College Golfers Take Charge at Oakmont Round One
A host of college golfers delivered composed and impressive performances on Oakmont’s notoriously difficult course in Round 1 of the 2025 U.S. Open. Their play highlighted both resilience and skill, setting the stage for a competitive Round two.
Round One Scores and Highlights
Cameron Tankersley (Ole Miss, USA) – 66 (four under)
Led all collegians with a flawless round. Two eagles and zero bogeys demonstrated elite iron play and scoring prowess on one of golf’s toughest tracks.
Mason Howell (Georgia commit, USA) – 70 (even par)
The 17-year-old navigated Oakmont’s brutal terrain without major mistakes. His ball striking was precise, and his par saves were consistent.
Jackson Koivun (Auburn, USA) – 72 (two over)
Despite a double bogey on the sixth and three critical three-putts, Koivun kept composure to post a steady round.
Michael La Sasso (Ole Miss, USA) – 72 (two over)
The NCAA individual champion showed good control from tee to green and managed to salvage his round despite a late bogey .
Ben James (Virginia, USA) – 71 and 70 for 36 holes (even par)
Maintained consistent play with a birdie on 18 and calm management of Oakmont’s challenges.
Evan Beck (Wake Forest alum, USA) – 72 (two over)
Broke through with his first U.S. Open birdie but saw that offset by rough and green trouble on other holes .
Trevor Gutschewski (Oklahoma State commit, USA) – 73 (three over)
Made a notable late three-putt, but held his nerve throughout a tour-level environment.
Zachery Pollo (University of Arizona, USA) – 74 (+4)
Pollo carded 74, managing Oakmont’s tough conditions as an international qualifier, amateurgolf.com.
Justin Hastings (San Diego State University, USA) – 73 (+3)
Hastings was one of the better-performing amateurs with a 73 in Round One.
What’s Next
Round 2 begins Friday morning. Tankersley sits in prime low-amateur position while Howell remains well placed among the collegiate contingent. Koivun, La Sasso, Beck and Gutschewski will need strong play to make the cut and keep their U.S. Open hopes alive. CGN will continue monitoring their performance with updates and analysis.
Sources:
USGA’s Official Round 1 leaderboard and player stats
https://www.usopen.com/
ESPN’s live leaderboard page covering first-round scores and amateurs
https://www.espn.com/golf/leaderboard
University of Mississippi Golf’s recap including Cameron Tankersley’s 66
https://olemisssports.com/news/2025/6/11/mens-golf-la-sasso-and-tankersley-join-golfs-greatest-for-125th-us-open-at-oakmont
