The length and thickness of the rough at the U.S. Open is a topic of discussion leading up to the tournament every year, and there have been rumblings that the challenge could be steeper than ever at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa., next month. Justin Thomas says we should believe the hype.
With the start of the 2025 U.S. Open just two weeks away, there have been rumors floating around about just how diabolical the course setup will be at Oakmont. One of those rumors came from Luke Kerr-Dineen of Golf Digest, who said he heard the Oakmont grounds crew spent time last year experimenting with different types of grass to see which one would produce the thickest rough.
Thomas said he visited Oakmont on Monday and can confirm the rumors.
“I actually went to Oakmont yesterday. I got in Monday. It’s still tough,” Thomas said. “I would say all of the rumors and everything are pretty on point.”
🚨⛳️😵 #CONFIRMED — Justin Thomas scouted Oakmont CC yesterday and says rumours surrounding the course conditions are true. @JTLegion_
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) May 28, 2025
“I actually went to Oakmont yesterday. I got in Monday. It's still tough. I would say all of the rumors and everything are pretty on point.”… pic.twitter.com/DJWpw6SNDr
There have already been videos floating around from members of the media who have had an opportunity to play the course. The rough at Oakmont looks treacherous, and tournament organizers will want it to grow even thicker before June 12.
A little over 2 weeks until the start of #USOpen at Oakmont and the rough is thick but still not as long as it will be. The @USGA and the great maintenance staff at Oakmont led by Mike McCormick have Oakmont looking awesome ⛳️⛳️ pic.twitter.com/6SYkbQBrQE
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) May 27, 2025
The greens will be lightning fast, too. That was the case at Pinehurst in North Carolina last year, which we saw with a wild video ahead of the tournament.
The USGA wants the U.S. Open to be the toughest test in golf. That includes massive penalties for missing the fairway. If the rough is as brutal as expected at Oakmont, we could even see the winner of the event come in with a score over par.
