Preview: US Open 2026 - predictions, course guide, preview, will Scottie Scheffler join Rory McIlroy in completing career Grand Slam?

The third golf major of the year takes place this week as stars of the PGA Tour and LIV golf descend on Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for the US Open.

World number one Scottie Scheffler takes centre stage as he makes his first attempt to win the Career Grand Slam.

US Open 2026 preview

Scheffler may be looking to achieve yet another monumental feat in the world of golf this week, but the 29-year-old is enduring a frustrating period by his own ridiculously-high standards.

While his 12th-placed finish at the Memorial Tournament earlier this month made it 11 successive finishes inside the top 24, Scheffler has not lifted a trophy since The American Express in January.

However, there have been three runners-up, including at The Masters, and six top-fives during that period, and a player who has finished inside the top seven in four of his five US Open starts will have total belief that he can join Rory McIlroy in completing the Career Grand Slam.

Since defending his Augusta crown in April, McIlroy has played just three times, his best result being seventh position at the US PGA Championship. He ended a three-week absence with 12th alongside Scheffler at the Memorial Tournament.

Matthew Fitzpatrick, a former US Open champion, warmed up for this event with second at last week's Canadian Open, emphasising that he remains a player in form after his success at the RBC Heritage in April.

J.J. Spaun is the defending champion from 12 months ago, the American lifting his first major through a miraculous run of holing 137 feet worth of putts on his final seven holes. After a quiet period, he has regained some form in recent weeks, recording four top-14 finishes in five events.

Of those with LIV Golf, Tyrrell Hatton won the last event, which was played at Valderrama in Spain, but Jon Rahm remains the player to beat having won twice and recorded eight top-five finishes in 2026.

Course Guide

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will be hosting its sixth US Open, and first since the 2018 event which was won by Brooks Koepka.

He won with a score of +1 on that occasion. Across the last five US Opens played since 1986, the lowest winning score was Retief Goosen's -4 in 2004.

As a result, tournament organisers say that lessons have been learned from past competitions at the New-York-based course, which is exposed to the elements and often windswept. For the first round, winds of 24mph are being forecast, but they do reduce as the week progresses.

Green speeds will be slower than normal on what is traditionally a firm course, and measures are being put in place to try to ensure that the course does not dry out and make it nigh-on impossible to shoot a good score.

There are six notable holes at Shinnecock. The 485-yard ninth, which is dubbed 'Ben Nevis', speaks for itself, with the hole playing uphill and into a prevailing wind.

The short Par-three 11th possesses an elevated green with bunkers surrounding it, generally causing havoc in the wind, while the 16th - a Par Five of over 600 yards - is aptly called 'Shinnecock' and forces players to choose whether the reward is worth the risk.

Like the ninth, the 18th hole - generally in the 480-yard ballpark - towards the clubhouse is uphill and will test the distance control of the world's elite.

Prediction

We say: Scottie Scheffler

If the greens play softer than usual around here, that is only going to play into the favour of players most accurate off the tee, and it may leave Scheffler difficult to stop.

The pressure which comes with trying to achieve a Career Grand Slam may come into play, but Scheffler remains with ,by far and away, the most world ranking points in 2026 even without a major or signature event trophy on his record. That emphasises how consistently well he has played this year.

Rahm has the tools to push him close. The likes of Tommy Fleetwood, the runner-up in 2018, and a resurgent Patrick Reed, a top-five finisher from eight years ago, will also fancy their chances.

Nevertheless, Scheffler gets our vote. Like every event that he enters, there is the potential for him to dominate and prevail by several shots.