With the U.S. Open, the third major of the season, just a week away, many leading golfers from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League are focusing on sharpening their skills before heading to Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy is set to compete in the PGA Tour`s RBC Canadian Open, while defending U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau will be playing in the LIV Golf League event in Gainesville, Virginia.
“We`re all aiming for achievements not seen in a long time, and winning consecutively would be great,” DeChambeau commented. “Getting three in a row would be an even bigger accomplishment, so that`s on my mind.”
What`s Happening on the PGA Tour
RBC Canadian Open
Dates: Thursday-Sunday
Location: TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course), Caledon, Ontario
Current Champion: Robert MacIntyre
Prize Money: $9.8 million
Rory`s Return
After skipping last week`s Memorial Tournament, a premier event, McIlroy is back north of the border. Having won the Canadian Open in 2019 and 2022, he`s aiming to join an exclusive club of only three-time winners (Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, and Lee Trevino).
McIlroy expressed his approval of the PGA Tour moving the Canadian Open`s date forward by a month.
“I genuinely like the schedule change,” McIlroy stated. “I appreciate that it`s the week before the U.S. Open. I`ve mentioned this before, but prior to playing this tournament in 2016, 2017, and 2018, I missed the cut at the U.S. Open three times consecutively. Since playing the Canadian Open the week prior, I`ve had six consecutive top-10 finishes, so there seems to be something beneficial about it.”
Following his Masters victory, which completed his career Grand Slam, McIlroy admitted that “spending three or four hours on the driving range every day is perhaps a bit harder than it used to be.”
“When you achieve a major life goal you`ve worked towards, sometimes it`s challenging to regain the motivation to get back to it,” McIlroy said. “I believe the past couple of weeks have been helpful for me to reset, to evaluate where I am mentally, what I want to pursue, and where I want to compete. Yes, to establish new goals.”
Scheffler Secures Ryder Cup Spot
While the Ryder Cup is still over three months away, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has become the first player to guarantee his place on the U.S. team, which will face the Europeans at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York, from September 26-28.
The PGA of America confirmed on Wednesday that Scheffler has accumulated enough Ryder Cup points, totaling 25,918.25, which is more than double the points of any other golfer. Xander Schauffele is currently second with 11,905.84 points.
“Scottie consistently shows why he is the world`s top player, demonstrating incredible consistency and dominance week after week,” said U.S. team captain Keegan Bradley in a statement. “He is the ultimate team player, and I am confident he will be prepared and motivated come September. I couldn`t be more thrilled to have him on the U.S. Team.”
The top six eligible players after the BMW Championship on August 17, 2025, will automatically qualify. Captain Bradley will then select six additional players.
This will be Scheffler`s third appearance in the Ryder Cup. He had a 0-2-2 record in the U.S. team`s 16½-11½ loss in Rome in 2023, and a 2-0-1 record as a rookie during the 19-9 victory in 2021 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
“Representing the United States in the Ryder Cup has been one of the highlights of my career, and I eagerly anticipate doing so for a third time this September,” Scheffler commented. “I will do everything necessary to help our team reclaim the Cup and look forward to playing in front of the enthusiastic New York fans at Bethpage Black.”
Clanton`s Pro Journey Begins
Three golfers in the RBC Canadian Open field – Luke Clanton, Gordon Sargent, and David Ford – are making their professional debuts this week.
High expectations already surround Clanton, a former Florida State standout, who finished as a runner-up twice on the PGA Tour as an amateur last year, tying for second at both the John Deere Classic and RSM Classic. He was the first amateur since Jack Nicklaus in 1961 to achieve three or more top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in a single season.
This year, Clanton tied for 15th at the Farmers Insurance Open and 18th at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches.
“It`s been amazing,” Clanton told reporters in Canada. “As I`ve said, it`s something you constantly dream about. To be here now and call myself a professional feels a bit – honestly, a little strange at first because I`ve always been an amateur.”
“It`s wonderful. I`m just eager to come out and compete. It`s not about the money. It`s not about the fame. It`s about competing against these guys on tour. It`s something I`ve pursued my entire life, particularly with the support of my family.”
Clanton was the world`s top-ranked amateur before turning pro this week. He received the Ben Hogan Award as the top collegiate golfer after winning four times for FSU this spring.
Clanton is paired with McIlroy and Ludvig Åberg for the first two rounds.
On Tuesday, Clanton expressed gratitude to his mother, Rhonda, who recently retired after over four decades as a Delta flight attendant, and his father, David, who owned two businesses to help fund his son`s private education and golf expenses.
“What they did, not just for me, but for my two older sisters as well, to support us through everything, was incredible,” Clanton said. “Again, my mom and dad are incredibly hard-working people, and they will never take credit for it, which sometimes frustrates me because they truly did everything they could.”
Clanton is known for his long drives (his average of 312.4 yards would rank 14th on tour if he had played enough rounds to qualify), and he considers his “strong mentality” one of his greatest strengths.
When asked if the LIV Golf League attempted to recruit him, he responded, “I want to play the PGA Tour, it`s quite straightforward. I want to compete against the best, I want to play in majors, and that`s it. Simple.”
Gordon Sargent was the 2022 NCAA individual champion as a freshman at Vanderbilt and the low amateur at the 2023 U.S. Open. He earned a PGA Tour card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program in October 2023 but chose to defer turning pro to return to Vanderbilt.
David Ford, who won five times for North Carolina last season, finished No. 1 in the PGA Tour University Rankings to earn his card. He received the Jack Nicklaus Award and Fred Haskins Awards this spring.
All three players have guaranteed PGA Tour status through the 2026 season.
What`s Happening in the LIV Golf League
LIV Golf Virginia
Dates: Friday-Sunday
Location: Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Gainesville, Virginia
Current Champion: Harold Varner III
Prize Money: $25 million
Bryson`s Eventful Month
In addition to tying for second at the PGA Championship, defending U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau spent time hitting tee shots at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in a mountain range, at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, and even at the White House.
It was just another typical month for the golfer often called the “content king,” who boasts over 2 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
“How do I find time to sleep? I actually sleep quite well,” DeChambeau said. “It requires significant planning. We prepare, strategize, and execute our plans accordingly, especially when coordinating with other people`s schedules.”
DeChambeau took a ride as a passenger for some 180 mph laps at the famous track in Indiana and mentioned he now uses salt from Utah in his cooking.
DeChambeau was initially hesitant about hitting golf balls on the White House lawn until President Donald Trump encouraged him to do so.
“I never imagined in my life I would get the chance to do that, but the President himself said, `Just go out there and hit some shots,`” DeChambeau recounted. “I responded, `Okay, yes, sir.` It was quite an experience. It was 105 yards, and I hit some solid shots that landed within a couple of feet, nearly making a few as well.”
The reigning U.S. Open champion reiterated that his main objective remains winning golf tournaments.
“Do I want to win every event I enter? Absolutely, 100 percent,” DeChambeau stated. “From my perspective, I will always be the fiercest competitor out there. However, this [content creation] has also allowed me to engage in other activities that are also meaningful.”
“I`ve always wanted to start a YouTube channel, inspired by what MrBeast and Dude Perfect achieved in the mid-2010s,” he added. “I asked myself, `Why can`t I do that too?` I believe there`s an opportunity to be as influential as I am now, and this feels like just the beginning. I think there`s much more to come.”
Turning the Corner?
Torque GC captain Joaquín Niemann is hopeful that he`s finally made a breakthrough after tying for eighth place in the PGA Championship, his first top-10 finish in 24 starts in major championships. His final score of 4-under 143 put him seven strokes behind winner Scheffler.
“I didn`t feel like I played my best golf,” Niemann commented. “I felt I had room to play much better at the time. I knew I could have achieved a better result. But I think we can focus on the positives and move forward step by step. It`s my first top-10 in a major, so that`s definitely a positive.”
Winning in the LIV Golf League has not been an issue for Niemann, who has claimed victory five times since February 2024, including three wins this season. His success on the circuit funded by Saudi Arabia led Phil Mickelson to controversially call him the best golfer in the world.
“I think because LIV is new, people don`t fully appreciate the quality and depth of the field, and that the players you compete against are consistently the same top players,” Mickelson said. “Joaquin is winning, and he`s playing every single week against players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson. He`s competing against that same high level of competition week in and week out, and it`s hard to fully grasp how significant that is when it`s a new league.”
Preparing for Oakmont
Mickelson, Niemann, and other LIV Golf players believe the course setup this week at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, which has hosted four Presidents Cups and the 2024 Solheim Cup, provides excellent preparation for next week`s U.S. Open.
“We have greens rolling at 14 to 15 on the stimpmeter, just as they will next week,” Mickelson stated. “We have similar contours and undulations. Short game, touch, chipping around the greens, the rough, speed control, lag putting, and green touch – all are crucial here, just like they will be next week. It`s an ideal location to get ready.”
The last time the U.S. Open was held at Oakmont in 2016, Dustin Johnson won with a score of 4-under 276. Only four players finished under par.
“It`s going to be challenging,” Niemann acknowledged. “I know it will be a good test. The greens will be extremely fast, so I don`t expect many 5-foot or 6-foot birdie putts. I believe the strategy will involve positioning your ball effectively, perhaps to have an uphill putt, which will be easier.”
“They aim for the winning score to be over par, so ultimately, it`s not about who makes the most birdies, but rather who makes the fewest bogeys and errors,” he concluded.
