2025 U.S. Open predictions, picks, favorites: One of these nine golfers will win at Oakmont Country Club

Among the best players in the world, who should you back in the third major championship of the year?

OAKMONT, Pa -- Major championships have moved in favor of the best players in the world in recent years. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and reigning national champion Bryson DeChambeau have combined to win the last six, and one of them may well extend that streak to seven this week at the 2025 U.S. Open.

The gap between the world's best and the rest is noticeably similar to a ravine crossing through the fairways at Oakmont Country Club or the yardage on the par-3 8th, which stretches to nearly 300 yards. It catches one's eye, and it is hard to ignore.

That would normally make a prognostication for this U.S. Open somewhat simplistic, but this tournament has a way of turning things on its head, making one reconsider what they believe. There is an added layer of luck intertwined with the countless variables that players must juggle. Good and bad breaks will be had, no matter one's standing in the Official World Golf Rankings entering the event.

Don't believe me? Believe the last nine winners of the national championship. Big names? Indeed, but also first-time major winners. Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Gary Woodland, DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark all claimed their first major at the U.S. Open.

Those seven went on to combine for plenty more major victories, but their journeys all started at the U.S. Open, and one of their contemporaries out of the 156-man field may follow suit. 

Let's take a look at the nine golfers most likely to conquer Oakmont Country Club by Sunday evening along with a full slate of 2025 U.S. Open picks and expert predictions for the year's third major championship. Don't miss the 2025 U.S. Open TV schedule and coverage guide so you can watch as much action as possible across 72 holes.

2025 U.S. Open predictions, favorites

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

1	Scottie Scheffler
The best [insert noun here] in the game -- course manager, ball striker, tactician, marathoner, etc. -- Scheffler enters the U.S. Open a winner in three of his last four tournaments. Every area of his game is rolling in the right direction. He's the most well-rounded he has ever been, and the physical tools pale in comparison of what transpires in between his ears. Pinehurst No. 2 ate his lunch last year, but Scheffler comes into this year's U.S. Open better prepared and more equipped to handle what will be thrown at him. Odds: 11/4
2	Bryson DeChambeau
It looks like DeChambeau is hitting one of those gender reveal golf balls the way he pounds his driver. One moment it is on the tee, and the next, it is dust. That club in particular raises his floor so high that he has transformed into the prototypical U.S. Open player (as noted by his two victories since 2020). A new set of irons give him confidence that the approach play woes of the Masters and the PGA Championship are behind him. Odds: 15/2
3	Jon Rahm
If DeChambeau was the best bet in terms of price for the PGA Championship, Rahm is that for the U.S. Open. The 2021 champion is walking with a pep in his step following his run at Quail Hollow and continued stretch of top-10 finishes on LIV Golf. An omission in this championship last year due to a toe injury, the Spaniard is licking his chops for his return. Rahm ranks as the second-best driver in the field over the last three months behind only DeChambeau. Odds: 12-1
4	Rory McIlroy
Speaking of the driver, McIlroy has returned to the same specs that he used on his way to winning the Masters after a brief stint with a different model. Whether that materializes into a quality start is up in the air as he has admitted difficulty getting up for these tournaments following a completion of his life-long dream at the Masters. Still, if he sniffs the first page of the leaderboard at any point this week, he will be fully engaged and capable of following through. Odds: 12-1
5	Xander Schauffele
He's been flying under the radar all season mainly because he hasn't been playing to his typical level. That said, Schauffele thrives in U.S. Opens as noted by his eight straight top-15 finishes to kick off his career in this championship. The two-time major winner  has been putting in the work on the driving range trying to figure out the big stick, and if he finds a serviceable answer, he can find the major winner's circle for the third time in his last six playings. Odds: 22-1
6	Joaquin Niemann
The young Chilean snuck in through the backdoor at the PGA Championship to claim his first major top-10 result, and the noise has only gotten louder since. Niemann notched his fourth LIV Golf victory (in only eight tournaments, mind you) last week at Robert Trent Jones. A previous contention run in a major championship would be nice for the experience factor, but sometimes that isn't required. Odds: 30-1
7	Tommy Fleetwood
The Englishman has a pair of final-round 63s under his belt in the U.S. Open but has not teed off late on Sunday since Erin Hills. He nearly stole the title from Koepka the following year at Shinnecock Hills and shot up the leaderboard late at Los Angeles Country Club. The ultimate grinder and not someone who will play himself out of the tournament early in the week, Fleetwood feels like a sure thing to enter the weekend on the first two pages of the leaderboard. Major weekends have proven to be a different beast for him, but a new putter may be what is required to finally tame them. Odds: 40-1
8	Corey Conners
He could serve as this year's Shane Lowry, and everything about Conners' game was made for this test. Extremely accurate off the tee and as precise as they come coming into the greens, the Canadian finally figured out the U.S. Open with his T9 finish at Pinehurst No. 2. The putter has been adequate as of late, but the short game will need to show up if he is to surprise. Odds: 66-1
9	Keegan Bradley
As a sucker for chaos, Bradley's play in 2025 has been fun to watch. The U.S. Ryder Cup captain ranks third behind Scheffler and DeChambeau in terms of strokes gained tee to green, and he is the only player to rank inside the top 30 in both driving distance and driving accuracy. His iron play is well-known, but his short game is beginning to make a name for itself as well. He is comfortable in uncomfortable positions, the exact type in which Oakmont will place players. If he putts somewhat decently, he will be in the mix late into this championship. Odds: 90-1

Who will win the U.S. Open, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets, all from the model that's nailed 15 golf majors, including the past four Masters. It is up nearly $9,000 since June 2020.