Let’s begin the problem.
When the U.S. Open resumes Thursday at Sinek Hills Golf Membership in Southampton, New York, the third main of the season is as soon as once more anticipated to be golf’s hardest check.
Previously 5 U.S. Opens held at Sinek Hills courting again to 1896, solely three golfers have completed with scores underneath par. Raymond Floyd completed 1 underneath when he grew to become the oldest U.S. Open champion in 1986. Corey Pavin shot even par when he received his first main in 1995, and the one golfers underneath par in 2004 have been Retief Goossen (4 underneath) and Phil Mickelson (2 underneath).
On the final U.S. Open held at Sinek Hills, Brooks Koepka grew to become the primary back-to-back champion since Curtis Unusual in 1988-89 with a successful rating of 1 over.
Scottie Scheffler’s bid for a profession Grand Slam would be the greatest story this week, however the USA Golf Affiliation’s construction and talent to manage situations can even come underneath scrutiny.
In 2003, 28 golfers broke 80 on Sunday for a median rating of 78.7.
In 2018, Mickelson hit a intentionally shifting ball on the thirteenth inexperienced out of frustration and obtained a two-stroke penalty.
“(That is) a second-shot golf course,” mentioned former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick. “The fairways are a bit wider this time. Clearly, I really feel like each side of your recreation is examined on the U.S. Open. However the greens are actually powerful, particularly at Shinnecock, so you must handle that.”
Here is a take a look at the sphere on the 126th U.S. Open, from favorites to sleepers to gamers seeking to qualify.
clear favourite
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer on the earth, is winless in his previous 11 begins, the third longest drought of his profession. He isn’t a foul golfer. He has three runner-up finishes and 7 top-10 finishes, ending second on the PGA Tour. If Scheffler’s iron play improves this week, it would not be shocking to see him win once more.
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy hasn’t been on tour as a lot as he used to, however that does not appear to be hurting him to date. He received two consecutive occasions on the Masters and completed within the high 20 for the third consecutive 12 months. He isn’t pleased with the consistency of his tee photographs, however Shinnecock’s fairways are huge in order that should not be an excessive amount of of a problem this week. It has been 15 years since he received his solely U.S. Open at Congressional Nation Membership in Bethesda, Maryland.
Scotty Scheffler
If he wins Sunday at Sinek Hills, he might grow to be the seventh man to finish a profession Grand Slam. His recreation has had its ups and downs, from his iron play to his placing, however he is greater than able to getting issues completed. He has completed within the high 10 4 occasions in his previous 5 U.S. Open appearances.
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele is three-quarters of the best way to a profession Grand Slam in 2024 if he provides the U.S. Open trophy to his PGA Championship and British Open Championship wins. On the U.S. Open, he has completed within the high 10 seven occasions in 9 matches, and has by no means completed worse than tied for 14th.
Jon Rahm
The 2021 U.S. Open champion has received twice within the LIV Golf League this season and almost edged out Tyrrell Hatton within the last spherical in Spain two weeks in the past. He tied for second on the PGA Championship on a troublesome course and could possibly be in competition once more this week.
Cameron Younger
Younger was Captain America finally 12 months’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, and the New York native will play in entrance of his dwelling crowd once more this week. In 2026, he has two wins and 6 top-10 finishes.
matt fitzpatrick
He is the one golfer with three wins on tour this season, and he was taking part in higher than anybody earlier than his latest run of type. The 2022 U.S. Open champion has performed significantly better this season after back-to-back mediocre leads to the match.
Those that can win
Listed below are different gamers who’re prone to win the U.S. Open. They’ve the sport, the heart, and the heart to play 4 high-pressure rounds with historically probably the most troublesome set-up within the majors.
russell henry
Henry earned his sixth PGA Tour win on Could 31 on the Charles Schwab Problem. He has completed within the high 14 in 4 of the previous 5 U.S. Opens. He leads the Tour in driving accuracy (71.9%), however that solely helps Shinnecock.
Ludwig Oberg
The 26-year-old from Sweden has greater than sufficient expertise to win his first main championship. He continued to play good golf for 3 months till ending thirty ninth on the Memorial. He was caught up within the last spherical of the PGA Championship and tied for fourth. Oberg switched to a mallet-style Scotty Cameron Phantom 3 putter on the Charles Schwab Problem and had good outcomes.
Collin Morikawa
Morikawa, 29, is a brand new dad and made his return to the tour on the Canadian Open. He is been coping with again ache since The Gamers, however the additional time without work could have helped. He might additionally win three-quarters of a profession Grand Slam after successful the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 British Open Championship.
tommy fleetwood
The reigning FedEx Cup champion improved his type with top-five finishes on the Twist Championship and Memorial Match (he missed the PGA Championship in between). He shot a 7-under 63 on Sunday at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, coming inside putting distance of Brooks Koepka.
Chris Gotterup
Jersey man wins his first main on Lengthy Island? It is like a Bruce Springsteen tune. Gotterup has slowed down since beginning the primary three video games of the season and successful two, however he has all of the instruments to earn his first main victory.
patrick reed
do you bear in mind me? The previous Masters champion has solely made two begins since early March whereas awaiting his return to the PGA Tour on Aug. 25. He tied for twelfth on the Masters and tied for tenth on the PGA Championship. He completed solo in fourth place on the 2018 U.S. Open and will compete once more.
robert mcintyre
The Scottish golfer will really feel proper at dwelling at Shinnecock Hills, having received the Scottish Open and Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship prior to now three seasons. He hasn’t been in nice form because the Masters, however he completed runner-up finally 12 months’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Nation Membership.
bryson dechambeau
Hey Google Gemini, what are Bryson’s possibilities of successful this week? “He is an absolute Tier 1 prospect. Should you’re betting or pulling on Bryson, you are betting on his historic U.S. Open magic to reverse his erratic performances within the first two majors of the 12 months. … If he can handle his tee shot accuracy within the first two rounds, he is the clear favourite to play till late Sunday afternoon. If his driver will get shaky early, Shinnecock’s brutal fescue tough will minimize his week very brief.” It is from the know-how that supposedly modified Bryson’s swing in Spain. The 2-time U.S. Open champion’s first two majors have been chaotic.
Brooks Koepka
Final time the match was held at Sinek Hills, he defeated Fleetwood by one stroke to win his second main and raise the U.S. Open trophy on the 18th inexperienced. He entered the RBC Canadian Open ranked fourth on tour in approaches (.754). If his putter will get sizzling, that could possibly be an element. Nevertheless, Koepka’s standing is in query after he withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open earlier than the ultimate spherical on account of a hand damage.
Wyndham Clark
Clark’s recreation has been sizzling since successful the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Could twenty fourth. The 2023 U.S. Open champion at Los Angeles Nation Membership tied for third at Memorial in his subsequent begin. Shinnecock Hills lockers appear protected.
Tyrrell Hutton
The British golfer has simply scored his second LIV Golf victory in Spain. He received the Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship on the DP World Tour thrice and tied for sixth on the 2018 U.S. Open. He was aiming to win final 12 months’s U.S. Open, ending tied for fourth.
sam burns
Burns tied for seventh on the Masters and tied for fourth on the Memorial and has been probably the greatest putters on tour this season. After struggling within the Huge 4 early in his profession, he has three top-10 finishes prior to now eight majors. Burns was there finally 12 months’s U.S. Open till he struggled within the last eight holes.
Justin Thomas
JT has been doing effectively since late April. He shot a 65 Sunday and was in competition for the PGA Championship. Thomas has missed the minimize in his previous three begins on the U.S. Open, however he made some noise this week, making all his photographs, particularly across the greens.
Kim Si Woo
Kim has eight top-10 finishes in his first 16 matches on this 12 months’s tour, shifting him as much as No. 18 on the earth rankings. He hasn’t completed within the high 25 on the U.S. Open since ending tied for thirteenth in his debut in 2017.
Christopher Reitan
He received his first PGA Tour victory on the Turist Championship and tied for sixth on the Memorial. It ranks 106th (56.9%) in driving accuracy, which can be a priority this week.
Justin Rose
Rose, 45, has been taking part in among the finest golf of his profession over the previous few seasons. The 2013 U.S. Open champion has didn’t qualify in 5 of his previous six match appearances.
Joaquin Niemann
Niemann continued to win within the LIV Golf League, incomes his eighth win in South Korea in Could. His finest end on the U.S. Open was a tie for twenty third place in 2020.
harris english
English, one other former Georgia Bulldog participant who has carried out effectively on the U.S. Open, has completed eighth or higher in three of his previous six appearances on the match. He has struggled with irons this 12 months, however his placing has been poor.
Hideki Matsuyama
The previous Masters champion has completed within the high 10 twice in his previous 4 U.S. Open appearances. He tied for second on the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, Wisconsin, one other links-style course.
Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay performed some nice golf simply earlier than the Masters, ending within the high 12 in 4 consecutive tournaments. He missed the minimize at Oakmont final 12 months, and it was the primary time he did not play a weekend on the U.S. Open.
aaron rye
Rye received the PGA Championship. He received the 2020 Scottish Open on a links-style course and is second on tour in driving accuracy (69.9%). Will he be capable of catch the red-hot putter in back-to-back main tournaments?
jordan spies
Spieth missed Memorial and hasn’t completed within the high 10 in 15 begins, however his play does not appear to be removed from competition. He was as soon as thought of one of many world’s finest links-style golfers on account of his potential to hit the greens and scramble effectively. He stays probably the greatest scramblers on tour. He’ll must hit the irons higher and discover the green off the tee.
cameron smith
The LIV Golf League captain tied for seventh on the PGA Championship, ending a tricky run within the majors.
JJ Spahn
After overcoming a gradual begin to the season, the protection returned to type on the US Open. He has completed within the high 14 in 4 of his previous 5 begins.
If all goes effectively…
Meet the sleeper candidates who will hoist the U.S. Open trophy on Sunday. The listing consists of former main championship winners, rising stars, and different gamers with video games in progress this season. Will all of it come collectively in Shinnecock Hills?
gary woodland
Woodland, who received the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Seashore Golf Hyperlinks, remains to be crushing balls off the tee at age 42.
alex smalley
Smalley had at the least a share of the lead in every of the primary three rounds of the PGA Championship, ending tied for second. He then tied for third on the Charles Schwab Problem and narrowly missed the minimize on the Memorial.
ben griffin
After a poor begin to the season, Griffin turned issues round till he missed the minimize at Memorial. He tied for tenth finally 12 months’s U.S. Open.
Akshay Bhatia
He has missed the minimize in two of his previous three begins on tour, is basically inconsistent off the tee, and ranks 123rd in driving accuracy (55.5%).
Shane Lowry
Lowry’s recreation has been in a rut since collapsing late within the Cognizant Traditional in Palm Seashore in late April. He is seemed good in latest weeks and needs to be snug sufficient at Shinnecock Hills.
maverick mcneely
McNeely tied for 18th on the Masters and PGA Championship and tied for tenth on the Memorial.
Viktor Hovland
The extremely proficient Hovland has fallen to thirty third place within the Official World Golf Rankings, with only one top-10 end within the first 11 matches of the season. He hits the green however has hassle discovering the inexperienced.
Jacob Bridgman
Regardless of a robust begin to 2026, Bridgeman’s play has slowed because the Masters. He’s third on tour in strokes gained: placing (.722).
alex fitzpatrick
Matt Fitzpatrick’s youthful brother has completed within the high 10 4 occasions since becoming a member of the PGA Tour in late April. He tied for seventy fifth on the PGA Championship.
Rickie Fowler
Fowler performed some nice golf in April and early Could, however missed back-to-back begins on the Charles Schwab Problem and Memorial.
Jason Day
He completed runner-up twice on the U.S. Open early in his profession, however his final top-10 end was a tie for eighth in 2016.
brian herman
Herman’s leads to 2026 weren’t nice, however he did raise the Claret Jug on the 2023 British Open Championship on the Royal Liverpool Golf Membership in England.
Sepp Straka
Straka, a four-time tour champion, is seeking to regain his type within the majors. He has missed the minimize in 4 of the previous six.
adam scott
Scott, 45, shall be taking part in in 100 consecutive main league video games for the primary time in 17 years. Jack Nicklaus is the one golfer to surpass 100 in 146 consecutive begins.
Lee Min Woo
Lee’s recreation was trending till he missed the minimize at Memorial. He received the 2021 Scottish Open and is without doubt one of the higher scramblers on tour.
bud corey
Corey certified by successful the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, his first PGA Tour victory in his 239th tour look. He was injured in a automotive accident in 2018 that left him with six damaged ribs, a damaged leg and a collapsed lung, and he endured a protracted street to restoration. Bravo, sir.
Kurt Kitayama
Kitayama has been on a little bit of a roll, ending within the high 25 5 years in a row, together with a tie for tenth on the PGA Championship. He missed the primary 4 matches of the US Open.
Daniel Berger
Berger has been in a good bit of hassle since dropping within the playoffs on the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
jake knapp
Knapp’s season was derailed by a lingering damage to his left thumb. His final begin was at RBC Heritage in mid-April.
Nikolai Højgaard
Højgaard was runner-up within the Turist Championship and received the DP World Tour thrice.
keegan bradley
The previous U.S. Ryder Cup crew captain has been taking part in higher of late, ending within the high 20 thrice in his previous six begins.
JT Poston
Poston had a shocking victory on the Memorial, his fourth on the PGA Tour.
nick taylor
The Canadian golfer completed tied for twenty third finally 12 months’s U.S. Open after failing to qualify within the earlier three tournaments.
david puig
A rising star within the LIV Golf League, Puig has received in Europe and Asia. He tied for 18th on the PGA Championship.
dustin johnson
DJ received the 2016 U.S. Open, however has solely completed within the high 10 as soon as in his previous 14 main appearances.
ryan gerard
Gerrard misplaced in a playoff to Poston on the Memorial two weeks in the past, lacking out on his second PGA Tour win.
Corey Connors
Connors performed within the first seven matches on the U.S. Open, lacking simply two. Final 12 months, he was pressured to withdraw earlier than the ultimate race on account of a wrist damage.
Max Glaserman
Glaserman tied for 14th on the PGA Championship, however wanted to move the Open Qualifier to qualify for the U.S. Open.
Im Sung Jae
Im’s efficiency this season has been unpredictable. He has missed the minimize 4 occasions and completed within the high 10 thrice.
jackson suber
The previous Ole Miss star was the shock favourite to win Sunday’s RBC Canadian Open. This shall be his second look on the US Open.
ben james
James was a four-time All-American on the College of Virginia and certified for the U.S. Open three years in a row earlier than turning professional. He made waves in his skilled debut on the RBC Canadian Open, posting a 67-63 file within the first two rounds earlier than being eradicated on Saturday.
matt mccarty
McCarty completed within the high 25 in his first two begins on the Masters. He missed the final 4 begins within the majors over the previous two seasons.
alex noren
The 43-year-old completed solo ninth on the Memorial and has historical past on hyperlinks programs in Europe.
andrew novak
Novak tied for twenty sixth on the PGA Championship and appeared to be turning issues round.
sahis segara
After a tricky 2025 season, Segala’s recreation is displaying indicators of revival.
Hey, miracles do occur
These are lengthy photographs. This tier features a pair of older former main champions and PGA Tour regulars.
michael brennan
laurie canter
Pierceson Coody
Nico Echavarria
ryan fox
Emiliano Grillo
harry corridor
padraig harrington
billy horschel
Matthew Jordan
Johnny Keefer
michael kim
tom kim
chris kirk
graham mcdowell
keith mitchell
carlos ortiz
Andrew Putnam
Patrick Rogers
Jaden Shaper
Matty Schmidt
jimmy stanger
sam stevens
Peter Uihlein
Brandon Wu
Sudarshan Yelamaraju
Mitchell has fallen to No. 100 on the earth rankings, however seems to be on the verge of a comeback. He completed solo fifth on the CJ Cup Byron Nelson after which had a robust efficiency within the first two rounds of the RBC Canadian Open.
The South African Shaper does not simply have a golf-centric final identify. He’s third within the DP World Tour Race to Dubai rankings behind Reid and McIlroy. Shaper received the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the AfraAsia Financial institution Mauritius Open in consecutive weeks in December.
Stanger, a former College of Virginia star, entered the RBC Canadian Open ranked No. 706 on the earth. However he posted scores of 65-67-68 and was within the high 10 heading into Sunday’s last spherical.
I am completely happy to have the ability to minimize it
These gamers will not be anticipated to be included on the listing except one thing particular occurs.
filippo celli
Hugo Kuso
cooper dossey
Adrian Dumont de Chassard
Annie du Plessis
lucas herbert
angel hidalgo
Ryo Hisatsune
zach blair
cole hammer
nick hardy
robbie higgins
harry higgs
JB Holmes
TK Kim
nathan kimsey
ben coles
Chase Kyes
grayson leech
William Moe
james nicholas
jake peacock
chandler phillips
Kevin Roy
marcelo roso
Neil Shipley
Jake Solon
Jackson from Paris
Max McGreevey
taylor montgomery
Niklas Norgaard
Ryuichi Oiwa
Kaito Onishi
John Parry
loco repetto taylor
Adrian Sadia
Taihei Sato
Manav Shah
ben silverman
caleb slat
davis thompson
Spencer Tibbits
Alejandro Tosti
Dylan Wu
Carl Yuan
Oiwa shot a bogey-free 61 within the second spherical of qualifying for the US Open in Japan in Could. With a complete of 12 underneath par and 128 after 36 holes, he had a one-stroke lead over Onishi.
Oiwa, 28, is ranked 386th on the earth and is collaborating within the Japan tour. This shall be his first profession begin within the majors.
Sveinsson, a rising junior at LSU, grew to become the primary Icelander from Iceland to qualify for the U.S. Open on June 8, “The Longest Day of Golf” at Lakes Golf & Nation Membership in Westerville, Ohio, with a 9-under 135. He shall be taking part in for the worldwide crew within the Palmer Cup in Eire later this summer time.
Holmes survived the four-man playoff, competing for 3 spots. Holmes, 44, shall be taking part in in her first U.S. Open since failing to qualify in 2019.
newbie
Right here, newbie gamers goal to do what stars like Cantlay, Mickelson, Rahm and Spieth did on the U.S. Open earlier than turning professional: win medals as low amateurs.
hamilton coleman
Ryder Cowan
Ethan Fang
Marek Fleming
Bourne Harbor
jackson herrington
Brandon Holtz
mason howell
Jackson Koibun
Eric Lee
jackson ormond
Giuseppe Puebla
Matteo Pulcini
logan riley
Matthew Robles
Miles Russell
Preston Stout
Arni Sveinsson
Koibun, a junior at Auburn, received the McCormack Medal as the highest male participant within the World Newbie Golf Rating following final 12 months’s U.S. Newbie, and shall be collaborating within the U.S. Open for the second consecutive 12 months. In 2024, he grew to become the primary freshman to win the Haskins Award because the nation’s high faculty golfer since Alabama’s Justin Thomas in 2012.
Riley, one among Koibun’s teammates, went 3-0 in match play on the NCAA Championships on the Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., holed the decisive putt in opposition to UCLA to guide Auburn to the nationwide title.
The 17-year-old Puebla tied PGA Tour veteran Ben Silverman for the lead in qualifying on the East Course at Barren Isles Nation Membership in Palm Seashore Gardens, Florida. The highschool senior has dedicated to play at Florida in 2027.
Russell, the youngest lively golfer at age 17, made it by a playoff for the ultimate spot at Barren Isles Nation Membership. He had his good buddy Charlie Woods as his caddy throughout qualifying. Russell’s swing coach, Ramon Vescanza, will carry Russell’s bag throughout the U.S. Open.
Sveinsson, a rising junior at LSU, grew to become the primary Icelander from Iceland to qualify for the U.S. Open when he shot a nine-under par 135 on the longest day of golf on June 8 at Lakes Golf & Nation Membership in Westerville, Ohio. He shall be taking part in for the worldwide crew within the Palmer Cup in Eire later this summer time.
