Storylines for Week 1 of U.S. Open Local Qualifying

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This is the first part in a weekly series on the path to the 126th U.S. Open Championship, which will be contested at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, in Southampton, N.Y., June 18-21. The two-stage process begins with 18-hole local qualifying conducted at 109 sites in 43 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Those players who advance will join a group of locally exempt competitors in final qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes at 13 sites between May 18 and June 8. Eight local qualifiers kick off local qualifying on April 20.

Here’s a look at some storylines:

► Morgan Hoffmann, a member of the victorious 2009 USA Walker Cup Team, will tee it up in the Duncan, Okla., qualifier at The Territory Golf & Country Club. Hoffmann, 36, has played in four U.S. Opens, the last coming in 2015 when he finished T-27 at Chambers Bay. The professional golfer stepped away from the game in 2016 after being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and began a healing journey that took him to Nepal and Costa Rica. The Wyckoff, N.J,,native returned to professional golf in 2022 and has made starts on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.

► Drive, Chip & Putt, a nationwide junior development competition that is conducted by the USGA, PGA of America and Augusta National Golf Club, has a group of 17 former champions competing in the first week of qualifying. Ty Griggs, 23, and Treed Huang, 21, are former DCP national age-group winners playing in the Del Rio Country Club qualifier in Modesto, Calif., on April 20. Other DCP winners in local qualifying include Taighan Chea, Leo Cheng, George Duangmanee, Carter Gaede, Liam Hartling, Hudson Justus, Jay Leng, Jr., Neal Manutai, PJ Maybank, Jake Peacock, Mason Quagliata, Sahish Reddy, Sam Udovich, Patrick Welch and Anthony Wu. Current winner Arno Wehle, 15, begins his trek on April 30 at Kings Country Club, in Hanford, Calif.

► Several senior golfers are trying to qualify for both the U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open. Fourteen players have already advanced through local U.S. Senior Open qualifying, which began April 6, and have plans to tee it in a local U.S. Open qualifier. Roger Rowland, 59, was the medalist at the Montgomery, Ala., qualifier after shooting a 5-under 67 at Wynlakes Golf and Country Club. Rowland’s local U.S. Open qualifier is scheduled for May 4 at Sandestin (Fla.) Golf & Country Club. Brad Adamonis, 54, of Cumberland, R.I., has played in a U.S. Open (2011) and U.S. Senior Open (2023). He advanced out of the Montgomery, Ala., qualifier and will attempt to make it out of a U.S. Open qualifier on May 11 in St. Augustine, Fla. Haymes Snedeker, 50, younger brother of PGA Tour professional Brandt Snedeker, advanced out of the Montgomery, Ala., qualifier and will play in the Sandestin, Fla. Qualifier on May 4.

► Hola, Mexico! Local qualifying heads south of the U.S. border once again in 2026, where the Club de Golf La Hacienda in Mexico City will serve as the host site for the second year in a row on April 22. Manuel Inman, 52, is the oldest competitor in the field and has already advanced out of U.S. Senior Open local qualifying. Inman was co-medalist at the Sugar Land, Texas qualifier after shooting a 3-under 69 at River Bend Country Club on April 6. Luis Fernando Ysita Lopez, 16, is the youngest competitor in Mexico City.

► U.S. National Development Program athletes from the U.S. National Junior Team and Elite Amateur Program will attempt to qualify for the National Open starting next week. Chase Hughes, in his first year with the U.S. National Junior Team, will travel to Duncan, Okla., near his hometown of Oklahoma City on April 20. Five other U.S. National Team members are scheduled to compete in local qualifiers on later dates, including Ronin Banerjee (April 27), Sohan Patel (April 28), Jaden Soong and Phillip Dunham (May 4), and Guisseppe Puebla (May 6).

Tyler Watts and Luke Colton are exempt into final qualifying based on their status in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®. Michael Reibe, a current Elite Amateur Program athlete, and 2025 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion Will Hartman, a USNJT alum, are in the St. Louis qualifier at WingHaven Country Club on May 5. Other Elite Amateur Program athletes that are exempt into final qualifying include Kihei Akina, Max Herendeen and alum/2025 USA Walker Cupper Jacob Modleski. USNJT alum Henry Guan, of Irving, Texas, is in his hometown qualifier on May 12 and fellow USNJT alum Miles Russell is exempt into final qualifying.

Will Redmond is a senior manager of championship communications at the USGA. Email him at wredmond@usga.org.