The 126th US Open lands at Shinnecock Hills this Thursday, and the USGA is leaning into everything that makes the venue iconic: fast fescue rough, narrow ribbons of fairway, and greens that have historically gone from firm to glassy by Saturday afternoon. This is the fifth time the championship has been staged here, and the field arrives with the memory of 2018 — when Brooks Koepka went back-to-back at four over par — fresh in mind. Four days, one trophy, very little margin.
The course: why Shinnecock punishes everyone
Shinnecock Hills sits in the Southampton scrub on the eastern end of Long Island, exposed to the Atlantic on three sides. That matters more than the yardage. Wind is the defining variable across every shot, and even when the air is still, the elevation changes on the back nine make club selection a guess from the fairway. The USGA has set the course at a par of 70 and 7,440 yards, with the rough grown to a wrist-deep four inches at the second cut.
The two par fives on the property — the fifth and the sixteenth — are the only obvious red-number holes on the card. Everything else rewards a player who can flight the ball low under the wind and putt from off the green when the surfaces dry out. Last time the Open was played here, only one player finished the championship under par.
The favourites
Scottie Scheffler arrives as the world number one and the betting favourite at most books, and the reasons are familiar. He gains strokes off the tee, gains strokes on approach, and his short game has finally caught up to the rest of his bag. Shinnecock's premium on iron play suits him almost too neatly. The asterisk: his US Open record is shorter on contention than any other major, and his weeks on fast greens have been streaky.
Rory McIlroy comes in fresh off a Masters win in 2025 that finally completed the career slam, and his ball-flight window is exactly what this golf course rewards. The question is the putter. Xander Schauffele, who lifted both the PGA and the Open Championship in 2024, has the temperament for a US Open Sunday. Jon Rahm, on his return from LIV's separate events, has Shinnecock circled on the calendar — the venue suits a player who can shape a four-iron either way.
Watch Ludvig Åberg in this field. The Swede plays his irons like a machinist and has the closing temperament of someone twice his age. And if you want a longer shot: Tom Kim, whose short game is built for weeks when the greens get away from people.
The storylines that will define the week
Three things are going to drive the broadcast narrative:
- Can Scheffler complete the modern slam? A US Open win would put him three legs into a career grand slam at 30 — a pace last matched by Tiger Woods.
- Will Rory close one out? His 2025 Masters answered the question of whether he could win another major. The question for this week is whether he can win two in 14 months for the first time since 2014.
- How fast do the greens get? The USGA was widely criticised in 2018 for letting Saturday's setup tip into unfairness. The rules committee has signalled a softer hand this time, but Shinnecock writes its own rules by Sunday.
The cut, the format, the prize
156 players begin. The top 60 and ties after 36 holes play the weekend. The purse is a record $22 million, with $4.3 million to the champion and a five-year exemption into every major. The format remains 72 holes of stroke play with an 18-hole playoff if needed — the US Open is the last major still resolving ties the old-fashioned way.
How to watch
Coverage in the US is split between NBC, USA Network and Peacock, which carries every group from the morning wave onwards. Sky Sports Golf has the UK and Ireland rights, with the BBC handling highlights. For the rest of the world, the USGA's own streaming product runs alongside national broadcasters in most regions.
- Round 1: Thursday, June 18 · featured groups from 6:45 AM ET
- Round 2: Friday, June 19 · cut decided after the late wave
- Round 3 & 4: Saturday and Sunday · final group off near 2:30 PM ET
Tee times, leaderboards and any weather delays live on the Scorelisto blog through the week.
FAQ
When is the US Open 2026? Thursday June 18 through Sunday June 21, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, NY.
Who won the US Open the last time it was at Shinnecock? Brooks Koepka, in 2018, with a winning score of one over par. Tommy Fleetwood shot a Sunday 63 but came up a stroke short.
Is LIV Golf eligible? Yes. LIV players who qualified through world ranking, prior major exemptions or the dedicated US Open qualifying are in the field. The USGA's qualification path has stayed open to every tour.
What is the par at Shinnecock? Par 70 for the championship, with two par fives and four par threes on the routing.