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The 126th edition of golf’s second-oldest major is expected to be played in better conditions than last year’s US Open, which saw heavy rain and thunderstorms descend over Oakmont Country Club during the final two days of action. J. J. Spaun handled the changeable weather most capably, registering a score of one under par to claim a landmark victory following a difficult spell on the tour.
A field of 156 players will compete for silverware in Long Island, with the likes of two-time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler, modern-day icon Rory McIlroy, and current FedEx Cup leader Matt Fitzpatrick all participating.
As is the case across all four majors, the tournament consists of four rounds taking place from Thursday to Sunday. Following Friday evening’s session, approximately 90 players will be eliminated from the tournament on the basis of their progressive score against par. The US Open utilises a more savage cut than the Masters, PGA Championships, or The Open Championships, with only the top-60 ranked players (in addition to those tied for 60th position) advancing to the third round.
So, how do we expect the 2026 US Open to unfold?
US Open 2026 key information
Dates: Thursday, June 18th June – Sunday, June 21st
Venue: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton (New York)
2025 winner (score/venue): J. J. Spaun (-1 / Oakmont Country Club)
Favourites: Scottie Scheffler: 6/1, Rory McIlroy: 11/1, Jon Rahm: 12/1 (bet365)
The course
This is the fifth time the US Open will be staged at Shinnecock Hills within the last four decades, having first assumed hosting duties almost 130 years ago. James Foulis was the first player to be crowned US Open champion here at this venue, after the chasing Horace Rawlins – eight months on from winning the tournament’s inaugural edition – failed to close the gap at the summit of the leaderboard.
The US Open last arrived at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, when Brooks Koepka held his nerve against a rampant Tommy Fleetwood to defend the title he secured at Erin Hills a year earlier. As a consequence, the fiery Floridian became just the seventh man in history to clinch back-to-back US Open triumphs.
The New York-based course takes players on a 7,440-yard journey through rolling hills, undulating greens, and epic coastal landscapes, while setting a challenging 70-stroke par. Renowned for its difficult and precarious nature, Shinnecock Hills provides a stern test for even the most legendary of golfers.
Past winners
Although a small contingent of English and Scottish golfers dominated the earlier editions of this tournament, the US Open has since belonged to those born in the host nation. No less than 62 American natives have secured 89 titles between them, with Californian J. J. Spaun being the latest to add his name to that extensive list.
The competition’s most recent ‘foreign’ winner is Yorkshireman Matt Fitzpatrick, who navigated four rounds of The Country Club in just 274 strokes to pip homegrown heroes Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris to the 2022 title.
Nobody has ever won the US Open on more than four occasions, although four players can lay claim to achieving this feat. Willie Anderson was the first to rack up a quartet of titles, before the legendary Bobby Jones matched the Scotsman’s efforts during the inter-war period.
Another one of golf’s early pioneers was the next to make history, as three-time Ryder Cup captain Ben Hogan sealed his fourth US Open victory with a sensational final round at the Oakmont Country Club. However, the latest member of this esteemed club is also the sport’s greatest ever export. Almost two decades on from winning the first of his record-breaking haul of major titles at the 1962 US Open, Jack Nicklaus made it magic number four after sinking a ten-foot putt for birdie on Baltusrol Golf Club’s 18th green.
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Viewers in the United Kingdom are able to watch every minute of the US Open on Sky Sports, who hold exclusive television rights for the vast majority of golf’s premier events.
Thanks to a recent extension to their existing broadcasting deal with the PGA Tour, the network will continue to screen the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, every FedEx Cup and LPGA Tour event, the Players Championship, and the Tour Championship. Sky Sports also provides comprehensive coverage of the DP World Tour and Ladies European Tour.
This week’s tournament will be primarily shown on Sky Sports Golf, although each of the evening sessions is set to be screened on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports UHD. Please note that only customers who have purchased the required subscription can access Sky Sports UHD, which utilises 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos surround sound to provide an enhanced viewing experience.
US Open 2026 favourites
All of the familiar culprits have been installed as the pre-tournament favourites, but it would be naïve to rule out a surprise champion following Spaun’s epic performance last year. The bookmakers believe around a tenth of the field have a realistic chance of holding the US Open trophy aloft come Sunday evening, but the remaining 135 or so participants will undoubtedly dare to dream.
Let’s take a look at the three players who are currently attracting the shortest odds:
Scottie Scheffler
Having won the PGA Championship and The Open Championship last year after earning two Masters crowns in quick succession, Scottie Scheffler now sets his sights on a Grand Slam. However, the final piece in the puzzle seems well within his grasp, as the four-time PGA Tour Player of the Year has registered top ten finishes in four of his last six US Open appearances.
Although he’s enjoyed an extremely positive start to the season, Scheffler will be disappointed to have only added one piece of silverware to his bustling trophy cabinet. The imposing American won the Desert Classic in January, but has been forced to settle for a top-three position on multiple occasions since. He agonisingly missed out on landing a third green jacket thanks to Rory McIlroy’s historic exploits at Augusta, while an inspired performance from Wyndham Clark prevented him from successfully defending his CJ Cup Byron Nelson title.
There were further strong displays at the Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, and newly integrated Cadillac Championships, but Scheffler would have been frustrated with how the PGA Championships unfolded. After leading the pack alongside six of his rivals heading into round two, the 29-year-old lost considerable momentum at Aronimink and ended up seven strokes behind eventual winner Aaron Rai.
To finish in top 10: 8/11 (bet365)
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy has so far preserved his energy for the biggest dates in the PGA Tour calendar, resulting in him missing a considerable number of tournaments of late. The popular Northern Irishman has only made eight appearances this year, while his efforts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational were cut short due to a niggling back injury.
This more targeted approach is already paying dividends, as evidenced by an emotional second consecutive triumph at the Masters. Ahead of Augusta, McIlroy commenced the season with a couple of solid outings in California, finishing just outside the top ten at Pebble Beach before scooping a runner-up medal in the Genesis Invitational. But frustration at the Players Championship then followed, as Wee-Mac failed to break 70 in each of his four rounds.
Nevertheless, the eight-time Ryder Cup participant heads to Long Island in confident spirits. In addition to the US Open providing the first of his six career majors, McIlroy recorded six consecutive top ten finishes in this tournament between 2019 and 2025.
To win outright: 11/1 (bet365)
To finish in top 10: 11/8 (bet365)
Jon Rahm
Since switching his allegiance to the LIV Golf League in 2024, Jon Rahm has been unable to add a third major to the US Open and Masters titles he won during the preceding three years. However, the Spaniard usually puts on a good show against his PGA Tour peers whenever the opportunity arises.
Having concluded last season at the summit of the individual points leaderboard and as skipper of overall team champions Legion XIII, Rahm is undoubtedly a leading light in the controversial Saudi-backed league.
The talented 31-year-old claimed his fourth second-placed finish of the 2026 campaign at Andalusia’s Real Club Valderrama earlier this month, after emerging triumphant in LIV’s Hong Kong and Mexico City events. He also came second in May’s PGA Championships, having entered the final round just two shots behind leader Alex Smalley.
A foot issue caused him to miss out in 2024 and a second-round blip undermined his chances of challenging for the trophy a year later, but ‘Rahmbo’ will nevertheless have fond memories of the US Open. Five years ago, the Basque native became the first player since 1982 to card birdies in each of the final two holes en route to a US Open triumph, displacing Tom Watson and his miraculous finish at Pebble Beach.