Scottie Scheffler is in pursuit of the career Grand Slam. Bryson DeChambeau is attempting to rediscover his major championship form. Rory McIlroy is looking to add yet another major title.
Those are just a few of the storylines dominating the conversation heading into Shinnecock Hills.
But the U.S. Open is always about more than the biggest names. It's also filled with players you've never heard of, careers hanging in the balance, and stories that rarely make the headlines.
So here are some players and storylines you might not know heading into this week's U.S. Open—but should.
Stranger Things
This may be the first time in PGA Tour history that a player's final medical-extension start comes in a major championship.
Stanger enters the U.S. Open just 22 FedExCup points shy of satisfying the requirements of the medical extension he received following elbow surgery last season. The 31-year-old came agonizingly close to securing those points last week at the Canadian Open, but a bogey on the final hole dropped him just enough to leave the job unfinished.
Now the math is simple: a two-way tie for 39th or better at Shinnecock would earn Stanger enough points to regain his full PGA Tour status. Anything less, and he will spend the remainder of the season relying on conditional status and limited opportunities.
One week after a bogey cost him a chance to lock up his card, Stanger arrives at golf's toughest test with his season still hanging in the balance.
Nick Hardy
For Nick Hardy, this week might be about something more important than FedExCup points or a paycheck.
The 30-year-old PGA Tour winner advanced through final qualifying in Springfield, Illinois, earning a spot in his sixth U.S. Open. Afterward, Hardy opened up about a recent struggle with anxiety on the golf course and said his goal at Shinnecock wasn't a specific finish.
"I just want to feel like I used to on the course."
The former University of Illinois star has shown flashes of progress this season, making five of seven cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour, but he remains 141st in points without a top-25 finish. On the PGA Tour, he has made just one cut in six starts.
A made cut this week would certainly help. So would a big paycheck. But after several difficult seasons, the biggest victory for Hardy might simply be finding the confidence and comfort that once made him one of the game's rising stars.
That makes this U.S. Open about more than results. It's about whether Hardy can start feeling like himself again.
Turning the Shipley around
Just two years ago, Neal Shipley was the low amateur at the Masters. Last season, he did exactly what most expected, cruising through the Korn Ferry Tour and earning his PGA Tour card.
The next step seemed obvious.
Instead, Shipley has learned one of professional golf's hardest lessons: progress isn't always linear.
The 24-year-old has made just four of 14 cuts this season and enters the U.S. Open 182nd in FedExCup points, leaving plenty of work to do if he hopes to retain his card.
There have been signs of improvement recently. Shipley has made three of his last four cuts, though his best finish during that stretch is a tie for 38th. As the saying goes, it takes a long time to turn a ship around. In this case, a Shipley.
After advancing through final qualifying in Springfield, Shipley told Golf Channel's Bob Harig that his game feels good. That's encouraging for a player who already has a track record of handling difficult major championship setups, evidenced by his low-amateur finish at Augusta.
A strong week at Shinnecock won't solve everything, but it could be a significant step toward turning his season—and perhaps his PGA Tour future—back in the right direction.
The Doss
In April of 2023, I tweeted: "In the last 12 months Cooper Dossey has shot 59 at Q-School, 58 in an All Pro Tour event, won two of five starts on that tour, and Monday qualified for a Korn Ferry Tour event. He is the best player in golf without status."
Three years later, that prediction looks pretty good.
Dossey arrives at Shinnecock for his first major championship after successfully navigating final qualifying in Dallas. The former Baylor star also enters the week eighth in Korn Ferry Tour points and firmly in position to earn one of the 20 PGA Tour cards available at season's end.
The climb has been steady. After earning Korn Ferry Tour status for the first time in 2024, Dossey finished 76th in points. He improved to 44th last season. This year, he has taken another leap and looks increasingly comfortable competing against the next wave of PGA Tour talent.
Nothing about Dossey's rise has been flashy. It's been a gradual progression built on consistently getting better and proving he belongs at each level.
Of all the lesser-known names in the field this week, Dossey might be one of the most likely to surprise people. I wouldn't be shocked if he played very well.
Just a Guy from Boston
Nathan Kimsey is just a grinder from Boston.
Boston, England that is.
The Englishman, whose nickname "Kimbo" absolutely lives up to the hype, is making his first U.S. Open appearance after years spent bouncing around professional golf's various tours.
Kimsey has played everywhere from the EuroPro Tour to the Challenge Tour and the DP World Tour. In 2016, he became just the second player ever to win DP World Tour Q-School after beginning at First Stage, one of the most difficult paths in professional golf.
The road hasn't always been smooth. In 2022, Kimsey won the season-ending Challenge Tour event to regain his DP World Tour card. A year later, he came within a playoff of earning a PGA Tour victory, losing to Vincent Norrman at the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky.
Now, at 32, he's putting together the best season of his career. To earn his spot at Shinnecock, Kimsey closed U.S. Open qualifying with a scorching 62, leaving little doubt he belonged in the field.
He may not be a household name on this side of the Atlantic, but few players in the field have spent more years grinding for a moment like this one.
Majors Only
Spencer Tibbits turned the "Longest Day in Golf" into two days.
At final qualifying in Washington, Tibbits and PGA Tour winner Andrew Putnam battled for 45 holes before heading to a playoff that stretched nine more holes and spilled into the following day. For nearly 12 hours of golf, Tibbits pushed his own cart and matched Putnam shot for shot before finally losing with a bogey on the ninth extra hole.
It seemed like a heartbreaking near miss.
Then came the phone call.
Last week, Tibbits got into the field as the first alternate from his qualifying site, giving the mini-tour grinder a spot in the U.S. Open after all.
The opportunity is even more remarkable considering this will be just the second Official World Golf Ranking event of his five-year professional career.
The first?
The 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
As a sophomore at Oregon State, Tibbits qualified for that championship and missed the cut by just one shot. Seven years later, after countless miles on mini tours and one marathon qualifying battle, he gets another chance.
For a player whose professional career has largely unfolded outside the spotlight, it's fitting that his two biggest starts have both come at the U.S. Open.
Magic Carpet
There are a few golf-nerd things I absolutely love, and random sponsor logos are near the top of the list.
Over the years we've seen some incredible pairings. Rory Sabbatini was sponsored by Nerf. David Sutherland had Jelly Belly. When David Duval was fighting through the later years of his career, he landed a deal with the caffeinated beef jerky company Perky Jerky.
So when Jackson Van Paris rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt to secure his spot at Shinnecock, it wasn't the putt that caught my eye.
It was the hat.
Rugs.com.
A perfect random golf sponsor.
The former Vanderbilt star has plenty more going for him than a memorable logo. Van Paris had an excellent college career and has enjoyed a solid rookie season on the Korn Ferry Tour, currently sitting 70th in points as he chases a PGA Tour card.
But let's be honest, I'm also rooting for the Rugs.com hat.
There are five players named Jackson in the field: Jackson Koivun, Jackson Ormond, Jackson Suber, Jackson Herrington and Van Paris.
Perhaps Van Paris can ride the magic carpet (I’m sorry) all the way to a memorable week at Shinnecock. At the very least, leading the Jackson 5 would be a fun achievement.
