The 2025 U.S. Open was expected to be a showdown of golf’s titans. Instead, Oakmont has chewed up and spit out even the game’s biggest names. Jon Rahm opened the week with a crisp 69, but stumbled badly on Friday with a 75. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau never got off the ground and missed the cut entirely after rounds of 73 and 77. Rory McIlroy hasn’t looked sharp all week, hovering around 10-over. And world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler? He’s 4-over through three rounds and scratching his head like the rest of them.

Meanwhile, the top of the leaderboard looks more like a list of dark horses than household names. Sam Burns leads at 4-under, with Adam Scott and J.J. Spaun one stroke behind. Viktor Hovland lurks at -1, and tied just behind him, at even par, is LIV Golf’s Carlos Ortiz. While much of the golf world grinds, Ortiz has looked calm, composed, and—perhaps most surprising of all—completely unbothered.

In a recent appearance on the YouTube channel Beyond the Clubhouse, Ortiz offered a glimpse into the mindset that’s helped him navigate Oakmont while others spiral. The 34-year-old LIV Golf pro, who defected from the PGA Tour in 2022, is also a father of four daughters. That context, he says, is everything. “I’m trying my best. It’s awesome,” Ortiz shared with reporter Garrett Johnston about balancing life on tour with fatherhood. “I do have good motivation, but it’s also a good motivation to work hard and go home.”

Off the course, Ortiz is a devoted family man. He is married to his college sweetheart, Haley, and often speaks of the joy and chaos of raising four young daughters. Carlos Ortiz, the golfer, may have mastered his sport, but Carlos Ortiz, the father, admits he is far from being the master in his own home, as he joked back in 2024. With a loving wife and a full house, his off-course priorities are clear.

Ortiz speaks like a man who’s learned to let go of the noise. He doesn’t ruminate over bogeys or leaderboard pressure. When asked by Johnston what matters most, he didn’t hesitate. “Obviously, any kid is fun to be around, but when they’re little, it’s awesome.” He added that dropping his girls off at school, hanging in the pool, or just watching them grow means more than what happens inside the ropes. “So, when I’m out here on the golf course, that’s the motivation. I know that I always have that to go to, and this—this actually seems quite… not even important.”

And yet, here he is: three rounds in, Ortiz has posted scores of 68, 69, and 67—good enough for solo fifth at even par. If the big names keep tumbling, Carlos Ortiz, the girl dad from Guadalajara, just might be walking away with the U.S. Open. And while Ortiz continues to quietly surge, several of the sport’s giants are finding Oakmont far less forgiving. Let’s look at Rahm, for example.

Jon Rahm admitted to major frustration after tough second round at U.S. Open

Jon Rahm’s tournament began with promise—a steady 1-under 69 highlighted by precise iron play and a timely eagle. But by Friday, Oakmont’s wicked setup had taken its toll. Rahm shot a 75 to fall to +4, visibly rattled by the greens and rough. Saturday brought little relief. Despite another eagle early in his round, Rahm carded a 3-over 73 in Round 3, bringing his total to +7 for the week. He struggled to string together momentum, with a few costly bogeys and a deflating double on the 15th undoing the early progress. The frustration was visible: Oakmont had clearly worn him down.

His breaking point came mid-second round when he muttered, “¿Me estás tomando el pelo?” (“Are you kidding me?”) in exasperation. The frustration spilled into his post-round comments: “I didn’t make a putt, that was the main difference. I didn’t play bad… didn’t see anything go in beside a 7-footer on 7.”

Rahm, typically measured, didn’t hold back. “Honestly, I’m too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any perspective,” he admitted. “Very few rounds of golf I played in my life where I think I hit good putts and they didn’t sniff the hole.” He’s safely inside the cut, but unless his putter rebounds fast, Rahm will be grinding through the weekend while others—like Ortiz—stay loose and focused on the bigger picture.