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If the difficulty level at Oakmont Country Club was not enough to break sweat on even the best players, the weather conditions only made it more unforgiving. The first 36 holes for the 2025 US Open wrapped up in warm and sunny conditions with a high/low of 80/59 degree. But with heavy pouring on Friday evening, 5 groups had to return the next morning to finish with a suspension of play in action. Entering Saturday, while the storms persisted, the players did too. And in the final round, let’s just say with the stakes getting higher, the challenge increased too.
Finishing early, Rory McIlroy got himself out of major weather troubles, but it became a nail-biter for the rest of the field. Sam Burns, for one, entered Sunday with the solo lead at 4 under, one shot clear of Adam Scott and J.J. Spaun. But he quickly gave away 5 strokes and was still only 1 stroke away from the top of the board. Just like that, the last few holes at Oakmont Country Club turned into a nail-biter. With 4 holes to go from the last group, the 2025 U.S. Open had six potential contenders who could have turned things around and grab the win. But the weather transformed the final day for crowning a new US Open title holder into a beast.
Entering Sunday, the forecast noted a 50% chance of storms from 3 pm to 6 pm; with heavy downpour around 4 pm. Throughout the club, the score boards showed yellow warning, “Weather Watch: Dangerous Weather is Possible Today.” But the fans, too, were all set with their umbrellas and ponchos. At 4:01 pm, the horn sounded to signal the players and the spectators to take shelter from the incoming torrential rains. The play resumed at 5:37 once the grounds crew squeegeed away the puddled water into the ground. However, showers continued and so did the competitors. Seeing his peers struggle on the sloppy mess, Justin Thomas, who missed his cut earlier in the week, shared his thoughts and the fans are all onboard.
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Shocked with the strenuous conditions, Thomas tweeted, “Man…. This course looking a little questionable to play right now.” Right after his suggestion came, a fan asked him in the comments, “How much more difficult would you say the course is playing with all this rain?” And Thomas had a thoughtful response:
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“It’s not a difficulty thing as much as it is unplayable. No place in the fairways to find a dry spot, and you’re not going to drop in the rough. Nobody should be hitting out of a puddle.”
The round was suspended earlier in the day due to concerns of a flash flood. But things resumed not long after as golfers got back on the course with pouring rain. They are spending most of their time under the umbrella, except when they are driving or putting. Famed reporter Kyle Porter also shared a clip of how drained the fairway is at the moment. With a quote, “This is where Burns just hit on 15,” you can see water popping out of the grass every time he pushes against it with his foot.
It’s not a difficulty thing as much as it is unplayable. No place in the fairways to find a dry spot, and you’re not going to drop in the rough. Nobody should be hitting out of a puddle
— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) June 15, 2025
Watching the golfers suffer through the conditions, fans also agreed with what Justin Thomas had to say.
What’s your perspective on:
Is it fair to expect golfers to perform in such treacherous conditions at a major event?
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Netizens align with Justin Thomas’ verdict about the U.S. Open course
With rain pouring in from every direction, fans could barely see what was going on as the broadcasters shared glimpses from Oakmont. That made one of the fans suggest, “They need to call this off.” They believe that the round needs to end for the day and be pushed back to a time when the course is in better condition. While the USGA didn’t entirely fulfill their wish, they did confirm that the major would be postponed to Monday should it go into playoffs. However, that too came with an 80% chance of rains.
Pushing the blame on the U.S. Open management team, one of the fans said, “This is embarrassing for the USGA.” Considering how the weather impacted the top of the leaderboard, the USGA could have given everyone a fair shot at the major title if they had taken the call to finish on Monday. However, the game only got suspended due to the thunder warnings and the pooling water and not postponed.
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Looking at the puddle they were playing in, one fan said, “OH NO HOW COULD THEY EVERY PLAY GOLF IN THESE CONDITIONS.” It’s definitely hard to imagine how professional golfers can adapt in the harshest of conditions. In a video clip showing ground crew with squeegees, the puddled water was visible. Multiple photos of the 18th also went viral.
The same could have been said for the 2025 Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, which was met with strong winds that made it impossible for the golfers to pierce through the air. But that only lasted for the first couple of rounds of the signature event. It can’t be compared to the last round of the second-oldest major in golf.
Watching the golfers suffer, someone wrote, “This is what the USGA wants. Embarrassing the players is their favorite thing.” Well, they can’t really blame only the USGA for this, as the Oakmont Country Club is infamous for being one of the most challenging golf courses. The best score any U.S. Open winner has achieved here is 5-under, while the highest strokes taken to win the major is 13-over 301. The weather only added to the formidable obstacles that were already quite taxing.
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Rory McIlroy Tracker account tweeted, “Am I the only one who thinks the USGA made a terrible decision to make them play in these conditions?” The Irishman played the final round in much better conditions earlier in the day and managed to score 3-under par. The drastic change in weather led to the best golfer on the green, Sam Burns, scoring 8-over 78. Just goes to show how much worse things got when the rain started pouring in.
What do you think of the course conditions this year?
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Is it fair to expect golfers to perform in such treacherous conditions at a major event?