The 126th US Open is live. Round 1 at Shinnecock Hills tees off at 6:45 AM ET in two-tee fashion and runs until the last threesome finishes at dusk on Long Island. The course is firm. The wind, off the Atlantic, is forecast to build through the afternoon. The USGA got the rough exactly where it wanted it. Below: the groupings that will move the broadcast around, the tee-time stories that already matter, and what an opening-round leaderboard at Shinnecock historically looks like.
The headline group: Scheffler, McIlroy, Rahm · 7:18 AM
The most overdetermined three-ball the USGA could have built. World number one Scottie Scheffler against the Masters champion Rory McIlroy against the most consistent ball-striker on either tour this year in Jon Rahm. Off the tenth tee. Early enough that the wind hasn't fully arrived. If any of the three goes low — and McIlroy has historically been the early-morning Thursday scorer in this group — it will be a number that holds through the morning. Scheffler's iron play is the obvious edge at Shinnecock. McIlroy's driving is the obvious advantage. Rahm's short game is the tiebreaker on a course where you will miss greens.
The defending-champion group: Schauffele, DeChambeau, Åberg
Xander Schauffele won the 2025 US Open and gets the afternoon wave this time, which is the rougher draw on a Thursday at this venue. Bryson DeChambeau is here because he is always one of the loudest stories at Shinnecock — 2018 was the year of the eight-over-par finishing-stretch meltdown. Ludvig Åberg is here because he is the most consistent young player in the field. DeChambeau will out-drive both, by a margin. The shape of the afternoon wind will decide whether his approach play can put it on the level he needs.
The major-pedigree group: Koepka, Morikawa, Hovland · 8:39 AM
Brooks Koepka, back-to-back winner here in 2017–18, is the most dangerous Thursday name in the field. Collin Morikawa, the best iron-player in the second tier of the world rankings, has the ball flight Shinnecock demands. Viktor Hovland, who has spent the past year trying to retro-fit his short game, gets a real test on a course where chipping from the fescue has historically decided cuts. Koepka's record on this property is reason enough to treat him as a co-favourite regardless of his early-season form.
The grinder special: Cantlay, Fleetwood, Matsuyama
The pairing the USGA built for the patient golf fan. Patrick Cantlay is the best putter in the field. Tommy Fleetwood, who has come close at two of the last three US Opens, is the kind of links-leaning iron player who suits the fescue. Hideki Matsuyama has the best second shot in golf on a Sunday and the most steady tempo of any tee-to-green player in the field. None of the three will win this off a Thursday number, but all three could be on the first page of the leaderboard at Saturday night.
What an opening round at Shinnecock should look like
History says the leader will be around four-under, and that the number to make the cut on Friday afternoon will be somewhere between four and six over. The 2018 first round was a three-under-par cut after a Friday wind reset; the 2004 first round was won at three-under by Shigeki Maruyama. The early tee times have the wind advantage today, and the leaderboard after the morning wave will be a meaningful tell. Watch the number on the par-5 fifth — if it is playing under the average score of 4.7, the afternoon wave will struggle.
Three storylines beyond the leaderboard
- The driver question for McIlroy. The Masters champion has been working with a slightly shorter driver shaft since the PGA. Shinnecock is the course that asks for fairway hits more than any major in the calendar. The first-round driver percentage is the live number.
- The Scheffler wedge play. Scheffler enters as the world number one for the longest continuous run in the era. He has not won a US Open. The opening round at this venue exposes wedge play within fifteen yards of the fringe — Scheffler's softer spot.
- The amateur in the field. The USGA brought four amateurs through final qualifying. Watch for the one who goes off in the morning wave at the 10th — historically the path to a top-twenty Thursday number that survives the weekend cut.
How to watch Round 1
USA Network has the early coverage from 6:30 AM ET, NBC takes over from 3:00 PM, and Peacock streams the full day live including featured groups and a marquee-pairing feed. UK fans get the live coverage on Sky Sports Golf from 1:00 PM local. Worldwide streaming sits on the USGA's own channel. Live leaderboard, shot-by-shot updates and round-by-round scoring on the Scorelisto blog; live scores from the rest of the day's sport on the Scorelisto homepage.
FAQ
When does Round 1 start? First tee times go at 6:45 AM ET from the 1st and 10th tees in two-tee fashion. The last threesome of the day goes off at 2:55 PM ET.
What time does Scheffler tee off? 7:18 AM ET off the 10th, with McIlroy and Rahm in the same group.
What does the cut line look like? The top 60 and ties after 36 holes. Historical Shinnecock cuts have landed in the four-to-six-over range, depending on wind.
Where is Round 2 coverage? Round 2 begins Friday June 19 at 6:45 AM ET. The Round 1 recap and projected cut line will be on the Scorelisto blog by Thursday evening.