{"id":709390,"date":"2026-06-17T11:05:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T11:05:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/709390\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T11:05:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T11:05:41","slug":"u-s-open-2026-big-board-who-can-conquer-the-test-at-vaunted-shinnecock-hills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/709390\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Open 2026 Big Board: Who can conquer the test at vaunted Shinnecock Hills?"},"content":{"rendered":"

June 17, 2026 6:00 am EDT Updated <\/p>\n

The second edition of the U.S. Open was held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in 1896, and it should\u2019ve served as a precursor of things to come as James Foulis\u2019 two-round total of 78-74 on the 4,423-yard course was enough to win by three strokes.<\/p>\n

It took 90 years for the tournament to return to Shinnecock, but scores weren\u2019t much better in 1986, as Raymond Floyd was the only player to break par on his way to a two-shot triumph.<\/p>\n

Nine years later, Corey Pavin won at even-par, and another nine years after that, Retief Goosen beat Phil Mickelson by two, as they finished as the only players in the red. And in the most recent expedition around Shinnecock in 2018, it was Brooks Koepka who vanquished the competition with a winning score of 1 over.<\/p>\n

Point is, this place ain\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n

Whether hosting one of the earliest major championships or bewildering modern-era competitors on a venue more than 3,000 yards longer this week, Shinnecock has always shown its teeth \u2013 a notion which is unlikely to subside as the best return for the 2026 U.S. Open.<\/p>\n

Even featuring wider fairways than in previous years, some forecasted winds and devilish green complexes should combine to once again mystify the game\u2019s best players.<\/p>\n

Those who miss in the proper spots, make the most 8-foot par-saving putts and, yes, even get some lucky breaks, will be the ones vying for this title come Sunday afternoon. Let\u2019s examine 30 players with a chance to succeed at Shinnecock.<\/p>\n

Age Range 20-24 25-29 30-35 36-40 40+<\/p>\n

Country Australia England Ireland Japan Northern Ireland Spain Sweden United States<\/p>\n

Tour Amateur DP World Tour Korn Ferry Tour LIV PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Loading<\/p>\n

Try changing or resetting your filters to see more.<\/p>\n

Call it golf\u2019s version of a perfect storm: The world\u2019s No. 1-ranked player could become the seventh in history to capture the career Grand Slam this Sunday \u2026 which also happens to be his 30th birthday \u2026 and not to mention it\u2019s Father\u2019s Day, for the dad of two young boys. And yet, there\u2019s been an imperfect storm brewing in Camp Scheffler for the last few months. He\u2019s still playing elite-level golf, but his winless drought is at 11 tournaments, and his growing frustrations have manifested in visible on-course outbursts. With four top-seven finishes in his last five U.S. Open starts, it\u2019s clearly trophy or bust for him this week.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Scottie Scheffler’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

25-29<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an intriguing formula: Take the only player with three PGA Tour titles this season and place him in his favored environment \u2013 namely, a tournament where birdies are at a premium, pars are just fine and bogeys are bound to happen. Fitzpatrick has long stated that he prefers difficult setups where 30 under par is never going to happen, and while his 2022 victory at Brookline remains his lone U.S. Open top 10 in 11 starts, it can be argued that he\u2019s never entered any of those with the type of elite-level form he\u2019s shown throughout this year.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

1 win (’22 U.S. Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Matt Fitzpatrick’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

After winning The Players Championship and Cadillac Championship, Young was a popular pick to claim last month\u2019s PGA, but perhaps that T26 result was just throwing everyone off the scent for a first major championship triumph in his home state of New York. No, this isn\u2019t exactly a home game for a guy who grew up two hours away without traffic (spoiler alert \u2014 there\u2019s always traffic), but it might instill just a little more motivation. Last year\u2019s T4 at Oakmont was, by far, his best U.S. Open showing, and he\u2019s appeared more comfortable in contention seemingly every week since.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

2 (’22 Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Cameron Young’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

25-29<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When a player is categorized as having done \u201ceverything but win\u201d a specific tournament, the results should look a little something like Schauffele\u2019s at the U.S. Open: Fifth, sixth, third, fifth, seventh, 14th, 10th, seventh and 12th. That\u2019s nine career starts at this one with nothing outside of the top 15, which doesn\u2019t quite have Phil Mickelson vibes \u2013 he finished runner-up six times without a victory \u2013 but it\u2019s a record that can at least hang in the same neighborhood. Despite not winning, Schauffele has proven his all-around game is a near-perfect fit for an event that forces players to use every club in the bag.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Xander Schauffele’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

30-35<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Following a disappointing Masters where he finished T38, Rahm bounced back with a share of runner-up honors at the PGA Championship last month. For a player who might not seem fully committed to LIV Golf, but also might not have other reasonable options in the short-term, the one thing in his control is performance \u2013 and he appears insistent on reminding the masses that he\u2019s one of the game\u2019s best players, whether such play helps his leverage at some point in the future or not. He\u2019s finished top 12 in five of his last six U.S. Open starts, including a 2021 win.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Jon Rahm’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Of the four main strokes gained statistics \u2013 off the tee, approach, around the green and putting \u2013 it\u2019s rare that the third of those ranks very high on the prognosticating priority list, but there\u2019s a definite chance that Shinnecock\u2019s severe green complexes will lead to more misses with the irons and therefore a greater number of short wedge plays. Well, nobody has been better around the greens this season than Fleetwood, who also ranked second in this category at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago. And let\u2019s not forget: He was runner-up at Shinnecock in 2018, thanks in part to a brilliant final-round 63.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

2 (’18 U.S. Open, ’19 Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Tommy Fleetwood’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In all those years discussing his pursuit for the career slam, McIlroy often joked that he\u2019s glad Mother Nature offered him a soft, soggy, birdie-laden affair at Congressional back in 2011, or else it would\u2019ve been this leg \u2013 not the Masters \u2013 that remained as the most difficult puzzle piece. While it\u2019s true that every one of his 45 career professional victories has come when the winning score is double-digits under par, his record at this one is better than we might think. Following three missed cuts from 2016-18, he\u2019s finished top 10 in six of the last seven.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Rory McIlroy’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

36-40<\/p>\n

Northern Ireland<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Known as a talented ball-striker with an extremely high floor, it perhaps shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise that Henley\u2019s two most recent wins each occurred in come-from-behind fashion. At last year\u2019s Arnold Palmer Invitational, his eagle chip on the par-5 16th appeared to be racing past its intended target when it hit the stick and dropped into the bottom of the cup, giving him the lead. And at last month\u2019s Charles Schwab Challenge, he was a mere afterthought on the leaderboard before birdies on his last three holes and another in the playoff to win. If he\u2019s to triumph at a major, it might take a similar formula.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

T3 (’26 Masters)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Russell Henley’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

36-40<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They call it the \u201cnappy factor\u201d \u2013 a phenomenon in which new fathers almost instantly find professional golf success. Whether it\u2019s the stress alleviated after a child is born or the #perspective gained in these situations \u2013 a notion which has essentially become a cliche \u2013 there\u2019s a lengthy list of players taking a few days off from changing diapers and overnight feedings to win a tournament, and Hatton recently added his name to that list. Just weeks after he and his wife, Emily, welcomed a baby girl, he won the LIV Golf event in Spain \u2013 his second win in three seasons on that circuit.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

T3 (’26 Masters)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Tyrrell Hatton’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

To his credit, Burns hasn\u2019t directed any blame or made excuses, but the USGA \u2013 or maybe the Golf Gods \u2013 might owe him one at the U.S. Open. His back nine last year at Oakmont was riddled with bad breaks, none worse than when his tee shot on the 15th hole found what can only be described as a puddle in the fairway. He was denied relief from two separate rules officials. Playing solid golf once again this year, Burns could be the type of player \u2013 not quite a favorite, not quite a long shot \u2013 who can win this week.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

2 (’24 Masters)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Sam Burns’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

25-29<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The following was written before the Masters \u2026 and again before the PGA Championship \u2026 and it\u2019s still relevant entering this one: Reed has, quite literally, nothing else to play for besides the majors right now. His one-year suspension for competing on LIV Golf won\u2019t end until the PGA Tour season is over, and he\u2019s already accrued enough points on the DP World Tour that it appears he\u2019s abandoned it, having failed to play a single event since early March. So far, it\u2019s been a nice luxury to have, as that singular focus has allowed him to finish top 12 in each of the first two majors.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

1 win (’18 Masters)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Patrick Reed’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

30-35<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

DP World Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The U.S. Open can often turn into a slogging, plodding affair, where time seemingly stands still as players scrutinize every detail of each specific scenario. To be fair, this sounds like a regular Thursday morning on the PGA Tour for Cantlay, though it\u2019s less his pace than his calculative processes, which make him such a unique fit for this tournament. To date, that\u2019s manifested itself in a T3 result two years ago and five other top 25s, but his performance recently has been much better than at first blush, as he\u2019s gained with his irons \u2013 and often gained a lot \u2013 in six straight starts and 10 of his last 12.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

T3 (’24 U.S. Open, ’19 PGA)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Patrick Cantlay’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

30-35<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The season-long stats show Lowry has been solid in every individual metric other than around the green, while the ol\u2019 eye test \u2013 and our collective memories \u2013 remind us that he owns some of the best hands from tricky lies. If that\u2019s not enough, his numbers from the RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto last week showed improvement in this area, which just might be the place that separates contenders from pretenders at Shinnecock, where plenty of greens will be missed, and there\u2019s an onus on getting up and down to save par.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

1 win (’19 Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Shane Lowry’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Tiger Woods often warmed up with a nine-window routine, trying to hit shots that would fit into squares like a strike zone or \u201cThe Brady Bunch\u201d credit sequence. From high cuts to low draws and everything in between, the current player who has perhaps taken the \u201call the shots\u201d torch from Tiger is his buddy JT, who long ago validated himself as one of the game\u2019s top ball-strikers. Recently, that iron play has been good but not great, yet it\u2019s still resulted in five straight top-25 finishes. Even just a minor improvement this week could have him stalking a third career major.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Justin Thomas’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

30-35<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the entire list of PGA Tour players who rank top 20 in both around-the-green play and putting: Scottie Scheffler, Eric Cole and McNealy. The latter is a very intriguing semi-darkhorse to contend this week. So far this season, there\u2019s been a lot of, well, what he\u2019s done pretty frequently over the last several years, which is showing a very high floor without often reaching the ceiling. While his best result is a mere 10th, he owns nine top 25s and has been 37th or better in 13 of 14 starts.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Maverick McNealy’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

30-35<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Full disclosure: Just a month ago, the 2022 Open Championship winner wouldn\u2019t have sniffed this list, as he entered the PGA Championship with six consecutive missed cuts at the majors. A lot of things happened both before and during that event, though; namely, he started working with swing coach Claude Harmon, and he recovered his vaunted short game, all of which led to a T7 result at Aronimink. It\u2019s a small sample size, and Smith could revert to the player who struggled for the last two years. However, at a venue where wedge play and par-saving putts from 5-10 feet should be paramount, Smith could easily equal last month\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

1 win (’22 Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Cameron Smith’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It probably shouldn\u2019t make sense that a player who hasn\u2019t posted a top-10 result since mid-February should appear on a list of potential contenders for the game\u2019s most grueling major championship, but plenty about Matsuyama doesn\u2019t make sense. He often zigs when he should zag and zags when he should zig, playing well when we least expect it and fairing poorly when we do. All of that said, his iron play, short game and putting have largely been very strong during this recent drought, and his U.S. Open record is impressive, with four top 10s and eight top 25s in 13 career appearances.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

1 win (’21 Masters)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Hideki Matsuyama’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

On the scale of improbability, last year\u2019s final-round comeback at Oakmont ranks below the New York Knicks\u2019 turnaround in Game 4 of this year\u2019s NBA Finals, but it\u2019s at least in the conversation. Spaun started the day one shot off the lead, then proceeded to bogey five of his first six holes before a weather delay of more than 90 minutes. When play continued, he posted a back-nine 32, punctuated by a 64-foot, 5-inch birdie putt on the final hole. It\u2019s time to prove he\u2019s more Retief Goosen or Lee Janzen (two-time U.S. Open winners) than Michael Campbell or Steve Jones (one-time winners largely forgotten over time).<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

1 win (’25 U.S. Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent J.J. Spaun’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

30-35<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Riddle me this, golf fans: Over the last several years, the younger Fitzpatrick brother earned a reputation as an up-and-comer on the DP World Tour circuit, but hadn\u2019t won until his final start there at the Indian Open. A few weeks later, he teamed with older bro Matt to win the Zurich Classic and claim his PGA Tour card, and ever since he\u2019s somehow gotten \u2026 even better? It defies logic that Alex would join the world\u2019s toughest tour and improve his results, but that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happened, with three top-10 finishes in five starts since claiming membership.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

T17 (’23 Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Alex Fitzpatrick’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

He might not be recognized on the same level as other world-class players, but Gotterup has won more often and more frequently than many of them, with two wins this year and four in just over the last 24 months. That suggests he has a sporadically high ceiling, but it\u2019s simply not the case. Entering this week, the New Jersey native ranks ninth on the PGA Tour in total strokes gained this season, which remains the greatest barometer of performance. In an age where parity exists beyond the top two players, it\u2019s difficult to find proven closers, but Gotterup has already earned that reputation.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

3 (’25 Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Chris Gotterup’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

25-29<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Rose has exuded confidence since becoming the first PGA Tour player to invest in the new McLaren irons, even if the larger public had concerns. Those subsided with a T10 at the PGA Championship and T12 at the Memorial Tournament, each of which featured iron play that was more than a stroke better per round than the field average. The 2013 U.S. Open winner owns five career top 10s at this event, but only two since that victory and \u2013 even more surprisingly \u2013 five missed cuts in his last six appearances.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

1 win (’13 U.S. Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Justin Rose’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sometimes a missed cut on the eve of a major championship can be a blessing in disguise. Before failing to reach the weekend at the RBC Canadian Open, Noren was enjoying a sustained run of impressive play that included 11 straight made cuts. Though he posted just a pair of top 10s during that span, he did finish 32nd or better in all but one of those events, suggesting a potential floor which is much higher than what he showed north of the border this past week, when a second-round 75 \u2013 which tied for his worst single-round score of the season \u2013 sealed his fate.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

T6 (’17 Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Alex Noren’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

One year ago, on Saturday evening with a date in the final U.S. Open pairing set for the next day, Scott talked about how all the work he\u2019s put into his game well into his mid-40s is single-mindedly geared toward winning another major championship. It didn\u2019t happen at Oakmont, as a final-round 79 left him outside the top 10, but the Aussie\u2019s ball-striking numbers are once again enviable entering this week, and he understands that window is closing more with each passing major. Hard to believe, but the soon-to-be 46-year-old would be the oldest U.S. Open champion ever.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

1 win (’13 Masters)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Adam Scott’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It can be argued that Rai won last month\u2019s PGA Championship in much the same way others have won U.S. Open titles in the past \u2013 by limiting his mistakes and making a few clutch putts when it mattered the most. That seems like a nice prerequisite for contending this week, and there\u2019s a fair comparison to be made between one of the PGA Tour\u2019s shortest hitters this season and Corey Pavin, the 1995 champion at Shinnecock who was similarly short off the tee but a dogged competitor with a full arsenal of shots throughout the entire bag.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

1 win (’26 PGA)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Aaron Rai’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

We collectively tend to become overexuberant at the prospect of the Next Big Thing in golf, whether that\u2019s been Nick Dunlap, Gordon Sargent or Luke Clanton over the last few years. Each of those young players has seen his share of professional struggles, which should have us at least cautiously optimistic about Koivun, but memories are short, and we largely remain long on optimism. Playing his last event before turning pro, the world\u2019s No. 1-ranked amateur is the greatest putting phenom since some kid named Spieth some 15 years ago. It\u2019ll be fun to watch Koivun in this arena against the world\u2019s best.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

Cut (’25 U.S. Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Jackson Koivun’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

20-24<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

Amateur<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There\u2019s perhaps never been a better description of a professional golfer\u2019s game than Spieth comparing his play to Whac-A-Mole before the PGA Championship \u2013 essentially explaining how every time he fixes one aspect of it, a different issue pops up. While it appears that he\u2019s not quite where he needs to be, Spieth was recently just one of 15 players on the PGA Tour with a positive strokes gained number in all four major categories, which is a paean to his ability to quickly whack whatever isn\u2019t working at a given moment.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Jordan Spieth’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

30-35<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Alright, so we\u2019re not exactly in Sox\/Pats territory this week, but usually when Bradley returns to anywhere in the Northeast, good things happen \u2013 from a pair of wins in Connecticut to another just outside Philadelphia. The erstwhile U.S. Ryder Cup captain has admitted to a post-defeat hangover for the first few months of this season, but he\u2019s started playing better golf recently. While his combo of long and straight off the tee works on every course in the world, it should be especially beneficial at Shinnecock, even with wider fairways than we\u2019ve seen in past editions of this event here.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

1 win (’11 PGA)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Keegan Bradley’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

36-40<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Beware the injured golfer? Koepka certainly hopes so. Just a couple of strokes off the pace at the midway point of last week\u2019s RBC Canadian Open, the 2018 U.S. Open champion at Shinnecock developed a hand injury before the third round. \u201cI don\u2019t know what it is,\u201d he said. “I\u2019m struggling to grip the club with my ring finger and pinkie finger, so can\u2019t grip it. \u2026 Hopefully we\u2019ll figure it out.\u201d He played through the pain Saturday, but withdrew before Sunday\u2019s round, leaving his prospects for another successful trip to this venue very much in doubt.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Brooks Koepka’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

36-40<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have to ask this PGA Tour veteran what playing in the U.S. Open means to him \u2014 we only need to know the backstory of his qualification. As an eight-time winner who\u2019s played this major a dozen times already, he easily could\u2019ve focused on the rest of his schedule. Instead, he went to Springfield, Ohio, shot 68-65 and got into the field \u2013 then contended for the title in Canada. Still just two years removed from a runner-up at The Open and a top 10 at the PGA Championship, Horschel could be trending in the right direction at the perfect time.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Major\u00a0finish<\/p>\n

T2 (’24 Open)<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Billy Horschel’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

36-40<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

PGA Tour<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Look, there are well-known, elite talents who didn\u2019t make this top-30 list, but we all know the leaderboard isn\u2019t going to mirror the OWGR, so let\u2019s have a little fun and take some chances. While Dossey hasn\u2019t been the Korn Ferry Tour\u2019s best player this season, he has been one of the more consistent, as his five top 10s rank him second on the points list among non-winners. The 28-year-old Texas native is also inside the top 25 in off-the-tee, approach and putting statistics, making him a long shot to watch out for this week.<\/p>\n

Performance last 5 tournaments<\/p>\n

Best Previous Performance<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained<\/p>\n

The bars below represent Cooper Dossey’s percent rank when compared to all 2026 PGA Championship competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

25-29<\/p>\n

United States<\/p>\n

Korn Ferry Tour<\/p>\n


\n\"Connections:\"Connections:<\/p>\n

Jun 17, 2026<\/p>\n

Connections: Sports Edition<\/p>\n

Spot the pattern. Connect the terms<\/p>\n

Find the hidden link between sports terms<\/p>\n

Play today’s puzzle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"June 17, 2026 6:00 am EDT Updated The second edition of the U.S. Open was held at Shinnecock…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":709391,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,427,3,21,19,22,20,25,24],"class_list":["post-709390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-states","tag-america","tag-golf","tag-news","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=709390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709390\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/709391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=709390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=709390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=709390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}