While J.J. Spaun will probably never now get tired of seeing Oakmont, many of his peers on the PGA Tour are probably in little rush to return to the Pennsylvania course after the US Open.
Oakmont proved to be a brutal test of the world’s best players earlier this month, particularly after the weather took a turn for the worse on Sunday afternoon of the US Open.
J.J. Spaun finished as the only player under par for the week as he secured his first major title. Meanwhile, the ruthless rough felt like something of a throwback, as it put a real premium on finding and holding the fairway.
Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images
It does feel as though more and more PGA Tour courses are doing little to capture the imagination of fans. One of the big talking points coming out of the Truist Championship, for example, was how enjoyable Philadelphia Cricket Club was as a venue as it stepped in for Quail Hollow.
Michael Kim names the PGA Tour course which rivalled Oakmont for difficulty
But there are still some courses on the PGA Tour which put all parts of a player’s game under the microscope.
And when asked which course on the schedule rivals Oakmont for difficulty, Michael Kim suggested that heading to Muirfield Village was particularly draining.
Memorial was stupidly hard
— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 29, 2025
View Tweet
The Memorial Tournament is back being one of the toughest tests on the PGA Tour
Just 11 players managed to finish under par for the week at Jack Nicklaus‘ event. Scottie Scheffler came out on top on 10 under par, but the world number one finished four shots clear of anyone else in Ohio.
The winning score has not exceeded 13 under par over the last six years. Viktor Hovland emerged victorious in 2023 with a score of seven under par.
Those sorts of tests are desperately needed at a time when some golf courses are seemingly afraid to penalise extremely wayward shots.
The best courses on the calendar are usually the ones which push players to their limit while rewarding the moments of brilliance which come along the way.
