2026 US Open Qualifiers Decided After Conclusion Of Golf’s Longest Day

BusinessSportsMoney2026 US Open Qualifiers Decided After Conclusion Of Golf’s Longest DayByZach Schenfisch,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Zach is a writer who covers pro golf and golf travel.for Break80Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 04:53pm EDTSOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: A general view of the U.S. Open Championship Trophy on the golf course at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on September 15, 2025 in Southampton, New York. The 126th U.S. Open will be played on the course in 2026. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)Getty ImagesEvery year, golfers across the world aim to realize a dream: play in the U.S. Open, golf’s most democratic major tournament. Those golfers must first survive U.S. Open Qualifiers, the entry pathway for players who are not already exempt into the U.S. Open. Known colloquially as golf’s longest day, players must compete over a final two-round 36-hole test in one day. Conducted across ten different sites, only a handful of spots are up for grabs at each location. Here’s how golf’s longest day in 2026 shook out. The Road to Shinnecock Hills 715 total players competed across the ten final qualifying sites for 43 total spots in the 2026 U.S. Open, scheduled to be held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, NY June 18-21, 2026. Amateurs to Korn Ferry Tour players all the way to prior PGA Tour winners were all competing for the same 43 spots, making this mix of competitors extremely unique.HighlightsA total of 12 amateurs earned spots into the 2026 U.S. Open, while ten current Korn Ferry Tour players also made it through. The remaining 21 spots were grabbed by PGA Tour pros. One of the most notable qualifiers was Miles Russell, the 17-year old phenom from Jacksonville Beach, Florida. For Russell, the youngest player to make a cut on the Korn Ferry Tour, this will be his first U.S. Open appearance. Russell notably employed the services of Charlie Woods, son of Tiger Woods, as his caddie for the...