Five storylines to follow at this week's US Open

Five storylines to follow as the best players in the world descend upon Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina this week for the June 13-16 U.S. Open.

SCHEFFLER BACK ON MAJOR STAGE

With charges stemming from his arrest during last month's PGA Championship having since been dropped, Scottie Scheffler, fresh off his win at the Memorial Tournament, enters the U.S. Open with a clear mind as he looks to extend what has already been a remarkable year.

World number one Scheffler counts the Masters among his five titles this year on the PGA Tour, where he has finished outside the top 10 just once in 13 events and cemented himself as the preeminent force in men's golf.

At the PGA Championship, where he was arrested ahead of the second round, the unflappable Scheffler managed to finish in a share of eighth place after what prosecutors later agreed was a misunderstanding between him and an officer directing traffic.

In Scheffler's last two U.S. Open starts, he finished in a share of second place, one shot back, in 2022 and solo third in 2023 when he was three shots back of the winner.

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NEWEST MAJOR CHAMPION

With his triumph at last month's PGA Championship, Xander Schauffele finally shed the title of best player to never win a major, and that breakthrough victory could open the floodgates for the 30-year-old American.

When Schauffele lipped in a six-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole for a one-shot triumph at the PGA Championship, he not only snapped a two-year win drought but also rid himself of questions about his inability to close out a big event.

And now Schauffele gets to focus on an event where he has historically fared well, having secured six top-10 finishes and never done worse than a share of 14th place in seven U.S. Open