Prepare for carnage at Oakmont, site of the 125th U.S. Open

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⛳️ Golf’s toughest test: Prepare for carnage at Oakmont

The U.S. Open is golf’s toughest major. It’s only fitting, then, that the 125th edition is being held at what many consider to be golf’s toughest course.

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Good luck, golfers: The average winning score at the U.S. Open this century is -4.8. Compare that to the Masters (-10.9), PGA Championship (-10.9) and Open Championship (-10.8), and it’s clear which major presents the biggest challenge.

• No U.S. Open track has been more difficult than Oakmont Country Club, the venerable old battleship that is hosting the tournament for a record 10th time this week (1927, 1935, 1953, 1962, 1973, 1983, 1994, 2007, 2016, 2025).

• The 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont (won by Ángel Cabrera) had the worst average score of any major this century, and just four players broke par during the 2016 edition (won by Dustin Johnson), which was considered “easy” due to the conditions caused by heavy rain.

What they’re saying: “If you gave me +4 for the entire week, I would probably take it… and expect to have a chance to win,” said world No. 15 Ben Griffin as he and 155 others prepare for carnage at the 121-year-old club outside Pittsburgh, which once played to a par 80 and even featured a par-6 hole.

What makes Oakmont so hard? The comically deep rough, for starters. Then there’s the lightning fast greens, copious bunkers and hazardous drainage ditches.

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2. Greens: The average green you or I would play has an 8-10 reading on the Stimpmeter,* and PGA Tour events are typically around 12. Oakmont’s undulating greens will be set at a 15 this week. Like putting on ice.

3. Bunkers: Errant shots that avoid the rough will probably find their way into one of the course’s 175 sand traps — none more famous or daunting than the “Church Pew” bunker between the third and fourth holes that spans 26,000 square feet and has 550 tons of sand.

4. Ditches: A 1.1-mile network of drainage ditches runs alongside half the holes. The lateral hazards can be treated as a one-stroke penalty or an extremely difficult play-it-as-it-lies.

Hole to watch: The 289-yard eighth hole is the longest par 3 in any major championship. Collin Morikawa was among those who hit driver during this week’s practice rounds.

The last word: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, a massive favorite this week, didn’t mince words when discussing the challenge Oakmont presents: “This is probably the hardest golf course that we’ll play, maybe ever.”

Go deeper: Key storylines (Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports)

*A Stimpmeter is a yardstick-like device used to measure green speeds. It was invented by amateur golfer Edward Stimpson in 1935 after he watched seven-time major champion Gene Sarazen roll a putt off the green and into a bunker at… Oakmont.

🏆 Pacers take Game 3

The Pacers were supposed to be nothing more than a nuisance in the Thunder’s path to the championship. Instead, they’re two wins away from capturing the title themselves.

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Pacers 116, Thunder 107: Indiana rode a dominant fourth quarter to a Game 3 victory and 2-1 series lead in their first NBA Finals home game in 25 years.

• Tyrese Haliburton, who struggled a bit in Games 1 and 2, nearly put up a triple-double (22-9-11).

• But it was the Pacers’ bench that made the biggest difference: Bennedict Mathurin’s 27 points were the third-most off the bench in Finals history, while T.J. McConnell put up the first 10-point, 5-assist, 5-steal performance by a reserve in Finals history.

The other side: The Thunder’s big three scored as always (70 points combined from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams), but Indiana’s crowd and smothering defense took over in the fourth quarter, when OKC was outscored 32-18.

Big picture: The Pacers still haven’t lost back-to-back games since March 10. If the Thunder want to get back in this series, they’ll need to snap that streak.

🏈 In photos: Old faces, new places

The NFL’s mandatory minicamps began this week, giving fans a glimpse of all the old faces in new places.

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — Yes, Aaron Rodgers really is a Steeler now. And yes, that’s a wedding band on his finger. The four-time MVP revealed this week that he recently tied the knot, adding another headline to his fresh start in Pittsburgh.

Henderson, Nevada — Pete Carroll is back on the sidelines after a one-year hiatus, now leading the Raiders after 14 years in Seattle. Carroll turns 74 in September, which will make him the oldest head coach in NFL history.

Foxboro, Massachusetts — Stefon Diggs’ tenure with the Patriots got off to a rocky start after videos surfaced of him partying on a yacht just before voluntary workouts. But the four-time Pro Bowler is present at minicamp and is aiming to be ready for Week 1 after tearing his ACL last fall.

Renton, Washington — The Seahawks have completely overhauled their offense, swapping out the Geno Smith–DK Metcalf duo (now with the Raiders and Steelers, respectively) for Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp.

⚽️ Club World Cup: Where all 32 teams stand

The 2026 World Cup is one year away. But beginning this weekend, the U.S. hosts another FIFA competition: The 2025 Club World Cup, a first-of-its-kind tournament with 32 professional teams (rather than countries) as the contestants.

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The favorites:

2. 🇪🇸 Real Madrid (Spain)

3. 🇩🇪 Bayern Munich (Germany)

4. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City (England)

5. 🇮🇹 Inter Milan (Italy)

6. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chelsea (England)

7. 🇩🇪 Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

8. 🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid (Spain)

9. 🇮🇹 Juventus (Italy)

The fringe contenders: Benfica (Portugal), Palmeiras (Brazil), Flamengo (Brazil), Porto (Portugal), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

The best of the rest: River Plate (Argentina), Monterrey (Mexico), Al Ahly (Egypt), Botafogo (Brazil), RB Salzburg (Austria)

The mid/long shots: LAFC (USA), Inter Miami (USA), Fluminense (Brazil), Boca Juniors (Argentina), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Seattle Sounders (USA), Pachuca (Mexico), ES Tunis (Tunisia), Urawa Reds (Japan), Wydad (Morocco), Ulsan (South Korea), Al Ain (UAE), Auckland City (New Zealand)

Go deeper: Club World Cup, explained (Henry Bushnell, Yahoo Sports)

📺 Watchlist: Thursday, June 12

🏒 Stanley Cup Final, Game 4 | 8pm ET, TNT

The defending champion Panthers look to take a commanding 3-1 lead at home. Tune in before the game (6pm) to watch the 2025 NHL Awards, where Oilers goal-scoring machine Leon Draisaitl is the favorite to win the Hart Trophy (MVP).

⛳️ U.S. Open, Round 1 | USA/Peacock

The action is underway at Oakmont Country Club. The first round will be televised on USA Network (6:30am-5pm), followed by coverage on Peacock (5pm-8pm).

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More to watch:

• 🏆 NCAA Track and Field: Outdoor Championships (7pm, ESPN) … Six individual men’s champions were crowned on Day 1. The women’s events begin today.

• ⛳️ LPGA: Meijer LPGA Classic (3pm, Golf) … At Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan.

Today’s full slate →

🏀 NBA Finals trivia

31 of the past 34 NBA champions had a current or former league MVP on the roster. Can you name the three champions that didn’t?

Hint: 2004, 2019, 2024.

Answer at the bottom.

🏈 Saquon keeps winning

Saquon Barkley topped the NFLPA’s Year-End Top 50 Player Sales List, unseating Patrick Mahomes as the league’s retail king and becoming the first running back since 2017 to finish No. 1 in officially licensed product sold.

Top 10:

4. Jayden Daniels, QB (Commanders)

7. Aidan Hutchinson, DE (Lions)

8. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR (Lions)

9. Micah Parsons, LB (Cowboys)

10. Justin Jefferson, WR (Vikings)

Look away, Giants fans… In the 15 months since New York chose Daniel Jones over Barkley, the workhorse back has (1) won a Super Bowl, (2) been named NFL OPOY, (3) broken the record for most rushing yards in a season, (4) driven more sales than any other player, and (5) been chosen as the “Madden” cover athlete. Is that good?

Trivia answer: 2004 Pistons, 2019 Raptors, 2024 Celtics

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