The U.S. Open.

How it began

The USGA was formed in New York on 22 December 1894, and Shinnecock Hills, the 2026 venue, was one of its five founding clubs, according to History.com. The first U.S. Open was played at Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island and won by Horace Rawlins (NBC Sports list). Wikipedia dates it to 4 October 1895 and describes Rawlins as a 21-year-old Englishman who beat a field of ten professionals and one amateur.

AmateurGolf.com credits one early result with opening a new era in American golf. On 20 September 1913 Francis Ouimet, a 20-year-old amateur and former caddie, won at The Country Club in Brookline, beating Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in an 18-hole playoff played in driving rain.

Records

Willie Anderson, Bob Jones and Ben Hogan have four U.S. Open titles each in the NBC Sports list of champions.

How the 2026 championship worked

The Golf News Net set out the 2026 format before play began:

• Field: 156 professionals and amateurs, made up of 25 exemption categories plus players who came through USGA final qualifying.
• Draw: 72 holes, with groups of three going out in morning and afternoon waves for the first two rounds.
• Cut: the top 60 and ties after 36 holes. Amateurs count toward the 60.
• Playoff: a two-hole aggregate playoff, then sudden death hole by hole if players are still level. For 2026 the playoff holes were the 17th and 18th at Shinnecock.

The playoff format has changed. A 2015 USGA championship document describes an 18-hole playoff, which the two-hole aggregate has since replaced.

Champions, 2023 to 2026

2025: Spaun at Oakmont

The 125th U.S. Open finished on 15 June 2025. J.J. Spaun was the only player under par for the week. Search summaries of USGA and Golf News Net reports say he opened with the only bogey-free round of the championship, a 66, and began the final round one shot back. He closed with a 72 that ended with a long birdie putt on the 72nd hole. Most reports put that putt at 64 feet; one USGA article says 65 feet.

2026: Clark at Shinnecock Hills

The 126th U.S. Open ended on 21 June 2026. Wyndham Clark led from the first round to the last and took a six-shot lead into Sunday. He needed most of it. A 3-over 73 left him at 4 under, one ahead of Sam Burns, and ESPN reported that he sealed it with a two-putt par from about 52 feet on the final green.

It was Clark's second U.S. Open and his second major, after 2023. The USGA's report called that his second U.S. Open in three years, while Golf Channel said four years (both from search summaries); the wins came in 2023 and 2026. A search summary of the same USGA report says his 276 matched Retief Goosen's 72-hole record at Shinnecock from 2004. We could not open that report to confirm it.

Scottie Scheffler finished four shots back. ESPN noted that the U.S. Open is the major he still needs for a career Grand Slam.

For 2026 TV coverage, see watching golf. The USGA also runs the U.S. Amateur, covered in amateur golf.