Us Open, three Italians in the hunt for a dream at Oakmont

Anglo Italians Guido Migliozzi, Edoardo Molinari and Andrea Pavan take on golf’s big names in the 125th edition of the U.S. Open. The third men’s major in 2025, it is scheduled for June 12-15 in Oakmont, Allegheny County, in the state of Pennsylvania.

At the tournament, which for the 10th time, the first since 2016 (Dustin Johnson won), will be played on the Oakmont Country Club course, 156 players will take part, including 49 of the world’s top 50, with the only defection being injured American Billy Horschel, No. 26. Defending the title won not only in 2024, but also in 2020, will be California’s Bryson De Chambeau, one of 14 LIV champions, the Arab Super League, in the field. It will be super challenge in the U.S., in an event that originated in 1895 (England’s Horace Rawlins triumphed), with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy among the most anticipated. The American, world No. 1, is fresh off three wins (CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship and The Memorial Tournament) in his last four events. The Northern Irishman, second in the world rankings, also boasts the same claims (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Players and The Masters) in 2025, the year he was able to complete the Grand Slam thanks to his signature feat at Augusta. McIlroy, who made the U.S. Open his own in 2011, made the cut for the first time in over a year in a PGA Tour event, the last one played, the RBC Canadian Open. For Scheffler, however, the goal is twofold: he wants to become the first since Jordan Spieth in 2015 (The Masters and U.S. Open) to win consecutive majors after his recent exploit at the PGA Championship, and the second since Xander Schauffele (in 2024 he won both the PGA Championship and The Open) to triumph in multiple Slams in the same year. Scheffler is making his eighth career appearance at the U.S. Open. His best finish is a runner-up in 2022. From Spaniard Jon Rahm (scoring in 2021) to Chilean Joaquin Niemann, a morning star on the LIV, from Brooks Koepka to Dustin Johnson, from Ludvig Aberg to Collin Morikawa. These and many more are the stars of the competition. In the field are all the winners of the last ten editions of the tournament. With De Chambeau, Rahm, Johnson, and Koepka (2017 and 2018), also Wyndham Clark (2023), Matt Fitzpatrick (2022), Gary Woodland (2019), and Spieth (2015).

As for the Italians, there is anticipation for Migliozzi. The Vicenza native has played 7 majors in his career, including two U.S. Opens where he had the best results. Fourth in 2021 (making his debut in a Major), 14th in 2022, he returns to play the tournament after two years. Edo Molinari of Turin, the first vice-captain of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage (Sept. 26-28 in New York), has played 18 majors. In his sixth U.S. Open, he boasts a 35th-place finish in 2021 as his best effort. While Rome’s Andrea Pavan returns to the US Open eleven years after his last time (89th in 2014). It was since 2019 (The Open) that he had not participated in such a major competition. Other Azzurri also tried to qualify, some in England and some, like Matteo Manassero, in Canada. Last June 2, in Ontario, at Lambton Golf & Country Club, despite a good round closed with a score of 137 (70 67, -3) strokes, he failed to sign the feat. Then, a few days later, he made a splash at the RBC Canadian Open by finishing 6th after also leading the leaderboard at the end of the third and penultimate round.