Scottie Scheffler has played down his status as overwhelming favourite for US Open victory, but will the world No 1 enjoy more major success or can someone stop him at Oakmont?

Scheffler registered a five-shot victory at the PGA Championship last month – his third major victory – and followed it up with another impressive success at the Memorial Tournament, with the world No 1 now searching for a fourth win in his last five starts.

The 28-year-old leads all players in the majors since 2022 in several statistics, including scoring and ball striking, with Scheffler producing consistency in recent seasons not seen since Tiger Woods.

He has only ended outside the top 10 in four of the last 17 majors, including two top-threes in his last two US Open starts, leaving Scheffler as the shortest betting favourite in a major – with American bookmakers – since Woods at the 2009 PGA Championship.

“I don’t pay attention to the favourite stuff or anything like that,” Scheffler said in his pre-tournament press conference. “Starting Thursday morning we’re at even par and it’s up to me to go out there and play against the golf course and see what I can do.”

Scheffler has been top of the world rankings since May 2023 and on course to finish top of the FedExCup regular season standings for a fourth year running, while US Open victory would give him the chance to complete the career Grand Slam at The Open next month.

Who is best primed to challenge Scheffler’s bid for back-to-back major success? We take a look at some of his main contenders…

Rory McIlroy

The Northern Irishman has posted six consecutive top-nine finishes at the US Open and been runner-up the last two years, missing out to Wyndham Clark in 2023 and Bryson DeChambeau last year, having also claimed his maiden major title in the 2011 contest.

McIlroy leads in birdies or better at the US Open since 2018 – averaging 3.85 a round – and tops the “strokes gained total” stats in the event over the past five years, with the world No 2 admitting he has become a “much more confident US Open player”.

He ended his wait for an elusive fifth major title and completed the career Grand Slam with a dramatic play-off victory over Justin Rose at The Masters, while a win this week would see him pull level with Sir Nick Faldo’s all-time major tally.

McIlroy said he has to “get his stuff together” this week after failing to contend at the PGA Championship and missing the cut at the US Open, where he struggled off the tee, but a return to familiar driver model this week could spark a return to form.

Xander Schauffele

Last year’s winner of the PGA Championship and The Open has the best cumulative score to par in the majors since the beginning of last year, currently at 38 under and two strokes better than Scheffler.

Schauffele has finished no worse than 14th in his previous eight US Open appearances, with only Jack Nicklaus (12 years) and Sam Snead (nine years) offering more consecutive top 15s in the event since World War II.

The world No 3 has five top-eight finishes in his last six major starts, gaining strokes on the field in all eight of his rounds in majors this season, plus has the best scoring average in US Open history for players with 20 or more career rounds in the event.

Schauffele is still on his run of 65 consecutive cuts made, stretching back to The Masters in 2022. It would be no surprise to see him challenging for the third leg of the career Grand Slam.

Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau has delivered Scheffler-esque levels of consistency in the majors, with five top-six finishes – including last year’s victory and a final-day duel at with McIlroy at The Masters, where he ended tied for fifth – in his last six major starts.

The American has contended in both majors this year – also finishing runner-up at the PGA Championship for a second successive season – and now looks to join Brooks Koepka (2017 and 2018) as the only players this century to defend their US Open title.

He won a LIV Golf League event in Korea and has top-five finishes in each of his last four appearances on the Saudi-backed circuit, with DeChambeau recently implementing a “version three” of 3D-printed irons to improve his inconsistent approach play.

DeChambeau dominated with driver in both his 2020 US Open success and last year’s win, finishing inside the top four for strokes gained off tee in both weeks – with distance likely to be a big advantage again this week around one of the toughest major tests.

Collin Morikawa

Morikawa has seven top-five finishes in majors since the start of 2020, winning the PGA Championship that year and The Open the following season, with Morikawa also boasting an excellent US Open record.

The world No 4 remains without a victory this season despite runner-up finishes at The Sentry and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, although he said ahead of this week’s major that he “has the game to win” around Oakmont.

Morikawa has four top-15 finishes at the US Open despite historically making slow starts, posting a combined 10 over in opening rounds during that period compared to six under over the final three rounds. A good start at Oakmont would put Morikawa firmly in the mix.

Who else could impress?

Jon Rahm produced a final-round charge during last month’s PGA Championship before finishing tied-eighth, while the Spaniard has finished inside the top 10 in all 21 starts on the LIV Golf League since leaving the PGA Tour ahead of last season.

One player who has outperformed both Rahm and DeChambeau on that circuit is Joaquin Niemann, entering the US Open via the USGA’s new LIV Golf League exemption, with last week’s win in Virginia his fourth of the season.

Justin Thomas won the RBC Heritage to end three years without a PGA Tour victory but has not finished in the top 10 in his last four majors, while Shane Lowry held a four-shot lead after 54 holes at Oakmont in 2016 before ending in tied-second behind Dustin Johnson.

Lowry is a past major champion at The Open and has contended multiple times on the PGA Tour already this season, finishing runner-up to McIlroy at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and narrowly missing out to Sepp Straka at the Truist Championship.

Straka is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour in 2025 and among those searching for a maiden major title, with Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood a former US Open runner-up who has three top 10s in his last five worldwide starts. Will Fleetwood make his first PGA Tour title a major victory?

Radar: Scheffler has Tiger odds

Sky Sports Golf’s Wayne Riley:

“Can anybody stop Scheffler this week? Anybody can stop Scheffler as long as they are on their game and he is not, especially a McIlroy.

“You can go right down to a guy like Corey Conners, who is one of the straightest hitters, he has a game that suits this type of US Open format. You have to stay on the fairway.

“But looking at it, he isn’t 3/1 for no reason, those are Tiger Woods odds for a major championship.

“Very difficult, but a straight hitter. Why not Xander?

“If he gets this win here he’s one away from the career Grand Slam, but right now it’s hard to see past Scheffler.

“We’re clutching at straws trying to find players who can beat Scottie, but who knows?”

Lowry’s week?

Sky Sports Golf’s Nick Dougherty:

“Somebody can stop him, but it’s unlikely.

“If it’s going to happen, it’s going to be Shane Lowry because he is the second best iron player on the PGA Tour, unfortunately behind Scottie Scheffler.

“Tee to green he’s been fantastic all year and obviously has great history here, he had a bad Sunday but led the US Open for 54 holes and will lead it through 72 at the end of this week.”

Who will win the US Open? Watch extended coverage throughout the week live on Sky Sports, with the opening round live on Thursday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream no contract on NOW

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