It’s U.S. Open week and the best golfers in the world are getting ready for the annual toughest test in golf. Shinnecock Hills is the host this year for the third major championship of the season, and fans and pundits are expecting a stiff challenge for the best of the best.
American J.J. Spaun is set to defend his title after he shocked the golf world last year at Oakmont, winning his first major title with an epic putt on the 72nd hole.
Ahead of his title defense at Shinnecock, Spaun had to part ways with his beloved trophy on Monday when he arrived for U.S. Open week. He gave it one last parting kiss before heading off to start preparing for his repeat bid.
One last kiss
pic.twitter.com/tvCCyXfmKD
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 15, 2026
Spaun was the only player to finish the tournament under par during a rainy week at Oakmont last year. His final score of 1-under-par was enough to beat Robert MacIntyre by two strokes.
Shinnecock is expected to present a similar challenge, even if the weather won’t be quite as bad up in Long Island this week. Some pundits have even projected a winning score over par, which hasn’t been too uncommon in past U.S. Opens. Regardless, it appears course management and scrapping out some ugly pars will be paramount in order to contend this week, which Spaun excelled at during his title run last year.
The last time the U.S. Open was held at Shinnecock Hills was all the way back in 2018. Brooks Koepka won the title that week with a score of 1-over-par, beating Englishman Tommy Fleetwood by one stroke. With the course already having produced an over-par winner in the past, it would be no surprise to see the best players in the world struggle again this year.
The biggest storyline coming into the week surrounds Scottie Scheffler, who is gunning for the Career Grand Slam this week. Scheffler already has two Masters titles, along with a win each at the PGA Championship and The Open Championship. Adding the U.S. Open to his collection would put him in very rare air.
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