Sepp Straka reacts after sinking his putt on the ninth gap in the course of the remaining spherical of the Memorial Event at Muirfield Village Golf Course on Sunday, June 1, 2025 in Dublin, Ohio. The previous six main championships have been dominated by the identical 4 faces: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau.
Not solely have they mixed to win these six titles, they’ve dotted the highest 10 on each leaderboard, contending and pushing each other.
All 4 of these stars personal a number of majors, and the game hasn’t had a first-time winner since Brian Harman on the 2023 Open Championship. We could be overdue for a newcomer because the USGA units up Oakmont Nation Membership for the U.S. Open this week.
Listed below are 5 golfers on the precipice of their main championship breakthrough — and why there’s cause to imagine they may very well be within the combine on Sunday in Pennsylvania.
–Tommy Fleetwood
I stay satisfied Fleetwood will win a serious earlier than his time is up.
He top-10’d at each main between 2022 and 2024 as his sport appears to get higher with age. Fleetwood ranks seventh on the PGA Tour in complete strokes gained this season, and he is not missing in anybody space. Specifically, he is regular off the tee, and correct driving is certain to be one of many keys at Oakmont with its thick tough.
Up to now 4 U.S. Opens, 70 p.c of gamers’ strokes gained off the tee got here from accuracy, solely 30 p.c from distance.
–Sepp Straka
No person, not even within the highest ranks of golf cognoscenti, noticed Straka coming. His personal brother was extra extremely recruited to play faculty golf.
Now the Austria native-turned-Alabama resident is without doubt one of the hottest gamers on the planet, with wins on the American Specific and the Truist Championship to indicate for it.
A few of these rankings are wild: Second in complete strokes gained! First in birdie common and greens in regulation share! He is additionally eleventh in driving accuracy, and on the U.S. Open final 12 months at Pinehurst No. 2, Straka led the sphere in fairways in regulation. Do not be shocked if he is out in entrance at any level this week.
–Marc Leishman
This spot may have gone to Joaquin Niemann, coming off a victory Sunday at LIV Golf Virginia, however his main historical past hasn’t lived as much as the lofty expectations round him. Niemann stated himself that he thinks he is nonetheless far off from successful a serious.
I am eyeing Leishman, the veteran Australian who sits eighth within the LIV desk this 12 months, with a win at Doral and a top-10 Sunday. He tied for 14th on the 2024 U.S. Open and tied for 18th the final time it was held at Oakmont (2016).
Most notably, Leishman certified for the U.S. Open the old style approach whereas a majority of LIV members dropped out, exhibiting he is assured in his sport.
–Patrick Cantlay
The ultimate spherical at Pinehurst was so consumed by DeChambeau vs. McIlroy that Cantlay’s greatest exhibiting at a serious grew to become an afterthought. Due to a gap 65 and no main blunders, he was within the high three on the finish of each spherical and completed solely two pictures again.
The U.S. Open often is the main he is greatest suited to win. He has 4 straight top-15 finishes, and he ranked 14th in placing final 12 months, ninth in 2023 and fourth in 2022. Hear, I do know the bloom is off the rose with this man, however I have not forgotten the clutch putts Cantlay made within the 2021 FedEx Cup playoffs.
–Sam Burns
Talking of Individuals who are likely to get misplaced within the shuffle, all 5 of Burns’ PGA Tour wins got here between Could 2021 and March 2023 earlier than he fell off for some time.
He is hardly ever carried out nicely within the majors, however his greatest exhibiting simply so occurred to be a T9 on the 2024 U.S. Open.
Now he is constructing on the proper time, as a number of top-20s culminated in his breakout weekend on the RBC Canadian Open. Statistically, Burns can also be one of the best putter on tour this 12 months. Now, did that assist him win a playoff towards Ryan Fox on Sunday? No, however it might maintain him sane this week if the USGA decides to trick out the Oakmont greens.
–Adam Zielonka, Subject Stage Media
