The 126th U.S. Open is set to take place Thursday through Sunday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. J.J. Spaun will look to defend his title at the third major championship of the season, while others will look to add to their professional golf resumes.
Here are the five biggest storylines ahead of the U.S. Open:
Can Scottie win the career grand slam?
With a win this weekend at the U.S. Open, Scottie Scheffler would become just the seventh player in history to win all four of golf’s major championships, and it would fall on Father’s Day and his 30th birthday.
Scheffler won the 2022 and 2024 Masters Tournament as his first two major championships before winning the 2025 PGA Championship and Open Championship a season ago. Shinnecock Hills will be just his first attempt at completing the career grand slam, and depending on many factors, the course should fit his game well.
Data Golf gives the world No. 1 a 12.1% chance of winning the tournament as of Wednesday morning and gives him the fifth-best course adjustment of any player in the field. This weekend, Scheffler could forever cement his place in golf history, alongside Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy.
First-time winners
Six of the last seven U.S. Open winners have been first-time major champions, which is a trend to watch for again this year. Despite being one of the hardest tests in professional golf, it seems like the tournament for major championship breakthroughs.
Cameron Young has been on a tear this season, winning the PLAYERS Championship and the Cadillac Championship. Tommy Fleetwood has been a professional for nearly 16 years, but he’s still without a major. Ludvig Åberg is one of the young stars on tour. Each of those players and more have a chance to get the first major championship of their careers this weekend, which could change how they’re viewed in golf history.
The amateurs
The current class of amateur golfers is full of stars.
Jackson Koivun, who won the 2025 Mark H. McCormack Medal, is playing at the U.S. Open as an amateur, but after the championship, he’s turning professional, despite having a year of collegiate eligibility remaining. The Amateur Championship winner, Ethan Fang, will also compete at the U.S. Open as the No. 2-ranked amateur in the world. He sits only behind Koivun in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
This year’s class of amateurs could be players who rise into the next great players of their generation and could be playing on Ryder Cups in recent years.
Where are the LIV Golf players?
The last LIV Golf player to win a major championship was Bryson DeChambeau at the 2024 U.S. Open, which means the last seven major winners have come from the PGA Tour.
Some have been competitive. Jon Rahm tied for second at this year’s PGA Championship, while Cameron Smith was tied for seventh. At the 2026 Masters Tournament, Tyrrell Hatton finished tied for third, but no other LIV golfer placed in the top 30.
There’s been uncertainty surrounding the future of the league in recent months, and the competitive structure has been under fire since its creation, but if LIV Golf wants any more credibility, having another major championship would be important.
DeChambeau has fallen off in recent years, as he’s missed the cut in both major championships this season, and while Rahm and Smith have had some success in recent major championships, their game hasn’t been the same since switching to LIV Golf.
Shinnecock Hills
Shinnecock Hills is one of the truest tests of golf in the United States. The course is situated in Southampton, New York, on Long Island. A lack of trees exposes the course to elements, such as the very common strong winds.
Despite having wide fairways, Shinnecock doesn’t just suit the longest players off the tee. The thick rough will penalize golfers who can’t keep their ball on line, and the firm greens will test approach play. The complex greens will be tricky for players to figure out. It should test every aspect of the players’ games.
In 2018, Brooks Koepka won the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills with a score of 1 over par. In the last 10 years, Koepka is the only U.S. Open winner who has won with an over-par score.
