NUCLR Golf, Griffin tossed a ball into the rough and said,

“First hole at Oakmont. Let's test out the rough.”

The grass was so thick that the ball nearly disappeared into it, showing just how tough it could get during U.S. Open week. NUCLR Golf captioned the post:

“U.S. Open week is officially upon us.”

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The first hole at Oakmont is a par 4 that plays 488 yards. The hole drops 60 feet from tee to green, most of it on the approach shot. The green itself also drops another four feet from front to back, making it difficult to hold a shot. (via PGA Tour)

James Nicholas also shared an Instagram video from his practice round. He tried hitting out of the thick rough with a 60-degree wedge and clearly struggled. NUCLR Golf reposted the clip with the caption:

“Players prepping for this week’s US Open are struggling to advance the ball from the THICK rough at Oakmont.”

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Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau spoke about the conditions in a video on his YouTube channel. While looking at a buried lie in the rough, he said,

“Complete guesswork out of there...That [lie] is cooked beyond belief. That’s more than half-baked there. That’s burnt to a crisp!” (40:17)

He added,

“This front nine just eats you up. Oakmont, you’re a beast!”

Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch reported that Adam Scott shot three over par for his front nine during a practice round, even though he hit every fairway. Rory McIlroy also made a triple bogey on the second hole during his early look at the U.S. Open venue.

Oakmont also features the longest par-3 hole in major history. The eighth hole, played at 300 yards in 2007, will be set up at 289 yards this year. For many amateurs, that would be the distance of a short par-4.