Scottie, Rory, Bryson, Oakmont and more U.S. Open storylines - ESPN

In the nine previous U.S. Opens at Oakmont, only 23 players finished under par. Three of the past champions here had scores over par, and the lowest 72-hole scoring total for a winner at Oakmont was 5 under.

Thanks to ankle-high rough and lightning-fast greens, the most difficult test in golf is even more treacherous on a course with no water hazards and few trees.

«It's going to be a challenge,» said LIV Golf League captain Jon Rahm, the 2021 U.S. Open winner. «A lot of unfortunate things are going to happen. It's hard fairways to hit, bad lies, difficult bunkers, difficult greens. It's going to be a nice test, a difficult test. And I think one of the truest representations of what a U.S. Open is all about.»

Will Scottie Scheffler's dominance continue as he looks to grab the third leg of the career Grand Slam? Can Masters champion Rory McIlroy fix his problems off the tee, which plagued him in his past two starts? Who are the dark horses who might be poised to lift the U.S. Open trophy Sunday?

Mark Schlabach: About the only way I don't see Scheffler contending this week is if he's wild off the tee, and that didn't happen in his last victory, at the Memorial. He seems to have figured out whatever was bothering him with his driver in the final round of last month's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club. And, yes, the guy is so good that it might have been a simple case of him aiming the wrong direction.

The world No. 1 golfer has won three times in his past four starts, including that third career major title. He has gained an average of 14 strokes on the field over his past five starts, and that's going to be nearly impossible to beat if it happens again. He leads the tour in nearly every strokes-gained metric when it