The U.S. Open is “Golf’s Toughest Test,” but it could also be called “Golf’s Greatest Opportunity.”
The 156-player field features everyone from superstars to those who survived the qualifying rounds, affording plenty of chances for glory. Each of the last four U.S. Open winners came from outside the top 15 in the Official World Golf Rankings, meaning there are plenty of players in the field who could emerge with this national championship.
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It won’t be easy for whoever comes out on top, though. This year’s iteration is at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, adding to the built-in level of difficulty for a U.S. Open. For reference, the last time the event was held at Shinnecock, Brooks Koepka won with a total score of one over par.
So, parse this field ranking carefully, because you never know who will end up holding the trophy on Sunday.
1-10
1. Scottie Scheffler
You might be hearing that Scheffler is in a slump, but just because he’s not winning at Tiger-like levels doesn’t mean that he isn’t the favorite. He still tops the PGA Tour in strokes-gained total and scoring average this season.
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2. Rory McIlroy
Last year, it felt like McIlroy was searching for purpose after winning his first Green Jacket. This year, he feels more focused, following his Masters repeat with a T-7 at the PGA Championship.
3. Xander Schauffele
Schauffele’s consistent success at the U.S. Open is, frankly, astonishing; he has never finished worse than 14th in nine starts at the event. He’s also playing well in big tournaments, finishing in the top 10 at both the Masters and the PGA.
4. Cameron Young
The reigning Players champion showed he is comfortable in his home state of New York when he played the best of any American during the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Expect a surge of support from a crowd still celebrating the Knicks’ championship.
5. Jon Rahm
It can be hard to gauge the LIV players entering majors, but Rahm has done everything you could ask for by winning twice and finishing in the top five seven times in nine LIV events. He also placed T-2 at Aronimink.
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6. Matt Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick has been consistently excellent in 2026, winning three times on the PGA Tour, finishing second at The Players and placing top-20 in both majors. He is in great form to win his second U.S. open title.
7. Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood has a lot going for him entering this week. He finished top-three in two of his last three PGA Tour events, and how could anyone forget his closing 63 to finish second the last time the U.S. Open was held at Shinnecock in 2018?
8. Ludvig Åberg
Åberg is still looking for his major championship breakthrough, and he also hasn’t won an event yet this season. That said, he hasn’t finished worse than 21st in any event since mid-February, and he tied for fourth at the PGA Championship.
9. Russell Henley
Henley has won twice in the last 14 months and has five top-10 finishes in his last eight major starts. He is first on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy percentage, which should be a huge boon in the conditions at Shinnecock.
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10. Sam Burns
Burns is coming off consecutive top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open and was tied for seventh at Augusta. His putting could be a superpower at Shinnecock as conditions may force players to aim for the middle of greens.
11-20
11. Justin Rose
Rose is actually a bit of an all-or-nothing proposition at majors. In the 48 major starts since his 2013 U.S. Open win at Merion, he has 17 top-10s and 13 missed cuts. He was T-3 and T-10, respectively, at the Masters and the PGA, though, so there’s plenty of confidence in his chances.
12. J.J. Spaun
The reigning U.S. Open champion is striking the ball beautifully this season, and his win at the Valero Texas Open showed his form. However, he missed the cut at both Augusta and Aronimink. Can he repeat the magic of Oakmont?
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13. Justin Thomas
Top-10 finishes at both The Players and the PGA Championship show Thomas is up to the most difficult challenges. His ball-striking and putting improvements make him a good fit to handle what Shinnecock can throw at him.
14. Patrick Reed
Patrick Reed is always a good bet to stick around at majors because his razor-sharp short game allows him to score, even when he doesn’t play his best. If you need proof, he tied for 12th and 10th, respectively, at Augusta and Aronimink.
15. Wyndham Clark
Shinnecock’s wide fairways have drawn comparisons to Los Angeles CC, where Clark won the 2023 U.S. Open. In his last three events, he won THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, finished third at the Memorial Tournament and tied for 11th at the RBC Canadian Open.
16. Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay needs to lock in his putting to compete this week – he ranks 92nd on the tour is strokes gained putting. That hasn’t stopped him from finishing top-17 in seven of his 12 starts this season.
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17. Aaron Rai
Rai won the PGA Championship with accuracy off the tee and precise approach shots, strengths of his game all season. Those will serve him well at Shinnecock, where Rai could make a run at a second consecutive major win.
18. Jordan Spieth
Spieth’s short game and magician’s flair mirror past winners at Shinnecock, giving him a solid base to contend. If he can continue to strike the ball well, Spieth may factor into the final round of a major for the first time in years.
19. Tyrell Hatton
Hatton won his last LIV start and tied for third at the Masters in April. He also finished tied for fourth at last year’s U.S. Open. Hatton has the game to put himself in contention on Sunday.
20. Bryson DeChambeau
What do we make of DeChambeau? He is a two-time U.S. Open champion who has two wins and three third-place finishes on LIV Golf this season. On the other hand, he hasn’t made a cut in a major this season. Perhaps Shinnecock presents the challenge that will get him back on track.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy says PGA Tour pre-LIV was ‘actually pretty good’ and worries about future of 2nd-tier events
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Now that LIV Golf is flailing and the sport has pulled itself out of what once felt like a day-to-day crisis cycle, Rory McIlroy sees the future — and the past — a little differently.
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Adrien Dumont de Chassart
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J.J. Spaun
J.J. Spaun doesn’t need to be a ‘perfect golfer’ to validate his U.S. Open triumph
Defending U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun started thinking he had to become a “perfect golfer” to validate last year’s success. It only made his game worse.
Read the full article here
