GENEVA, Switzerland – The U.S. Open is a major championship for all – from seasoned professionals and amateurs to golf legends and newcomers. Every player in the field will be aiming to conquer one of the toughest challenges in golf and etch their name onto the prestigious U.S. Open Trophy.
To triumph on one of golf’s biggest stages, players must display peerless precision and an unwavering focus in front of the thousands of adoring fans to navigate the challenges posed by such demanding and formidable courses.
It is the third men’s major of the season and has been conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA) since 1895. Rolex has been Official Timekeeper at the tournament since 1980, with 2025 celebrating the 45th anniversary of this long-standing and cherished partnership between the Swiss watchmaker and the U.S. Open.
The 125th edition of the U.S. Open will be held from June 12-15 at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. Oakmont Country Club is widely regarded as one of the great U.S. golf courses, renowned for The Church Pews bunker between the third and fourth holes. It consistently ranks among the most challenging courses in the major championship rotation.
This year marks the 10th occasion that this iconic venue has hosted the major, more than any other venue. It was here in 1962 that Rolex Testimonee Jack Nicklaus claimed his maiden U.S. Open victory in a thrilling 18-hole playoff against fellow Rolex Testimonee Arnold Palmer.
At just 22 years old, and in his first year as a professional, this win not only launched Nicklaus’s legendary career – eventually leading to a record 18 major championships – but also set the stage for one of golf’s most iconic rivalries between Nicklaus and Palmer, built on mutual respect, fierce competition, and enduring friendship.
The U.S. Open has long been the scene of memorable triumphs for an elite band of Rolex Testimonees – most notably, legend of the game Nicklaus, who shares the record for the most victories, having lifted the U.S. Open Trophy on four occasions (1962, 1967, 1972, 1980). The American competed in 44 consecutive U.S. Open Championships, starting as a 17-year-old amateur in 1957, and finishing as a 60-year-old in 2000.
Rolex Testimonee Bryson DeChambeau returns this year as defending champion, having triumphed at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina to claim a second U.S. Open title following his maiden victory in 2020. His performance at Pinehurst embodied not only precision and power but the relentless spirit of a champion.
The American, renowned for his innovative approach, meticulous research and powerful drives, is redefining the modern game and paving the way for a new generation of golfers, serving as an inspiration to those looking to follow in his footsteps and push the limits of golfing excellence.
DeChambeau joined an exclusive group of players to have won the U.S. Open twice or more, including fellow Rolex Testimonees Nicklaus, Curtis Strange (1988, 1989), Tiger Woods (2000, 2002, 2008) and Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018).
Other Testimonees to have triumphed at the tournament include Arnold Palmer (1960), Gary Player (1965), Tom Watson (1982), Martin Kaymer (2014), Jordan Spieth (2015), Jon Rahm (2021) and Matt Fitzpatrick (2022).
Ahead of his return as defending champion, Bryson DeChambeau said: “I’m personally excited for the opportunity to defend. I haven’t been able to defend a tournament in my career and that’s what I intend to do this coming year. It’s always a great tournament at Oakmont, so I’m excited for the challenge. I played well there last time and look forward to doing so again this year. With the game that I’m coming in with, I feel very confident.”
This year marks several other significant anniversaries for members of the Rolex family. It has been 10 years since Spieth won the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open (2015), becoming only the sixth player to win both of these prestigious events in a single year. It has also been 60 years since Player won his U.S. Open title (1965), completing his career major Grand Slam and becoming only the third player to achieve this feat at the time.
This year also marks 25 years since Woods achieved the remarkable feat of winning the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open in a calendar year, the only player in history to have done so. He followed it up by claiming the Green Jacket at the 2001 Masters Tournament to become the first player in the modern era to hold the title at all four major championships simultaneously – a historic achievement coined the “Tiger Slam”.
Speaking on the significance of his victory in 2015, Jordan Spieth said: “I found myself on the last four holes, battling them all really. I kept on having differing thoughts – from believing in my chances of winning to thinking I was going to lose, and then expecting to end in a play-off. That is golf and this is something that occurs especially at the U.S. Open.
It was probably the most fitting ending to that specific U.S. Open. I just tried to stay very calm, to remain grounded, and appreciative of where I was throughout those months. That night I won, I was surrounded by a lot of family and we were able to celebrate that particular success all together which was nice.”
The U.S. Open dates back to 1895 when the inaugural championship was played at Newport Country Club, Rhode Island. Conducted annually in June, the tournament features the game’s best amateurs and professionals, vying for the coveted U.S. Open Trophy.
Any amateur with an up-to-date men’s USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 0.4 can attempt to qualify for the national championship. Qualifying consists of two stages, local and final. Local qualifying is played over 18 holes at more than 100 courses around the United States. Roughly 530 places are available to move on to the final qualifying round, known as “golf’s longest day”.
Final qualifying is played over 36 holes at several sites in the United States, as well as one each in Japan, Canada and Europe. Those who qualify after this stage earn a spot in the U.S. Open’s field of 156 players.
The USGA accepted 10,052 entries for the 2024 U.S. Open, the fourth time the major was held at Pinehurst No. 2. This marked only the third time entries exceeded 10,000, with that number eclipsed two years running. The U.S. Open is synonymous with difficult, demanding conditions, often featuring narrow fairways, thick rough, fast greens and challenging pin placements.
To lift the U.S. Open Trophy requires great resilience, physical and mental, with players facing a supreme test of their skills.
A gold medal has been awarded to the tournament winner since 1895, but in 2012, it was officially named the Jack Nicklaus Medal. Those who triumph also receive an exemption into the next 10 editions of the U.S. Open, as well as a guaranteed place at the next five editions of the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship and The Open.
Outside of the major championships, winners also receive a five-year exemption into THE PLAYERS Championship and secure their PGA TOUR® card for the same period.
