The 2026 U.S. Open returns to one of what the USGA calls “the cathedrals of golf” as the USGA brings its marquee event again to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. This marks the sixth time that the famed William Flynn course will host the national championship, the last coming in 2018.
The 126th U.S. Open will take place June 18-21, 2026. Any player with a Handicap Index of 0.4 or lower, and any professional, can apply to play in the championship, with entries accepted at champs.usga.org until April 8 at 5 p.m. EDT. The USGA will be looking to see if for the fifth time in U.S. Open history more than 10,000 people apply to compete.
The USGA has established exemption categories for players who are exempt from qualifying for the event, with a little less than half the 154-player field expected to earn their way directly to the championship. The remaining spots in the field will be filled by golfers who play their way into the championship via local and final qualifying.
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Generally considered to be the earliest links in America, heavily remodeled by C.B. Macdonald, then replaced (except for three holes) by William S. Flynn in the early 1930s, it’s so sublime that its architecture hasn’t really been altered for nearly 60 years. Stands of trees that once framed many holes have been removed, and in 2012, the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw did make a few changes, mostly greens and fairways expansions and new mowing patterns, though those were modified in preparation for the 2018 U.S. Open, won by Brooks Koepka. Shinnecock will again host the U.S. Open in 2026. View Course
There are 108 sites hosting 18-hole local qualifiers in U.S., and one each in Canada and Mexico, from April 20-May 18. Those players who advance will join a group of locally exempt players in Final Qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes at 10 U.S. and three international sites. The final stage will be held in England and Texas on May 18 and Japan on May 25, with 10 more qualifying sites in the U.S. scheduled for Monday, June 8.
“The U.S. Open is the most open championship in golf,” said USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer. “It is a global invitation into the United States’ national championship, and Allied Golf Associations in the United States, the DP World Tour, and national federations in Canada, Japan and Mexico will collaborate in providing a path to the championship through our qualifying stages. Thousands of professional and amateur golfers with diverse backgrounds will have an opportunity to earn a place in this year’s championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.”
Since 2004, an average of 77.9 players in the U.S. Open field have advanced through one or both stages of qualifying. A year ago at Oakmont, 70 players earned their spot through qualifying, 15 of whom made the cut, including four finishing in the top 20 overall. The top qualifier was Carlos Ortiz, who finished in a tie for fourth and is exempt into this year’s championship.
Just two golfers—Ken Venturi (1964) and Orville Moody (1969) have won the U.S. Open after qualifying through local and final qualifying play. Gene Littler (1961), Julius Boros (1963), Jerry Pate (1976), Steve Jones (1996), Michael Campbell (2005) and Lucas Glover (2009) won after advancing through final qualifying.
Here’s a look at the past winners of the U.S. Open when it’s been played at Shinnecock Hills:
1896: James Foulis 1986: Raymond Floyd 1995: Corey Pavin 2004: Retief Goosen 2018: Brooks Koepka
Monday, April 20 (8)
Oro Valley (Ariz.) C.C. Del Rio C.C., Modesto, Calif. Wichita Falls (Texas) C.C. The Territory Golf and C.C., Duncan, Okla. Solina G.C., West Columbia, S.C. Druid Hills G.C., Atlanta, Ga. Eastpointe C.C. (East Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Persimmon Ridge G.C., Louisville, Ky.
Tuesday, April 21 (2)
Woodland G.C., Auburndale, Mass. The Club at Nevillewood, Presto, Pa.
Wednesday, April 22 (2)
Club de Golf La Hacienda, Mexico City, Mexico Stonewall Orchard G.C., Grayslake, Ill.
Monday, April 27 (10)
Parkersburg C.C., Vienna, W.V. Ridgewood C.C., Waco, Texas Barton Creek C.C. at Lakeside, Spicewood, Texas Medford Village (N.J.) C.C. Rams Hill G.C., Borrego Springs, Calif. Four Bridges C.C., Liberty Township, Ohio Fairmont C.C., Chatham, N.J. Crooked Stick G.C., Carmel, Ind. Hidden Valley C.C., Reno, Nev. The Club at Carlton Woods (Nicklaus Course), The Woodlands, Texas
Tuesday, April 28 (5)
Pearl at Kalauao, Aiea, Oahu, Hawai’i Findlay (Ohio) C.C. Southampton (N.Y.) G.C. Eagle Trace G.C., Coral Springs, Fla. Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course), Palm Harbor, Fla.
Thursday, April 30 (5)
Kings C.C., Hanford, Calif. La Purisima Golf Course, Lompoc, Calif. Wailua G.C., Lihue, Hawai’i C.C. of York (Pa.) The Home Course, DuPont, Wash.
Monday, May 4 (18)
The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach (Fla.) Lake Nona (Fla.) Golf & C.C. Avila Golf & C.C., Tampa, Fla. North Oaks (Minn.) G.C. Cedar Rapids (Iowa) C.C. Brentwood C.C., Los Angeles, Calif. Indian Ridge C.C. (Grove Course), Palm Desert, Calif. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes G.C., Maricopa, Ariz. Plum Hollow C.C., Southfield, Mich. Illini C.C., Springfield, Ill. North Shore C.C. (Red & White Courses), Glenwood Landing, N.Y. Raven G.C. at Sandestin (Fla.) Secession G.C., Beaufort, S.C. Stonebrae C.C., Hayward, Calif. Morris Park C.C., South Bend, Ind. Crestview C.C. (North Course), Wichita, Kan. The C.C. of Sioux Falls (S.D.) Chester Valley G.C., Malvern, Pa.
Tuesday, May 5 (10)
Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, Westminster, Colo. Great River G.C., Milford, Conn. Hot Springs C.C. (Arlington Course), Hot Springs, Ark. Ruby Hill G.C., Pleasanton, Calif. WingHaven C.C., St. Louis, Mo. Andalusia C.C., La Quinta, Calif. Collindale Golf Course, Fort Collins, Colo. North Shore C.C. (Red & White), Mequon, Wis. Red Hawk G.C., Las Cruces, N.M. The C.C., Morristown, Tenn.
Wednesday, May 6 (6)
Plantation Bay C.C. (Founders – North/South), Ormond Beach, Fla. Moorings at Hawk’s Nest, Vero Beach, Fla. Turf Valley Resort (Original Course), Ellicott City, Md. Omaha (Neb.) C.C. Pasatiempo G.C., Santa Cruz, Calif. River Landing, Wallace, N.C.
Thursday, May 7 (4)
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Silver Lakes (Backbreaker/Heartbreaker), Gadsden, Ala. Rancho La Quinta C.C. (Jones Course), La Quinta, Calif. Thorncreek Golf Course, Thornton, Colo. Riverton (Wyo.) C.C.
Monday, May 11 (24)
St. Thomas (Ontario, Canada) Golf & C.C. The Club at P.B. Dye, Ijamsville, Md. Canongate-on-White-Oak (Old Course), Newnan, Ga. Phoenix (Ariz.) C.C. Marsh Creek C.C., St. Augustine, Fla. Shingle Creek G.C., Orlando, Fla. Vineyards C.C. (North Course), Naples, Fla. The Club at Sonterra (North Course), San Antonio, Texas Classic Club, Palm Desert, Calif. The Links at Greystone, Walworth, N.Y. Duke University G.C., Durham, N.C. Battle Creek (Mich.) C.C. Fairview C.C., Greenwich, Conn. Metropolis C.C., White Plains, N.Y. Elmhurst C.C., Moscow, Pa. Mendakota C.C., Mendota Heights, Minn. Willow Creek C.C., Sandy, Utah Scioto Reserve C.C., Powell, Ohio Hallbrook C.C., Leawood, Kan. Flossmoor (Ill.) G.C. Nashville Golf & Athletic Club, Brentwood, Tenn. Papago Golf Course, Phoenix, Ariz. Creekside G.C., Salem, Ore. Shaker Ridge C.C., Albany, N.Y.
Tuesday, May 12 (11)
Weymouth C.C., Medina, Ohio Keswick (Va.) G.C. Ironwood C.C. (South Course), Palm Desert, Calif. Arroyo Trabuco G.C., Mission Viejo, Calif. Missoula (Mont.) C.C. The Cardinal by Pete Dye, Greensboro, N.C. Meadow Springs C.C., Richland, Wa. Hackberry Creek C.C., Irving, Texas UNM Championship Golf Course, Albuquerque, N.M. Berkshire Hills C.C., Pittsfield, Mass. Kirkbrae C.C., Lincoln, R.I.
Wednesday, May 13 (4)
Kensington Golf & C.C., Naples, Fla. Mallard G.C., Lake Charles, La. Warm Springs Golf Course, Boise, Idaho Casablanca G.C., Mesquite, Nev.
Monday, May 18 (1)
Palmer (Alaska) Golf Course
2026 U.S. Open Championship Final Qualifying Sites (13)
Monday, May 18 (2)
Dallas (Texas) Athletic Club (Blue/Gold) Walton Heath G.C., Surrey, England
Monday, May 25 (1)
Hino G.C. (King Course), Shiga Prefecture, Japan
Monday, June 8 (10)
Hawks Ridge G.C., Ball Ground, Ga. Lambton Golf & C.C., Toronto, Ontario, Canada The Lakes Golf & C.C., Westerville, Ohio Woodmont C.C. (North Course), Rockville, Md. BallenIsles C.C. (East Course), Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Century C.C., Purchase, N.Y. & G.C. of Purchase (N.Y.) Gaston (N.C.) C.C. Del Paso C.C., Sacramento, Calif. Springfield (Ohio) C.C. Emerald Valley G.C., Creswell, Ore.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
