Good attitude vital at Oakmont, say Thomas and Schauffele

OAKMONT, Pennsylvania — Two-time major winners Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas say keeping a positive attitude is crucial to coping with difficult conditions at Oakmont in this week's 125th US Open.

Schauffele, last year's British Open and PGA Championship winner, and Thomas, a two-time PGA champion, spoke Monday as players had their first official practice session ahead of Thursday's start.

Rains made greens receptive, although players suspect it will be lightning-fast by Thursday, and dense rough was even tougher when wet as Oakmont bared its teeth.

"Maybe I'm just sick and enjoy the challenge, something about it playing really hard," Schauffele said.

"I think a good attitude goes a long way. It's obviously easier said than done, hard to keep a good attitude through the entire stretch of 72 holes. I think they're a lot of fun."

For Thomas, strong attitude starts with commitment to shots.

"For me just being very committed to what I'm doing, being accepting of the results," he said.

"Once I start second-guessing myself or not trusting my instincts is where I get myself in trouble. Then when I do that, I naturally am pretty pissed off if it doesn't work out."

Schauffele said the difficult test offered at Oakmont is offset by knowing everyone will face it.

"Part of my attitude thing is we're all playing the same course and it's going to be hard," he said. "You may think something is unfair, but it doesn't really matter at the end of the day.

"Whoever can sort of deal with it the best is going to play well. That's the attitude I've had — look at it as a fun challenge versus feeling like you're living in a nightmare."

Thomas wants as many rivals as possible in fear of Oakmont's travails.

"Being perfectly honest and very selfish, I hope it psychs a lot of players out," Thomas said. "It's a part of the preparation, like trying to go hit wedges or trying to get the speed of the greens or anything. It's getting a game plan for how you're going to approach the course mentally and strategically.

"I understand this place is hard. I don't need to read articles or hear horror stories. I've played it. I know it's difficult.

Thomas cites attitude as a reason why Scottie Scheffler, a nine-time winner in 2024, is world No 1 and has won three times since the start of May.

"Every single aspect of his game is unbelievable. I think his mental game is better than anybody out here," Thomas said. "He just doesn't make any mistakes and almost lets himself be in contention versus forces himself in contention."

Schauffele admits appearances can be deceptive when it comes to attitude.

"Good attitude is being levelheaded," he said. "I look pretty levelheaded when I play, but internally I might be absolutely just thrashing myself."

Asked how often he's thrashing himself, Schauffele admitted: "Pretty often."

AFP