2026-06-16 The U.S. Open – Majors Challenge

The U.S. Open

Your weekly guide to fantasy golf on the PGA TOUR

⛳ This week on the PGA TOUR

Tournament: The U.S. Open
Date: June 18–21, 2026
Venue: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York
Purse: $21,500,000+ (winner $4.3 million+)
FedEx Cup Points: 750 to the winner
Cut Rule: Top 60 and ties after Round 2 (no 10 stroke rule)
Course Details: This week’s championship returns to a windswept stretch of Long Island for the sixth time — a course that’s hosted U.S. Opens in three different centuries, more than any other. The layout players face is largely the work of architect William Flynn, whose 1931 redesign turned it into one of the world’s great strategic tests. It will be set up at 7,434 yards to a par of 70 — short by modern major standards, which tells you almost nothing about how hard it plays. The real defense is the wind. Flynn routed three sets of consecutive holes into triangles, so no matter which way the wind blows on a given day, players face a constantly shifting variety of shot-making challenges. Add crowned, exposed greens and thick fescue, and par becomes a great score. Only two champions have ever finished under par here.
What’s New: The USGA confirmed this will be the first U.S. Open at the venue played without any modifications to Flynn’s 1931 design — every previous championship, 2018 included, involved some narrowing of fairways or tweaking of greens. Not this time. Players get the course exactly as Flynn drew it up.
Weather: Expect warm, largely sunny conditions in the mid-70s through the week, but wind will be the constant story — gusts are forecast to reach up to 30 mph at times, with the breeziest, most testing day coming early. There’s a chance of rain to open the championship Thursday before things dry out, meaning ball control in the wind will likely separate the field on this exposed coastal layout.

The U.S. Open has always billed itself as golf’s toughest test, and the 126th edition arrives with the storyline of the year attached to it. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines the field chasing the one major that has eluded him — a U.S. Open title that would make him just the seventh player ever to complete the career Grand Slam. He won’t have an easy path. This week’s venue is one of the most punishing courses the championship ever visits — only two champions have ever finished under par here (Floyd in ’86 and Goosen in ’04) — and with firm, wind-swept conditions in the forecast, even par should once again feel like a trophy. The field is one of the deepest and most accomplished in golf, blending major champions, world-ranked stars, and rising talent with qualifiers who earned their place through one of the sport’s most demanding pathways. Beyond Scheffler, keep a close eye on Masters champion Rory McIlroy, two-time U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, reigning PGA champ Aaron Rai, and defending champion J.J. Spaun — though as history at this course shows, the leaderboard come Sunday rarely reads like the betting board.

Past Champions:

2025 – J.J. Spaun, 279 (−1) at Oakmont
2024 – Bryson DeChambeau, 274 (−6) at Pinehurst No. 2
2023 – Wyndham Clark, 270 (−10) at Los Angeles Country Club
2022 – Matt Fitzpatrick, 274 (−6) at The Country Club (Brookline)
2021 – Jon Rahm, 278 (−6) at Torrey Pines

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🏌️ Players to Watch (and a Few to Fade)

Shinnecock doesn’t crown the hottest hand — it crowns the steadiest one. This is a course where reputations get exposed, where a single wild tee shot can turn a contender into a Friday flight home, and where par on the back nine feels like a birdie everywhere else. The winner won’t be whoever makes the most birdies; it’ll be whoever survives the wind, the fescue, and their own nerves the longest. That makes picking this week as much about temperament as talent. Here are the names built to handle it, the players who’ve already proven they can on this very turf, and a few familiar faces we’d think twice about before spending a roster spot.

Here are the names worth circling on your roster sheet:

Expected to Contend:

Scottie Scheffler — He arrives with the career Grand Slam in sight, and Shinnecock plays directly to his greatest weapon: proximity from the fairway. On a course where holding firm, crowned greens is the entire game, the world’s best iron player starts a clear cut above.
Rory McIlroy — His ceiling here is the highest in the field, because length off the tee shortens the brutal par 4s into manageable approaches. The risk is the same as always at a U.S. Open — when the driver drifts, the fescue punishes him harder than anyone.
Bryson DeChambeau — A two-time U.S. Open champion (2020, 2024) who has learned to pair his raw power with the patience these setups demand. He treats par as a weapon rather than a frustration, which is exactly the mindset Shinnecock rewards.
Jon Rahm — A former U.S. Open winner whose natural right-to-left flight and low ball control are tailor-made for shaping shots into the wind. Few players in the field combine his shot-making with his ability to grind out a score on a bad day.

Shinnecock Veterans:

Tommy Fleetwood — Runner-up here in 2018, where he closed with a 63, one of the lowest rounds in U.S. Open history. His elite iron play and unflappable temperament are perfectly suited to Shinnecock, making him arguably the best course-fit value on the board.
Dustin Johnson — He led through 36 holes before finishing third here in 2018, proving his power-and-touch combination fits the layout. The only hesitation is whether his major-championship sharpness still matches that pedigree.
Xander Schauffele — A top-six finish here in 2018 reflects his defining trait: he almost never beats himself. In a week where avoiding the big mistake matters more than chasing birdies, that consistency is worth its weight.
Tyrrell Hatton — Also inside the top six in 2018, and his fiery competitiveness masks genuinely world-class ball-striking. The volatile setup that frustrates others tends to bring out his stubborn best.
Brooks Koepka — The 2018 Shinnecock champion is a five-time major winner who elevates precisely when conditions turn ugly. The serious caveat: he withdrew from last week’s RBC Canadian Open with a hand injury, and though he intends to play, an untested grip makes him pure boom-or-bust.

Potential Fades:

Rickie Fowler — His name still carries weight, but Shinnecock offers no margin for the inconsistency that has defined his recent seasons. This is a course that exposes shaky form rather than hiding it.
Jordan Spieth — His creativity and scrambling can manufacture pars from anywhere, but the accuracy premium off the tee here works against his current ball-striking. Too much of his round would be spent recovering rather than attacking.
Jason Day — A former world No. 1 whose pedigree tempts drafters, but the physical grind of a firm, demanding U.S. Open setup is a tough ask for his game right now. Better suited to softer, more forgiving venues.
Wyndham Clark — His 2023 U.S. Open title makes him a tempting pedigree pick, but his form has been too uneven since to bank on at a venue this demanding. Shinnecock punishes the streaky, and consistency hasn’t been his calling card lately.
Adam Scott — One of the most respected names of his generation, and his swing still looks the part, but at 45 the relentless grind of a firm, wind-battered U.S. Open is a steep ask. The putter under championship pressure remains the bigger question for fantasy purposes.

🧐 Did You Know?

It’s the most democratic major in golf. Any professional — or any amateur with a Handicap Index of 0.4 or better — can enter, and this year a staggering 10,201 players filed entries for the 126th U.S. Open. Most have to grind through Local then Final Qualifying, a 36-holes-in-one-day gauntlet known as “Golf’s Longest Day” — where 715 players battled across ten sites for just 43 spots at Shinnecock this year.

A 17-year-old made it in with Tiger Woods’ son on the bag. Amateur Miles Russell, 17, will be the youngest player in the field at Shinnecock, making his first major start — and he punched his ticket through Final Qualifying with Charlie Woods, Tiger’s son, caddying for him. The two are close friends and both committed to play college golf at Florida State.

The U.S. Open’s very first champion was a 21-year-old who entered almost by accident. On October 4, 1895, 21-year-old Englishman Horace Rawlins won the inaugural U.S. Open over 36 holes in a single day at Newport, Rhode Island, posting a 173 around the club’s 9-hole course. Rawlins had arrived in the U.S. only months earlier to work as the assistant pro at the host club, and likely entered simply because he happened to be there — collecting a $150 winner’s share from a total prize fund of $335, a figure that today runs into the millions.

The greatest player ever lost a ball at this week’s host course — and it made history. During the storm-lashed opening round of the 1986 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, Jack Nicklaus couldn’t find his drive on the 10th hole after a forecaddie abandoned his post in the rain, forcing Nicklaus to walk back to the tee. Nicklaus later said it was the first ball he had lost since the 1959 British Amateur — a span of 27 years.

🤔 Fantasy Strategy

Shinnecock flips the usual fantasy calculus on its head. At most events you chase birdies; here you chase the absence of disaster. With firm, crowned greens, knee-high fescue, and wind that rarely lets up, the smart build prioritizes driving accuracy, greens in regulation, and bogey avoidance over raw distance — a player who finds fairways and two-putts for par will quietly climb past the bombers spraying it into the hay. Temperament matters as much as talent, because the back nine will test every entrant’s patience. And with the cut at a tight top 60 and ties (no 10-shot safety net), cut security is real value this week: a steady grinder who guarantees you a weekend is worth more than a boom-or-bust name who might be gone by Friday night. That dynamic is exactly where under-owned, precision-first players earn their keep.

Sleepers to Consider:

Corey Conners — Perhaps the purest course-fit value in the field. He’s one of the most accurate ball-strikers in the world tee-to-green, the single most important skill this week, yet his quiet demeanor keeps his ownership low. On a layout that punishes the wayward, his ability to pepper fairways and greens is a genuine edge.
Harris English — A steady, big-game performer who consistently shows up in majors and tough setups without much fanfare. His combination of reliable tee-to-green play and a strong putting touch makes him a high-floor option who can sneak into the top 10 while others fade.
Maverick McNealy — Few players in the field are this accurate while flying this far under the radar. His precision off the tee and disciplined, low-mistake style are tailor-made for a U.S. Open grind, and his cut-making consistency offers real insurance against the tight 36-hole line.
Shane Lowry — The savviest wind play on the board. A proven champion in brutal, blustery conditions, he relishes exactly the kind of weather Shinnecock is set to deliver, and his ability to flight the ball and grind out pars travels perfectly to a coastal links-style test.
Sungjae Im — One of the most relentless grinders in golf, he makes cuts at an elite rate and rarely beats himself — precisely the profile that creeps up a U.S. Open leaderboard. His patience and durability over four demanding days give him a quietly high ceiling for a name that won’t cost you a premium.

⭐️ Pro Tip: This week, draft fairways over fireworks — at Shinnecock, the player who keeps it in play and calmly accepts par will outlast the bombers chasing birdies into the fescue.

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❎ One-and-Done Corner

The U.S. Open purse has not been officially announced, but last year’s total purse was $21,500,000, with $4,300,000 going to the first-place winner. Any increase this year would push it higher, and it likely ranks as the highest prize amount available. You want to make a pick that gives you a great chance of winning, and only want to diversify off your top choice if it makes sense for popularity reasons and your place in the standings.

➔ View Strokes Gained: Approach rankings on PGA TOUR

This is a week to spend on a complete, precision-first ball-striker rather than a one-dimensional bomber — history at Shinnecock rewards control over power, with champions like Koepka, Goosen, and Floyd all winning on the strength of disciplined shot-making and unshakable patience rather than raw distance. When hunting for your pick, lean heavily on SG: Approach, because the course’s firm, crowned, exposed greens demand pinpoint distance and trajectory control; a player who can flight the ball into the wind and hold these surfaces will manufacture far more realistic birdie looks and, just as critically, avoid the short-siding that turns a U.S. Open round into a card-wrecker. Your perfect pick, then, is an elite iron player with proven major-championship composure and a track record of grinding out top finishes in tough setups — the kind of golfer who treats par as a weapon — while steering clear of the streaky putters and erratic drivers who tend to unravel when Shinnecock bares its teeth. Given how heavily this venue favors that exact archetype, it’s a defensible week to deploy one of your premium ball-strikers, since the conditions tilt the odds toward the steadiest, most accurate player in the field rather than a long-shot getting hot.

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