126th U.S. Open Championship Notebook and Storylines

THREE CENTURIES OF EXCELLENCE

Shinnecock Hills is the only course to have hosted the U.S. Open in three different centuries. The 2026 U.S. Open marks 130 years since Shinnecock first hosted the championship n1896, when James Foulis defeated Horace Rawlins by three strokes, 152-155. 

Other memorable U.S. Open moments at Shinnecock Hills: 

1986 U.S. Open – Raymond Floyd defeats Lanny Wadkins and Chip Beck by two strokes (279-281). At age 43, Floyd became the oldest U.S. Open champion at the time, securing the fourth and final major championship of his Hall of Fame career. 

1995 U.S. Open – Corey Pavin claims the trophy with a victory over Greg Norman and Tom Lehman. One of the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour, Pavin sealed his only major championship with a memorable 4-wood approach to the 72nd hole that remains one of the most iconic shots in U.S. Open history.

2004 U.S. Open – Retief Goosen defeats Phil Mickelson by two strokes to capture his second U.S. Open title within three years. Mickelson’s runner-up finish was the third of a record six second-place showings in the championship. 

2018 U.S. Open – Brooks Koepka successfully defends his title with a one-stroke victory over Tommy Fleetwood, becoming the first player since Curtis Strange in 1989 to win back-to-back U.S. Opens. Fleetwood nearly stole the championship with a final-round 63, matching the lowest round ever recorded in U.S. Open history.

WHO’S HERE 

Among the 156 golfers in the 2026 U.S. Open, there are:

U.S. Open champions (12): Bryson DeChambeau (2020, 2024), Wyndham Clark (2023), Dustin Johnson (2016), Brooks Koepka (2017, 2018), Graeme McDowell (2010), Rory McIlroy (2011), Matt Fitzpatrick (2022), Jon Rahm (2021), Justin Rose (2013), J.J. Spaun (2025), Jordan Spieth (2015) and Gary Woodland (2019) 

U.S. Open runners-up (12): Jason Day (2011, 2013), Tommy Fleetwood (2018), Rickie Fowler (2014), Brian Harman (2017), Dustin Johnson (2015), Brooks Koepka (2019), Shane Lowry (2016), Robert MacIntyre (2025), Hideki Matsuyama (2017), Graeme McDowell (2012), Rory McIlroy (2023, 2024) and Scottie Scheffler (2022)

U.S. Amateur champions (4): Bryson DeChambeau (2015), Matt Fitzpatrick (2013), Viktor Hovland (2018) and Mason Howell (2025) 

U.S. Junior Amateur champions (5): Hamilton Coleman (2025), Brian Harman (2003), Min Woo Lee (2016), Scottie Scheffler (2013) and Jordan Spieth (2009, 2011) 

U.S. Mid-Amateur champions (1): Brandon Holtz (2025) 

U.S. Senior Open champions (1): Padraig Harrington (2025)

U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champions (1): Cole Hammer (2018) 

U.S. National Junior Team members (1): Giuseppe Puebla

USA Walker Cup Team members (31): Akshay Bhatia (2019), Patrick Cantlay (2011), Pierceson Coody (2021), Bryson DeChambeau (2015), Harris English (2011), Ethan Fang (2025), Rickie Fowler (2007, 2009), Cole Hammer (2019, 2021), Brian Harman (2005, 2009), Russell Henley (2011), J.B. Holmes (2005), Billy Horschel (2007), Mason Howell (2025), Ben James (2023), Dustin Johnson (2007), Michael Kim (2013), Chris Kirk (2007), Jackson Koivun (2025), Maverick McNealy (2015, 2017), Collin Morikawa (2017), William Mouw (2021), Patrick Rodgers (2011, 2013), Scottie Scheffler (2017), Alex Smalley (2019), Jordan Spieth (2011), Preston Stout (2025), Caleb Surratt (2023), Justin Thomas (2013), Davis Thompson (2021), Peter Uihlein (2009, 2011) and Brandon Wu (2019) 

GB&I Walker Cup Team members (12): Matt Fitzpatrick (2013), Alex Fitzpatrick (2019, 2021), Tommy Fleetwood (2009), Harry Hall (2019), Padraig Harrington (1991, 1993, 1995), Matthew Jordan (2017), Nathan Kimsey (2013), Robert MacIntyre (2017), Graeme McDowell (2001), Rory McIlroy (2007), John Parry (2007) and Justin Rose (1997)

NCAA Division I champions (2): Preston Stout (2026), Bryson DeChambeau (2015)  

Olympic Medalists (5): Scottie Scheffler (Gold, Paris 2024), Tommy Fleetwood (Silver, Paris 2024), Hideki Matsuyama (Bronze, Paris 2024), Xander Schauffele (Gold, Tokyo 2020), Justin Rose (Gold, Rio 2016) 

World Amateur Team Championship competitors (35): Ludvig Åberg (2022, Sweden), Laurie Canter (2010, England), Corey Conners (2012, 2014, Canada), Ugo Coussaud (2016, France), Bryson DeChambeau (2014, USA), Adrien Dumont de Chassart (2016, 2018, 2022, Belgium) Nicolas Echavarria (2016, Colombia), Ethan Fang (2025, USA), Rickie Fowler (2008, USA), Ryan Fox (2010, New Zealand), Emiliano Grillo (2008, 2010 Argentina), Cole Hammer (2018, USA), Viktor Hovland (2016, 2018, Norway), Matthew Jordan (2018, England), Si Woo Kim (2012, Republic of Korea), Chris Kirk (2006, USA), Min Woo Lee (2018, Australia), Shane Lowry (2008, Ireland), Robert MacIntyre (2016, Scotland), Hideki Matsuyama (2008, 2012 Japan), Rory McIlroy (2006, Ireland), Maverick McNealy (2016, USA), Collin Morikawa (2018, USA), Joaquin Niemann (2016, Chile), Alex Noren (2004, Sweden), Niklas Norgaard (2014, Denmark), Carlos Ortiz (2010, 2012 Mexico) David Puig (2022, Spain), Mateo Pulcini, 2025, Argentina), Jon Rahm (2014, Spain), Scottie Scheffler (2016, USA), Cameron Smith (2012, Australia), Nick Taylor (2008, Canada), Justin Thomas (2012, USA), Peter Uihlein (2010, USA) 

Total U.S. Opens won by championship field (14): Wyndham Clark (1), Bryson DeChambeau (2), Matt Fitzpatrick (1), Dustin Johnson (1), Brooks Koepka (2), Graeme McDowell (1), Rory McIlroy (1), Jon Rahm (1), Justin Rose (1), J.J. Spaun (1), Jordan Spieth (1) and Gary Woodland (1)

Players with Most U.S. Open Appearances (2026 included): Adam Scott (25), Justin Rose (21), Dustin Johnson (19) and Rory McIlroy (18) 

Active Consecutive U.S. Open Appearances (2026 included): Adam Scott (25), Dustin Johnson (19), Rory McIlroy (18) and Justin Rose (16)

First-Time U.S. Open Competitors (49): Filippo Celli, Hamilton Coleman (a), Ugo Coussaud, Ryder Cowan (a), Cooper Dossey, Hennie du Plessis, Alex Fitzpatrick, Marek Fleming (a), Ethan Fang (a), Vaughn Harber (a), Jackson Herrington (a), Angel Hidalgo, Robbie Higgins, Ryo Hisatsune, Brandon Holtz (a), Mason Howell (a), T.K. Kim, Nathan Kimsey, Ben Kohles, Chase Kyes (a), Greyson Leach, Eric Lee (a), Max McGreevy, Ryuichi Oiwa, Kaito Onishi, Jackson Ormond (a), Jake Peacock, Chandler Phillips, Guiseppe Puebla (a), Mateo Pulcini (a), Logan Reilly (a), Rocco Repetto Taylor, Matthew Robles (a), Kevin Roy, Marcelo Rozo, Miles Russell (a), Adrian Saddier, Taihei Soto, Jack Schoenberger, Jayden Schaper, Manav Shah, Jake Sollon, Jimmy Stanger, Preston Stout (a), Caleb Surratt, Arni Sveinsson (a), Jackson Van Paris, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Carl Yuan 

Countries Represented (31): United States of America (90), England (11), Australia (5), Japan (5), Republic of Korea (4), Spain (4), Canada (4), Argentina (3), Colombia (2), Denmark (2), France (2), Ireland (2), Northern Ireland (2), Norway (2), Sweden (2), South Africa (2), Austria (1), Belgium (1), Chile (1), Germany (1), Iceland (1), Italy (1), Mexico (1), New Zealand (1), People’s Republic of China (1), Scotland (1)

States Represented (27): Florida (22), Texas (18), Georgia (12), California (9), North Carolina (7), New York (4), Virginia (3), Arizona (2), Illinois (2), Kansas (2), Kentucky (2), Pennsylvania (2), Nevada (2), New Jersey (2), Oklahoma (2), Tennessee (2), Washington (2), Alabama (1), Colorado (1), Connecticut (1), Indiana (1), Louisiana (1), Ohio (1), Oregon (1), South Carolina (1), Utah (1), Vermont (1)

CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD

The field currently includes 88 fully exempt golfers. 68 spots came from qualifying. 

Amateur Players in the Field (20): Hamilton Coleman, Ryder Cowan, Ethan Fang, Marek Fleming, Vaughn Harber, Jackson Herrington, Brandon Holtz, Mason Howell, Jackson Koivun, Chase Kyes, Eric Lee, Bryan Lee, Jackson Ormond, Giuseppe Puebla, Mateo Pulcini, Logan Reilly, Matthew Robles, Miles Russell, Preston Stout and Arni Sveinsson

Notable Amateur Players in the Field (World Amateur Golf Ranking® - 6/14): 

Jackson Koivun (No. 1)

• Koivun, who just completed his junior season at Auburn, will make his second consecutive U.S. Open start after receiving the 2025 McCormack Medal for the leading male amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at the conclusion of the 2025 U.S. Amateur. Koivun was one of the standouts on the victorious 2025 USA Walker Cup Team at Cypress Point Club last September. He led Auburn to the NCAA title in 2026, is a three-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and was the recipient of the 2026 Haskins Award. He became the first competitor in the history of college golf to win all three national player of the year awards (Haskins, Hogan, Nicklaus) twice. He will turn professional following the U.S. Open and will make his professional debut at the John Deere Classic. 

Preston Stout (No. 2)

• Stout, a rising senior at Oklahoma State, earned his first U.S. Open start by capturing the individual title at the 2026 NCAA Division I Championship. He was a member of the victorious 2025 USA Walker Cup Team and is currently No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Stout posted four collegiate victories and won the Big 12 individual title for an unprecedented third time in a row in 2026. He also won the 2025 Northeast Amateur and reached the final 16 of the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club after earning medalist honors in stroke play. 

Ethan Fang (No. 8)

• Fang, a rising senior at Oklahoma State, captured The Amateur Championship at Royal St. George's in 2025 to earn a spot in his first U.S. Open. Just before the 2025 U.S. Amateur, he advanced to the 18-hole final of the Western Amateur. Those performances helped him earn a selection to the victorious 2025 USA Walker Cup Team. In 2024, Fang advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur. 

Miles Russell (No. 11) 

• The 17-year-old left-hander from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., who was a member of the inaugural U.S. National Junior Team in 2024, survived a 3-for-2 playoff for the final spots at BallenIsles C.C. Russell had Charlie Woods on the bag for the qualifier. Both have verbally committed to attend Florida State in 2027. In 2024, Russell became the youngest player in Korn Ferry Tour history to make a cut, doing so at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in Florida. One of the most decorated amateurs in recent history, Russell was named the 2023 American Junior Golf Association’s Rolex Boys Player of the Year, surpassing Tiger Woods as the youngest winner of the award. Russell, a lefty, was a quarterfinalist at the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur and 2025 U.S. Amateur.

Arni Sveinsson (No. 20) 

• The Louisiana State rising junior will be the first Icelandic golfer to compete at the U.S. Open. He survived final qualifying after posting 9-under-par 135 at the Lakes Golf & Country Club, in Westerville, Ohio. Sveinsson will represent the International side in the upcoming Palmer Cup at Tralee in the Republic of Ireland after playing in the event last year in South Carolina.

Ryder Cowan (No. 24) 

• Cowan, a rising University of Oklahoma senior, qualified for his first U.S. Open by posting 6-under 138 at BallenIsles Country Cluband then surviving a 3-for-2 playoff for the final spot. He posted one victory this past season in Hawaii. and finished fourth individually at the NCAA Corvallis (Ore.) Regional. He was the runner-up in the Valspar Collegiate Invitational and finished third in the Maridoe Collegiate. Cowan, an Edmond, Okla., resident, has qualified for the last three U.S. Amateurs. 

Eric Lee (No. 27) 

• The Oklahoma State standout and Fullerton, Calif., resident qualified for his first U.S. Open by posting 6-under 136 at Del Paso Country Club, in Sacramento, Calif. The rising senior helped the Cowboys win the 2025 NCAA title. Lee, the No. 27 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, won the 2025 NCAA Marana (Ariz.) Regional. He reached the semifinals of the 2025 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Western Amateur.

Mason Howell (No. 70) 

• The 18-year-old incoming University of Georgia freshman made an impressive run to the 2025 U.S. Amateur title at The Olympic Club last August, earning him a spot on the victorious USA Walker Cup Team. Howell qualified for the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont by carding a pair of 63s at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta. He was the stroke-play medalist at the 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur before losing in the Round of 64. Howell  was named to U.S. National Junior Team at the outset of 2026 after being a member of Team Georgia in 2025. He and 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Hamilton Coleman will be roommates this fall at the University of Georgia.

Hamilton Coleman (No. 213) 

• The native Georgian earned his first U.S. Open start with a 2-and-1 victory over Minh Nguyen, of Vietnam, in the 36-hole final of the 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship held at Trinity Forest Golf Club, in Dallas, Texas. This came several months after he claimed the American Junior Golf Association's Junior Players Championship win at TPC Sawgrass. Already a member of the Georgia State Team as part of the U.S. National Development Program, Coleman was elevated to the U.S. National Junior Team at the start of 2026, joining fellow Georgian and 2025 U.S. Amateur champion Mason Howell, who will be his roommate this fall at the University of Georgia.

Seven of the top 27 players in the WAGR® as of June 14 are in the field.  

AMATEURS IN RECENT U.S. OPENS

YOUNGEST COMPETITOR

At 17 years old, Miles Russell is the youngest competitor in the championship. He will be  17 years, 7 months and 17 days old on the first day of the U.S. Open (June 18). The Florida State University commit earned his place in the championship through final qualifying on Golf’s Longest Day, with fellow junior standout Charlie Woods serving as his caddie. 

OLDEST COMPETITOR

At 54 years old, Padraig Harrington is the oldest competitor in the championship. He will be  54 years, 9 months and 18 days old on the first day of the U.S. Open. The reigning U.S. Senior Open champion is making his 18th start in the national championship after capturing his second senior major title last summer. 

AVERAGE AGE OF COMPETITOR

The average age of a player in the field is 30.1 years old.  

FIELD BREAKDOWN BY AGE

Aged 17-19: 6 
Aged 20-24: 26 
Aged 25-29: 45 
Aged 30-34: 42 
Aged 35-39: 27 
Aged 40-44: 6 
Aged 45-49: 3 
Aged 50 plus: 1

OLDEST U.S. OPEN CHAMPION 

The oldest winner is Hale Irwin, who was 45 and playing on a special exemption when he won his third U.S. Open title in 1990. Irwin also won in 1974 and 1979.

YOUNGEST U.S. OPEN CHAMPION 

The youngest winner of the U.S. Open is 19-year-old John McDermott, who won in 1911; he is among nine players age 21 or younger who have won the U.S. Open.

CHAMPIONSHIP BIRTHDAYS 

Three players in the U.S. Open field will celebrate birthdays during championship week. The first is Jake Peacock, a Georgia native who will mark his 23rd birthday at Shinnecock Hills after advancing through local and final qualifying to earn his first U.S. Open start. On Sunday, Tom Kim and Scottie Scheffler will celebrate their 24th and 30th birthdays, respectively, during the championship’s final round. 2016 U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson just missed the cut and will turn 42 the Monday after championship week. 

THE U.S. OPEN COURSE

Shinnecock’s first course, designed by Willie Davis in 1891, featured just 12 holes. Four years later, Willie Dunn added six new holes to complete the 18-hole layout. In 1916, Charles Blair Macdonald, with the help of Seth Raynor, modernized the course by rebuilding several signature holes. When plans for a new road running through several of Macdonald’s holes south of the clubhouse were announced in 1927, the club purchased 108 acres of land to the north and east. This led to a full redesign of the course by William Flynn, completed in 1931. Flynn crafted a more strategic layout that took advantage of the site’s natural features and created a trio of routing triangles that expose a variety of wind directions. Today, Shinnecock’s setup remains true to Flynn’s original design from 1931.This will be the first U.S. Open played at Shinnecock without modifications to that design. 

LONGEST COURSES IN U.S. OPEN HISTORY 

• 7,845 yards, Erin Hills, first round, Erin, Wis., 2017  

• 7,839 yards, Erin Hills, second round, Erin, Wis., 2017 

• 7,818 yards, Erin Hills, third round, Erin, Wis., 2017  

• 7,721 yards, Erin Hills, fourth round, Erin, Wis., 2017 

• 7,695 yards, Chambers Bay, second round, University Place, Wash., 2015  

• 7,676 yards, Torrey Pines Golf Course (South), fourth round, San Diego, Calif., 2021

• 7,664 yards, Torrey Pines G.C. (South), second round, San Diego, Calif., 2021  

• 7,637 yards, Chambers Bay, third round, University Place, Wash., 2015 

• 7,635 yards, Torrey Pines G.C (South), first round, San Diego, Calif., 2021  

• 7,616 yards, Torrey Pines G.C (South), third round, San Diego, Calif., 2021 

• 7,603 yards, Torrey Pines G.C (South), second round, San Diego, Calif., 2008  

FUTURE U.S. OPENS IN THIS DECADE 

• June 18-21, 2026: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.  

• June 17-20, 2027: Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links 

• June 15-18, 2028: Winged Foot Golf Club (West), Mamaroneck, N.Y.  

• June 14-17, 2029: Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (No. 2), Pinehurst, N.C. 

THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED AT THE U.S. OPEN  

• Matt Fitzpatrick: last international winner (2022) 

• Brooks Koepka: last to defend title (2018)  

• Francis Ouimet: last winner in his first attempt (1913)

• J.J Spaun: last winner in his second attempt (2025) 

• Martin Kaymer: last start-to-finish winner with no ties (2014)

• Jon Rahm: last winner to birdie the 72nd hole to win by one stroke (2021) 

• J.J. Spaun: last winner to birdie the 72nd hole (2025) 

• Tiger Woods: last winner to birdie the 72nd hole to force a playoff (2008)  

• Geoff Ogilvy: last winner without a round in the 60s (2006) 

• Gary Woodland: last winner with all rounds in the 60s (2019)  

• Wyndham Clark: last winner between ages 20-29 (29 in 2023) 

• J.J Spaun: last winner between ages 30-39 (34 in 2025)  

• Payne Stewart: last winner age 40 and older (42 in 1999) 

• Gary Woodland: last defending champion to miss the cut (2020)  

• Hale Irwin: last winner to receive a special exemption (1990) 

• Lucas Glover: last winner to come through final qualifying (2009)  

• Orville Moody: last winner to come through local and final qualifying (1969) 

• John Goodman: last amateur winner (1933) 

WHAT THE WINNER RECEIVES

• A U.S. Open exemption for the next 10 years 

• An invitation to the next five Masters Tournaments

• An invitation to the next five Open Championships, conducted by The R&A 

• An invitation to the next five PGA Championships

• An invitation to the next five Players Championships 

• Exempt status on the PGA Tour for five years

• Custody of U.S. Open Trophy for one year, Jack Nicklaus Medal and a replica trophy 

QUALIFYING FOR THE OTHER MAJORS

The top 10 finishers (and ties) are exempt into the following year’s U.S. Open. The top four finishers (and ties) are invited to the following year’s Masters Tournament. 

Title Defense

J.J. Spaun will look to defend his title and become the first player to win back-to-back U.S. Opens since Brooks Koepka in 2017 and 2018. Spaun recovered from a front-nine 40 by holing a 65-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to punctuate a two-stroke victory over Robert MacIntyre at the historic Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club and claim his first major championship. With a 72-hole total of 1-under-par 279, Spaun was the only competitor to finish in red figures on what is one of the world's most challenging layouts.