Where is the 2026 US Open golf being played? Future site and details explored

The US Open is one of the four Major Championships in golf. USGA is the governing body of this event and is one of the few tournaments where amateur golfers can compete with the professionals in a 72-hole stroke play event. The venues for this event keep changing every year.

In 2026, the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, will host the USA's national Major from June 18th to 21st.

The USGA usually allocates challenging courses for the US Open, where scoring is strenuous. And the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a perfect fit, given its links-style design and bunkers.

The Shinnecock Hills Golf Club has hosted the national Open in 2018. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw redesigned the course in 2013 for the 2018 US Open. They enhanced the challenges on the course, making the final winning score +1 in 2018. This score indicates how daunting the course setup was in 2018, and a similar setup can be expected in 2026 as well.

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How do golfers qualify for the US Open?

As the name suggests, this is an open tournament for all golfers, including amateurs. However, the only condition for amateur golfers is to have a handicap index of 0.4 or better. Any golfer fulfilling this criteria can register for the 18-hole local qualifiers.

How do golfers qualify for the U.S. Open?

Golfers making it through the local qualifiers will compete in the 36-hole final qualifying, also known as Golf's Longest Day. The total number of golfers making it through to the final qualifying and then to the Major Championship depends on the field and the strength of each qualifying site.

Apart from the qualifiers, there are various exemption categories for in-form golfers, both professional and amateurs, as follows:

1. Winners of the US Open Championship for the last 10 years
2. Top 10 finishes, including ties, from the previous US Open
3. Reigning US Amateur Champion
4. Reigning US Amateur runner-up (must be an amateur)
5. Winners of the Masters the last five years (including current year)
6. Winners of the PGA Championship in the last five years (including the current year)
7. Winners of the Open Championship the last five years
8. Winners of the Players Championship the last three years (including current year)
9. Winner of the most recent European Tour BMW PGA Championship
10. Those players who qualified for the previous season-ending Tour Championship
11. Multiple winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the FedEx Cup from the conclusion of the previous US Open to the current year's US Open
12. The top 10 aggregate point earners (who are not otherwise exempt) from the three-event US Open European Tour Qualifying Series
13. Winner of the Amateur Championship (must be an amateur)
14. Winner of the Mark H. McCormack Medal (top-ranked in WAGR & must be an amateur)
15. Top 60 point leaders and ties in the Official World Golf Ranking three weeks before the Major
16. Top 60 point leaders and ties in the Official World Golf Ranking one week before the Major.
17. From the previous year's Asian Tour Final Order of Merit, the top finisher who is not otherwise exempt as of three weeks before the Major.
18. From the previous year's ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia Final Order of Merit, the top finisher who is not otherwise exempt as of three weeks before the Major.
19. From the current Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, the leading player who is not otherwise exempt as of three weeks before the Major.
20. Latin America Amateur Champion (must be an amateur)
21. NCAA Division I men's individual champion (must be an amateur)
22. Previous year's Korn Ferry Tour season points leader (KFT Regular Season and KFT Tour Finals)
23. Top 5 in current season's FedExCup standings as of 4 weeks before the Major.
24. Special Exemptions selected by the USGA