The Road to the U.S. Open
On Monday morning, hundreds of golfers stood on tee boxes across America knowing their lives could change before dinner. Former major champions, Korn Ferry Tour members, club pros, teachers, real estate agents, factory workers, and teenage stars all teed it up with the same goal: survive 36 holes and earn a place at Shinnecock Hills. In golf, there is no day quite like it.
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Road to the U.S. Open: Canada
The Final Qualifying site in Canada has a stacked field as players going to the Canadian Open hit the qualifier on their way.
Host Course: Lambton Golf and Country Club was founded in 1902 and was home to the first Olympic Golf Champion, George St Lyon, who won Gold at the 1904 Olympics. Rees Jones redesigned the layout in 2010 and the club has hosted the Canadian Amateur and the Ontario Mid-Am. The 7100 yard layout is played as a par 72 for members, but will be played as a par 70 on Monday.
Players in the field: 59
Highest-ranked players
Matt Wallace: The Englishman has multiple wins on the DP World Tour and a win on the PGA Tour. He finished T2 at the Valero Texas Open this season and is 74th in the OWGR. At last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, Wallace finished T23. This is a man who will tee it up in qualifying believing he belongs in the field.
Jordan Smith: The 33-year-old Englishman earned his PGA Tour card through the DP World Tour last year and finished 3rd at Valspar this season. He held the 36-hole lead at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club recently, posting back-to-back 65s. The two-time DP World Tour winner is ranked 73 in the world and has made two cuts in three U.S. Open starts in his career.
Garrick Higgo: The young South African made headlines last month at the PGA Championship when he showed up late for this tee time. It’s been a challenging season for the two-time PGA Tour winner, who fired his caddie after being late to the tee. Higgo is now ranked 89th in OWGR and 142nd in the FedEx Cup, but when he gets it going, Higgo is tough to beat. The 27-year-old has only competed in one U.S. Open. You can bet on one thing in qualifying: he won’t be late to the first tee.
David Lipsky: The Northwestern grad finished 2nd at Valspar this year and is 66th in FedEx Cup points. He’s ranked 100th in the world and quietly takes care of business. Lipsky spent years playing in Asia and Europe before earning his PGA Tour card through the Korn Ferry Tour. He hopes to play his first U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills this year.
Chandler Blanchet: The 30-year-old has grinded his way from the West Florida Golf Tour to the PGA Tour. He finished 2nd in Puerto Rico this season and has risen to 110 in the OWGR. Blanchet has steadily improved. Last season, he finished 2nd on the KFT points list, and qualified for the U.S. Open but missed the cut.
Max Homa: The popular California Bear and six-time PGA Tour winner has made 10 of 14 cuts this year. His best finish this season was T9 at the Masters. The former Ryder Cupper is now ranked 120th in the world and trying to find his way back to peak form, and the U.S. Open has never been his favorite tournament; he has only made one cut in his career and missed last year’s championship.
Daniel Brown: The charismatic Englishman hasn’t been winning tournaments this year but he has been winning over dart-loving, beer-drinking fans. The 31-year-old and two-time DP World Tour winner is 113th in the OWGR. While he’s never played in the U.S. Open, he contended in the 2024 Open Championship, his first-ever major. He also played the weekend at last month’s PGA Championship.
Notables
Camillo Villegas
Thorbjorn Oleson
Alejandro Tosti
Max McGreevy
Taylor Moore
Seamus Power
Davis Chatfield
Canadian Hopefuls
Stuart Macdonald
Adam Svensson
Cougar Collins
A.J. Ewart
Road to the U.S. Open: Georgia
Host Course: Hawk’s Ridge Golf Course is about 50 miles north of Atlanta and is a Bob Cupp design. Among celebrated Cupp courses are Shoal Creek Club, Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, Liberty National and Desert Highlands.
Players in the field: 77
Spots: 5
Top Ranked Players and Notables:
Stephen Jaeger: The 83rd-ranked golfer in the world has been playing well lately with a T18 at the PGA Championship and T9 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He also finished T7 at Valspar earlier this year. The 37-year-old long dominated the Korn Ferry Tour but could never find success at the highest level. Then he broke through and won the 2024 Houston Open and has been a consistent presence on the big tour. Jaeger’s best U.S. Open appearance came at Pinehurst in 2024 where he finished T21.
Keith Mitchell: “Cashmere Keith” is 67th this year in FedEx Cup points. The 34-year-old had a top 5 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and has made 13 of 15 cuts this season. He’s one of the most consistent drivers on tour, which is a desired trait at the U.S. Open. Surprisingly, Mitchell hasn’t qualified for the U.S. Open since 2023, where he finished T20. It’s about time he returned.
Aldrich Potgieter: The 21-year-old South African is the longest hitter in the game. He used his length to capture the 2025 Rocket Mortgage Classic becoming the youngest South African to win on tour, and earned Rookie of the Year honors on the PGA Tour. He averages a whopping 328.4 off the tee. If he hits fairways with the driver, he’s tough to beat.
Ollie Schniederjans: Ollie is in an interesting position as a former No.1 ranked amateur in the world and having been a bright young star on the PGA Tour once-upon-a-time. After injuries, he fell down to the Korn Ferry Tour and wasn’t able to make much progress. He switched ecosystems in 2025 and began playing the International Series after going to LIV Golf Promotions. After some early success, the HyFlyers gave him a few chances as a reserve player on LIV Golf. He remains a reserve player, and his options for the future seem to be dwindling. This would be a massive opportunity for him should he make it through qualifying.
Luke Colton: A top-ranked junior golfer who just graduated from high school in Texas. Colton was the #1 ranked prospect in the Class of 2026 and will be playing for Vanderbilt in the fall.
Other Notables
Alistair Docherty
Hunter Eichorn
Harrison Endycott
Road To the U.S. Open Springfield Ohio
Host Course: A longtime host, Springfield Country Club has held up as a great course despite its short length. It measures less than 6,700 yards, but the severe runoffs and difficult greens make it a true test.
Players in the field: 76
Highest-ranked players:
Taylor Pendrith: The Canadian bomber won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson two seasons ago and has been a steady player since. He’s ranked 92nd in the world and finished T43 at the Memorial last week. Pendrith has made six of his last seven cuts. You can almost count on him to put together two solid rounds in qualifying.
Brandt Snedeker: The year of the Snedeker comeback started at Valspar where he entered the final round two back of the lead. He had a bad final round but his play the first three days was a sign of things to come. Then Sends got into contention again seven weeks later and shot 66 in the final round to win the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic. The 10-time PGA Tour winner and Ryder Cupper has new life. Does he still have the stamina for golf’s longest day?
Billy Horschel: Never count Billy Ho out. The eight-time PGA Tour winner is ranked 140th-ranked player in the world, but has remained resilient through his career – a good trait for U.S. Open qualifying. His personal best finish on tour this year is T13 at Bay Hill, and he missed the cut last week at The Memorial Tournament. Horschel owns one top-3 in his career at the 2013 U.S. Open, but hasn’t found success since.
Neal Shipley: After a wildly successful season on the Korn Ferry Tour, the ever-engaging Shipley has struggled on the PGA Tour this year, making only three cuts. He’s ranked 187th in the world and 181st in the FedEx Cup. The former Ohio State Buckeye is incredibly talented and will find his way back. Here’s hoping it’s sooner rather than later.
Cameron Davis: The two-time PGA Tour winner and former Australian Open champ has been struggling this year. He’s fallen to 281 in the OWGR and made only three cuts this season. But the long-hitting Aussie is incredibly talented and has played in the last three U.S. Opens.
Notables:
Nick Hardy
Dylan Wu
Robert Streb
Zac Blair
Scott Gutschewski
Dylan Meyer
Beau Titsworth
Road to the U.S. Open: Maryland
Host Course: The North Course at Woodmont Country Club can be stretched to 7,390 yards, and following a 2020 renovation for the U.S. Women’s Am, places a premium on approach angles.
Players in the field: 77
Highest-ranked players
Michael Thorbjornsen: The 73-ranked player in the world is a rising star on the PGA Tour. He earned his PGA Tour card after finishing No. 1 on the PGA Tour U points list as a Stanford Cardinal in 2024. Thorbjornsen finished T3 at this year’s Waste Management Open and has two runner-up finishes in the past two years. The 63rd ranked player in the FedEx Cup standings has played two U.S. Opens but never made the cut.
Blades Brown: The 18-year-old stallion is already ranked 105th in the world and earned special temporary membership on the PGA Tour this year. He shot 60 at the American Express Invitational last year and has been playing both the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour this season in an effort to lock up full PGA Tour status for next season. Blades had a chance to win on the PGA Tour earlier this year in Puerto Rico, but a late triple derailed him and he finished 3rd. This kid is on a meteoric trajectory.
Zach Bouchou: Bauchou earned his PGA Tour card by winning the Korn Ferry Tour’s Simmons Bank Open in 2024, but his journey to being a steady presence on the big tour has been anything but smooth. The former Oklahoma State star’s struggles ran so deep that his invitation to the 2021 Zurich Classic of New Orleans was rescinded…by his own partner. Now, Bauchou is the 152nd-ranked player in the world and finished 6th at last month’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
Ben Kohles: The 36-year-old veteran from Dallas is coming in hot after winning Sunday on the Korn Ferry Tour. Kohles won by four at the BMW Charity Pro-Am in Greenville, S.C., this weekend. He moves to 5th on the season-long points list where the top-20 earn a PGA Tour card for next season. We’ll see if he has any energy left for golf’s longest day after what must have been an exhilarating week.
Other notables:
Luke List
Jackson Suber
Paul Peterson
Michael Johnson
Trevor Cone
Road To the U.S. Open- Westville Ohio
Course: Lakes Golf & Country Club (Westerville, OH)
7,150 yards Par 72.
The field is filled with a number of PGA Tour members including:
Johnny Vegas
Bud Cauley
Brian Campbell
Erik Van Rooyen
Denny McCarthy
Austin Eckroat
Austin Smotherman
Lucas Glover
Davis Thompson
Justin Lower
Stories:
Nick Benz- The Indiana native who went viral a few years ago for drinking beers before a playoff for the Rocket Monday Q playoff is looking to get into his first Major. He already has Monday qualified for a KFT event this season.
Chris Naegel- The qualifying legend has 116 career KFT starts and 12 PGA Tour starts. He has stopped playing full-time multiple times but has always made his way back to playing. The 43-year-old has made three U.S. Open’s in his career, making the cut in two.
Dabbi Sigurbrandsson- Any golfer from Iceland we are rooting for.
Road to the U.S. Open: Gastonia North Carolina
Course: Gaston Country Club (Gastonia, NC)
7,050 Yards
Par 72
The field is filled with numerous KFT members who finished the BMW Charity Pro-am Sunday and headed over.
Ryo Ishikawa- The 20-time (twenty!!) Japan Tour legend is having a solid, yet unspectacular KFT season. He has made eight of 12 cuts and sits 73rd in points. The 34-year-old does have three top 20 finishes in his last five starts, including a T12 at the BMW yesterday.
Webb Simpson- The 2012 U.S Open winner looks to return to the USO since missing out on last years Championship. Simpson has made three of seven cuts so far this season and sits 106th in points.
Cole Hammer- The former University of Texas standout is having the best year of his pro career. He currently sits 26th in KFT points, just six spots outside of the top 20 which will earn PGA Tour cards.
Ian Holt- The two-time KFT winner has cooled off a bit since his scorching start to the season, but he still leads the KFT points list and his PGA Tour card for the 2027 season is locked up.
Stories:
Aaron Wise: The PGA Tour winner continues his comeback from mental health issues. Wise has played six PGA Tour events this season and has yet to make a cut.
Niall Shiels Donegan- The University of North Carolina star has been playing so well since his transfer to the Tar Heels, including a run to the semi-finals of the U.S. Amatuer.
Road to the U.S. Open: Sacramento California
Course: Del Passo Country Club, 7121 Yards, Par 71
Michael Block: The soon to be Champions Tour eligible club pro will look to play in his 12th Major and third U.S. Open
Geoff Ogilvy- This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Aussie’s U.S Open win over Phil Mickelson. The now renowned golf architect looks to play in his first U.S. Open since 2016
Jared Du Toit- The former Arizona State and Canadian star has accepted a full-time job as the assistant coach at his alma mater, but you have to wonder if getting into the U.S. Open will pull him back into playing full-time.
Stewart Hagestad- The career amateur has played in three Masters and five U.S. Open’s. He looks for his sixth today.
Ricky Barnes- The veteran of 353 PGA Tour starts looks for his first start on the PGA Tour in 2026.
Road to the U.S. Open: Palm Beach, Florida
Course: BallenIsles East Course. It can be stretched to nearly 7500 yards and has a slope of 145 along with a rating of 76.5. It will offer a tough test.
Top Juniors: Both Miles Russell and Giuseppe Puebla, the number one and two ranked juniors in AJGA rankings tee it up today. Golf channel reported this morning that Charlie Woods is on the bag for Russell, both are committed to FSU.
Famous Parents: Luke Poulter the Florida Gator and son of LIV member Ian tees it up looking to get into his first Major. Along with Austin Lemieux, son of the great Mario, they will attempt to find their way to Shinnecock. Also in the field is long-time mini-tour grinder Jimmy Jones, son of former LPGA star Dawn Coe-Jones.
Americas Tour WD’s: Brentley Romine reported that a plane that had seven Americas Tour players on it had to be diverted because of a medical emergency on board on their way from Mexico. Because of that only one of them will tee it up today and he will be playing with a borrowed set of clubs. The other six WD’d.
Others:
Matt Kuchar
Luke Clanton
Ben Taylor
The Road to the U.S. Open: Purchase New York
Course: Century Golf and Country Club and Golf Club of Purchase
James Nicholas: The social media star, who crossed over 500K followers this year, has had a breakout KFT season. He earned his first career KFT win earlier this year in South America and currently sits 15th in points. Last year Nicholas qualified for his first U.S. Open. He looks to get into his second today.
Ben James: The University of Virginia Start just locked up his PGA Tour card by finishing first in the PGA Tour U rankings. Today he will look to get into his third U.S. Open in a row after qualifying the two previous years.
Max Greyserman: The 31-year-old is currently 36th in points on the PGA Tour and two weeks ago in Texas he had his first top-10 of the season at the Nelson.
The Road to the U.S. Open: Creswell Oregon
Course: Emerald Valley Country Club 7200, Par 72.
This is always one of my favorite sites as it has almost no “name” players, instead some great stories almost always emerge.
The Putnam brothers: Andrew always heads home for this qualifier, the 37-year-old is currently 57th in PGA Tour points and has made four consecutive cuts, including a T55 at the PGA Championship. Andrew’s older brother Michael stopped playing full-time in 2018 but the three-time KFT winner looks to play in his seventh U.S. Open.
