Survive or Go Home: The Ruthless Cut Rules at Oakmont’s 2025 US Open| Oakmont Doesn’t Forgive: Why 2025’s US Open Cut Is the Harshest Yet
One Mistake, You’re Out: The Savage Cut Line Rules at US Open 2025
Hardest Cut in Golf? Inside the Brutal Line Players Face at Oakmont
Here’s a look at the cut line rules and projections for the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
Cut Line Rules
The 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont is really living up to its reputation as one of golf’s toughest tests, pushing the world’s best players to their limits. With brutal rough and lightning-fast greens, the challenging conditions have made the cut line a major talking point – especially with several big names in danger of heading home early.
Projected Cut Line
Unlike some other majors, the U.S. Open has a stricter rule for making the weekend. Only the top 60 players and anyone tied with the 60th spot after 36 holes get to play the final two rounds. This is tougher than the PGA Championship and British Open, which usually let the top 70 and ties through, and the Masters, which has a smaller field and cuts to the top 50 and ties.
Players Facing the Cut
As Friday’s second round unfolded, the projected cut line was hovering around +4 for that top 60 group. Of course, that number can shift as more players finish their rounds and the course conditions change. For comparison, the cut at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst was +5, and back in 2016 when Oakmont last hosted, it was +6.
Quite a few notable players found themselves right on or below that projected cut line during the second round. Stars like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Thomas were among those who really needed a strong finish on Friday to survive. Others, including Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, Tony Finau, and Phil Mickelson, were also feeling the heat, needing solid play to ensure they’d be around for the weekend.
Historical Context
The U.S. Open is famous for its demanding setups, which often leads to higher scores needed to make the cut compared to other events. The highest 36-hole cut since World War II was a staggering +15 way back at the Olympic Club in 1955! More recently, we’ve seen lower cuts like +2 at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023 and +3 at The Country Club in 2022. But Oakmont’s +6 cut in 2016 definitely shows just how difficult this course can be.
Several things make making the cut at Oakmont such a battle. We’re talking about incredibly thick rough, greens that are notoriously fast, and fairways that feel incredibly tight. Plus, factors like the weather – say, if rain comes into play – can make an already tough course even harder, impacting where that cut line ends up.
