Thousands of golfers will attempt to qualify for the championship through a two-stage process, with a final field of 156 players advancing to Shinnecock, where a U.S. Open champion will be crowned. Non-exempt players will compete in one of 110 18-hole local qualifiers (108 in the United States and one each in Canada and Mexico) between April 20 and May 18.
Nearly 1,000 players will then compete in 36-hole final qualifying, scheduled at 13 sites worldwide. Final qualifying is set to be contested in England (May 18), Japan (May 25) and Canada (June 8) as well as 10 U.S. sites, one on May 18 in Dallas, Texas, and nine on June 8, which also is known throughout the industry as “Golf’s Longest Day.”
There are 25 categories for full exemptions into the U.S. Open, including the top 5 players in the 2026 FedExCup standings as of May 18, who are not otherwise exempt. Players can also gain access by being among the top 60 point leaders (and ties) in the Official World Golf Ranking as of May 18 and those who move into a second OWGR top 60 on June 15. The top player in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai as of May 18 who is not otherwise exempt also will gain entry into the field.
Entry applications, along with a list of qualifying sites, can be accessed at champs.usga.org, and entries will be accepted through Wednesday, April 8, at 5 p.m. EDT. To be eligible for 2026 U.S. Open qualifying, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 0.4, or be a professional.
Allied Golf Associations (AGAs) in the United States, as well as the DP World Tour, Japan Golf Association, Golf Canada and Mexican Golf Federation, are working with the USGA to provide thousands of entrants from all backgrounds with the opportunity to compete for a spot in the year’s third major championship. This collaboration with AGAs allows for an open qualifying process in all five USGA Open Championships.
Since 2004, an average of 77.9 players (virtually half) in the U.S. Open field have advanced through one or both stages of qualifying. At the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, 70 players in the 156-player field earned their spot through qualifying. Of those 70 players, 15 made the cut, including four finishing in the top 20 overall. Carlos Ortiz, of Mexico, finished in a tie for fourth and is now exempt into this year’s championship.
Entry applications for four other USGA Open Championships are also now available. The 81st U.S. Women’s Open Championship Presented by Ally will be played June 4-7 at The Riviera Country Club, in Pacific Palisades, Calif. The 46th U.S. Senior Open Championship will be contested July 2-5 at Scioto Country Club, in Columbus, Ohio., and the 8th U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship will be held Aug. 20-23, at Barton Hills Country Club, in Ann Arbor, Mich. The 5th U.S. Adaptive Open will be held from July 6-8 at Woodmont Country Club’s South Course, in Rockville, Md.
Past U.S. Opens contested at Shinnecock Hills include the second U.S. Open in 1896, when James Foulis outlasted defending champion Horace Rawlins by three strokes, and the 100th U.S. Open in 1995, won by Corey Pavin over Greg Norman by two strokes.
Shinnecock Hills also hosted the U.S. Open in 1986, when Raymond Floyd broke away from Chip Beck and Lanny Wadkins to win by two strokes, and in 2004, when Retief Goosen captured his second U.S. Open, defeating Phil Mickelson by two. Brooks Koepka successfully defended his U.S. Open title in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills, after winning at Erin Hills a year earlier.