U.S. Open 2025: Jon Rahm naming every U.S. Open champ since 1999 is peak golf nerdery
Ezra Shaw
Even amongst elite pros, there are golfers and then there are students of the game. Dustin Johnson? Golfer. Rory McIlroy? Student of the game. And that’s not just a LIV vs. PGA Tour thing either, because a dude by the name Jon Rahm falls squarely in the latter camp.
Don’t believe us? Heading into the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont, the Basque bomber was asked to name every U.S. Open champion dating back to 2000. Without hesitation, Rahm began firing off names with the confidence of a man who already knew he was going to ace the test. Check it out.
Well done, Rahmbo. Well done. Granted, one of those was a layup considering he won the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, but he also nailed a couple of the tricky ones and even threw in a bonus from the previous century, correctly naming the late Payne Stewart as the 1999 champion. He did need a hint for Michael Campbell in 2005, but you can tell he knew it, his brain just disconnected from the WiFi for a second.
Ultimately, this doesn’t mean much. As the old saying goes, that and a nickel $6.50 will get you a cup coffee. But still, it’s cool to see modern golfers tipping their cap to the bricklayers of their nine-figure contracts and stuffed signature-event purses. Will Rahm add another gimme to the list with a big win at Oakmont this week? We guess you'll have to tune in to find out.
