U.S. Open 2025: Former Oakmont winner can't hide his glee at the challenge that awaits modern players this week

OAKMONT, Pa. — Traditionalists have rejoiced at what’s been on display this week at Oakmont Country Club. It’s been a week where fans of old-school, par-is-good-score, hug-the-line-between-fair-and-unfair U.S. Open setups have been able to come out of hiding without recrimination—and with some rejoicing.

Count one former winner at Oakmont among the revelers. On Thursday, Ernie Els took to social media to offer his two cents on this week’s U.S. Open setup. Needless to say, the 1994 winner at Oakmont (as well as champion at Congressional in 1997) sounded pretty pleased with the difficult challenge that awaits.

“It looks to me like the perfect @usopengolf set-up. In my prime I’d have been licking my chops!”

Els went on to break down the various reasons why he’s pleased with what he’s seen from the course in the run up to the championship. Specifically, the overall test that it’s going to be providing players.

“The thing with Oakmont is, you’ve got to play all the shots. The one-dimension approach doesn’t cut it. You’ve got to shape the ball both ways off the tee and into the greens, to counter the severe slopes.”

Els recalled that the week of his win he hit anywhere from driver to 4-iron off the tees, implying that there is strategy that needs to be game-planned early. And it’s not just off the tees; how you play your way into greens can be the difference between a par save or a big number. Els ranked No. 1 in greens in regulation in 1994. Angel Cabrera, winner at Oakmont in 2007, was T-3 in the category. And in 2016, Dustin Johnson led the field in GIR en route to his three-shot victory.

If there was a lament in Els’ mind, it’s that the course has “a bit of moisture” still, “which gives the guys a chance.” That’s perhaps why the Big Easy was predicting an under par winning score “can be achieved.”

Els said he hopes to be in attendance over the weekend. With his victory in 1994, he was named an honorary member, as is custom for all U.S. Open winners. “I have a lot of friends there that I haven’t seen in a while,” Els said. “It’ll be nice to say hello to everyone and kind of pay respects to this beautiful club. This is where it all started for me and, as I get older, that really means something.”

See Els might be old school, but he’s also got a soft side too.