Scheffler, McIlroy look to tame Oakmont, DeChambeau seeks repeat US Open win

OAKMONT, Pennsylvania : Scottie Scheffler, who has cemented himself as the preeminent force in golf, enters this week's U.S. Open seeking the third leg of a career Grand Slam while Rory McIlroy hopes to reclaim his major magic and Bryson DeChambeau eyes a repeat title.

World number one Scheffler has three wins in his last four starts, including last month's PGA Championship, and is clear favorite at Oakmont Country Club where his driving proficiency, elite short game and patient approach could be the difference.

Oakmont, arguably the toughest course in the United States, is a quintessential U.S. Open venue given its penalizing rough, narrow fairways and nerve-testing greens that many expect will ultimately result in a winning score above par.

The physical and mental grind expected this week could open the door for three-times major champion Scheffler, who tends to be in contention wherever he tees it up given his unflappable temperament and exacting style that can wear down a field.

"He’s got no weaknesses in his game. You just feel like when you’re behind Scottie, you have to press because you know he’s not going to make any mistakes," NBC Sports/Golf Channel analyst Smylie Kaufman said on a U.S. Open media conference call.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam of golf's four majors at the Masters in April but at the PGA Championship he finished well out of contention while using a back-up driver after his preferred one failed a conformity test.

Now the world number two, fresh off a missed cut at the Canadian Open, will get another crack at an event where he has endured his fair share of heartbreak in recent years.

At the 2024 U.S. Open, where the Northern Irishman was seeking his first major triumph in a