Through two major championships this season, the winners have come from both ends of the spectrum. Rory McIlroy was on the shortlist at Augusta National as the reigning Masters champion was playing well -- despite not teeing off much -- and was bouncing into his Masters defense with a pep in his step. Aaron Rai was playing in the Myrtle Beach Classic the week before his PGA Championship breakthrough. Not even qualified for the PGA Tour's signature events, he ran away from the field Sunday in Philadelphia for his heartwarming major triumph.
A similar act unfolded in last year's U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, where a congested leaderboard, a weather delay and wet conditions saw J.J. Spaun surge past the likes of Viktor Hovland, Robert MacIntyre, Tyrrell Hatton, Sam Burns and Adam Scott, who is set to make his 100th straight major start this week.
While conventional wisdom would suggest there is no way that two straight surprise major winners could occur, U.S. Open wisdom suggests that another first-timer could absolutely bubble up once again this season.
McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and other favorites hope the odds do, in fact, favor them, while unheralded names that continue to play well under the radar aim to be in the center of the spotlight by week's end.
The 156-man field is massive with top professionals, amateurs and everyone in between competing. So, let's narrow it down to the top 26 for 2026 with the first round of the U.S. Open just a couple of days away.
2026 U.S. Open field, ranked
1. Scottie Scheffler (T2 in 2022): Some are sounding the alarm, but here's a simple fact: Scheffler is still the best player in the world. No matter the questions posed by the test offered from a given course, no one is better equipped to mark the correct bubbles. The world No. 1 leads the PGA Tour in most scoring categories and approaches his first attempt at the career grand slam with a well-rounded nature to his game. The iron play has lagged compared to recent years, but if that comes around, Scheffler would come around to the winner's circle on Sunday.
2. Rory McIlroy (Won 2011): McIlroy has been lights out in this championship since missing the cut here in 2018. Reinventing his physical game and taking a new mental approach to U.S. Opens, he has done everything but win another one in recent years. The driver has been more wayward than usual this season, but the wide-ish fairways at Shinnecock Hills should allow the six-time major champion to play the angles, the percentages and his way into this championship come crunch time.
3. Xander Schauffele (T3 in 2019): Higher than most will have him, but the U.S. Open results speak for themselves. The two-time major champion has never finished outside the top 15 in this championship, as his game is ripe for the test. Some may want more out of his current form, but the bones of the operation are sturdy, and he is one of just three players to finish inside the top 10 at both the Masters and PGA Championship.
4. Cameron Young (T4 in 2025): Excited to see how many people try to draw a line from his upbringing near Sleepy Hollow to his play at Shinnecock Hills. Young may be a New Yorker, but the ties just about stop there. Still, The Players Championship winner arrives with an abundance of quality in his game and with recent U.S. Open success in his back pocket, having finished T4 at Oakmont last year.
5. Jon Rahm (Won 2021): Got the competitive juices flowing at the PGA Championship, where he was the presence on the leaderboard late on Sunday before Rai surged. Finished runner-up at Valderrama in his final prep for this championship, where he finished inside the top 10 last season in his return to the tournament. Rahm is currently on pace for his best iron season since 2023.
6. Matt Fitzpatrick (Won 2022): The man with the most wins on the PGA Tour this season has been a relative non-factor in major championships despite a pair of top-20 finishes. Fitzpatrick's game has fallen off slightly since his most recent win at the Zurich Classic, but this is a guy who understands what U.S. Open golf is all about. His pitching and chipping have been sensational this season.
7. Russell Henley (T7 in 2024): The best value on the board, Henley's game can translate to success at Shinnecock Hills. He was the first-round leader in this championship back in 2018, and he has since taken his game to new heights, allowing him to consistently contend on this stage. He's accurate, precise, patient and confident following his win at Colonial. Oh yeah, he has three straight top-15 finishes in this championship.
8. Ludvig Åberg (T12 in 2024): Ranks third on the PGA Tour in terms of total strokes gained, but the wins have yet to follow the play. Åberg has been a factor in two of the biggest tournaments this season -- The Players and the PGA Championship -- but some Sunday struggles have some wondering about his closing capabilities. Patience should be preached for a talent such as his.
9. Tommy Fleetwood (2nd in 2018): Fleetwood had a putt on the 72nd hole in 2018 to post a 62, a score which ultimately was needed in order to catch Brooks Koepka. Instead, he fired a 63, settled for a runner-up result and has remained without a major championship since. The Englishman is beginning to play some better golf, and a near-miss at the Memorial allowed him to feel those Sunday jitters for the first time all year.
10. Patrick Reed (4th in 2018): To say that he is a lightly run horse would be an understatement. When he tees it up at the U.S. Open, Reed's three most recent tournaments will be the three major championships as he prepares himself for a long, European summer. He was in with a significant chance at the 2018 U.S. Open before a bogey on the devilish par-3 11th upended his chances in the final round. On a golf course that requires artistry, angles and short-game wizardry, Reed checks a lot of boxes.
11. Justin Rose (Won 2013): He's emerged from the caution flag with fresh tires and an engine that is capable of running down the world's best. Rose notched a top-10 finish at the PGA Championship following a short slump that many pointed to his new McLaren irons for causing. A nice run at Jack's Place put any concerns to rest about his equipment as the big-game hunter is officially back on the prowl.
12. Bryson DeChambeau (Won 2020, 2024): DeChambeau has two top-10 finishes in the U.S. Open in his career, and both have produced trophies. Expectations were sky high in his title defense last season before he missed the cut, as he comes into this year's tournament without much noise around his actual game. DeChambeau has missed three of his last four major cuts, but in between, he has performed well on LIV Golf. Will that translate to Shinnecock Hills? There's some skepticism.
13. Sam Burns (T7 in 2025): A member in the final group in the final round at Oakmont, Burns was undone by weather and, well, a puddle. He has continued to perform well on more difficult golf courses, as evidenced by his finishes at the Masters and the Memorial in recent months. If the American continues to strike his irons as he has of late, Burns can become the latest first-time major winner in the U.S. Open.
14. J.J. Spaun (Won 2025): Last time the U.S. Open was held at Shinnecock Hills, the reigning champion reigned supreme. So, why can't it happen again? Spaun is trending at the ideal time as the defending champion comes in after runs at Quail Hollow, Colonial and Muirfield Village. Whether he can summon the magic on the greens once again will tell the tale of his week.
15. Chris Gotterup (T23 in 2025): The two-time winner this season has two top-25 finishes in the first two majors. While Gotterup has yet to contend deep into Sunday, he has found himself on the outskirts, showing his game -- even when not at its best -- can stack up with the elites. His creativity and shot-making should be an asset on a golf course where wind is an ever-present factor.
16. Wyndham Clark (Won 2023): Heard some people calling him the hottest player in the world. Playing great, yes, but personally not quite there with the 2023 champion. Clark has tightened up his golf swing, narrowed his dispersion and filled himself with confidence (and a little grape along the way). A win at the Byron Nelson was followed by close calls at the Memorial and Canadian Open. Definitely running downhill into this one.
17. Collin Morikawa (T4 in 2021): A lot is going on in Morikawa's world as he just welcomed his first child amid a nagging back injury that has yet to reach 100%. On paper, his game is tailored for the U.S. Open as he is among the most accurate drivers and most precise iron players in the world. He has five straight top-25 finishes to show for it, but his seemingly less-than-fully healthy nature has him lower than he should be.
18. Tyrrell Hatton (T4 in 2025): Won in his last start out at Valderrama and nearly won his last U.S. Open at Oakmont before a poor finish down the stretch. A fiery competitor with an all-around game, Hatton has the makeup to survive grueling tests … or completely explode, which makes it half the fun.
19. Justin Thomas (T8 in 2020): Sat around and waited for a while in the clubhouse at the PGA Championship before Rai raced past him. He now has five straight top-25 finishes to his credit and a show of form on more difficult golf courses that had abandoned him in recent years. Thomas has missed three consecutive cuts at the U.S. Open, but if he is able to keep the ball in front of him, that should change.
20. Brooks Koepka (Won 2017, 2018): Was trending in the right direction before he was forced to pull out of the final round of the Canadian Open with a hand injury. The five-time major champion cited trouble gripping his club, casting doubt on his status at Shinnecock Hills. Koepka has since confirmed that he will play. Even amid struggles in majors the last few seasons, he has always been able to get up for the U.S. Open.
21. Patrick Cantlay (T3 in 2024): Easy to make fun of given the way he sneakily finishes tournaments, but make no mistake, Cantlay is starting to find his stride. The iron play has been lethal for the last couple of months, and for the first time in a long time, he is getting the ball in the hole on the greens. He was a quiet contender to win the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
22. Si Woo Kim (T13 in 2017): Absolutely abysmal in this championship as he is without a top 30 since his debut, but Kim comes in with a quality in his game unseen before. He already has four podium finishes this season and nabbed a top-10 result at the Memorial, where his iron play continued to shine. With Kim, it will always come down to his putting, which has proven to be an asset the last month.
23. Aaron Rai (T19 in 2024): If he can win at Aronimink, why can't he win at Shinnecock Hills? Rai followed up his PGA Championship victory with a top-20 finish at Jack's Place, where he did everything but putt well. His game isn't going to get him into too much trouble, which is more than half the battle in a U.S. Open.
24. Ryan Gerard (T50 in 2025): A slight tweak at address on the greens has proven to be a complete game changer for Gerard, who has found his form with the putter in his last two starts. The two outings produced two shares of the first-round lead, two tee times in the final grouping on Sunday and two chances at winning golf tournaments. He's an old-school golfer who will be fun to watch on this golf course.
25. Harris English (3rd in 2021): As underrated as they come, English has three top 10s in his last six U.S. Opens. The game has been close to breaking out for a few months now as he continues to rack up finishes on the third and fourth pages of the leaderboard. Once the approach play pops, his name will pop up on the first page. He's better the more difficult the conditions.
26. Hideki Matsuyama (T2 in 2017): Something about this golf course, this setup and how this championship is expected to play screams Matsuyama. Held back by his inability to get off the tee, the former Masters champion has not made an ounce of noise since his playoff loss at the WM Phoenix Open. Still, Matsuyama has the iron play and the hands to contend at this major, where he has two top-six finishes in the last four years.
