Of the 14 LIV Golf players competing in the 2026 U.S. Open, only three have hoisted the U.S. Open trophy before.
The year’s third major championship sees three more LIV players than were at the Masters and two more than the PGA. LIV Golf is in the midst of a seven-week stretch with no tournament, but Tyrrell Hatton won its last event at Valderrama earlier this month.
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Phil Mickelson, a six-time runner-up at the U.S. Open, is missing his third straight major.
Let’s rank the LIV Golf players coming into the U.S. Open, from those least likely to contend to those with a great chance to win.
U.S. Open 2026 LIV Golf power rankings
13. Graeme McDowell
McDowell, the 2010 champ, is making his first major start since 2020.
12. Caleb Surratt
Surratt advanced through final qualifying and will make his first major start.
11. Peter Uihlein
Uihlein will make his first U.S. Open — and major — start since 2018.
10. Carlos Ortiz
Ortiz finished in the top 10 last year at Oakmont but hasn’t finished inside the top 20 in his last four starts.
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9. Dustin Johnson
The former U.S. Open champion is playing on his final year of a 10-year exemption from 2016.
8. Laurie Canter
Canter will play in his second straight U.S. Open after finishing top two in the 2025 DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai.
7. David Puig
Puig is playing in his third U.S. Open after his best major finish of T-18 at the PGA last month.
6. Lucas Herbert
Herbert won LIV’s event in D.C. to punch his ticket to Shinnecock, and he’s fifth in the league’s standings.
5. Cameron Smith
Smith showed signs of life in a major championship after six straight missed cuts with a T-7 finish at the PGA. He was in contention on Sunday. Can he do it again this week?
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4. Joaquin Niemann
Niemann’s best finish at the U.S. Open is T-23 in his debut. He won his eighth LIV event in Korea last month.
3. Bryson DeChambeau
DeChambeau is a two-time U.S. Open winner but has missed the cut at both majors this year. The question will be his form.
2. Tyrrell Hatton
As mentioned above, Hatton comes to Shinnecock having won the latest LIV event earlier this month. His best U.S. Open finish came last year with a T-4.
1. Jon Rahm
Rahm is a U.S. Open champion and LIV’s best player. He’ll continue to be in the top spot in these lists, and after a runner-up at the PGA Championship, Rahm seems primed to compete yet again.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: US Open 2026: Ranking best LIV Golf players at Shinnecock
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