Shinnecock Hills is all set to host the third major of the season. While it features one of the most generous fairways in professional golf, the Atlantic winds and Flynn Triangles are expected to pose the biggest challenge for players at the U.S. Open 2026. Every golfer in the field will have their own way of tackling this demanding test, but some are undoubtedly better equipped than others.

These are the professionals with a proven track record of staying composed and delivering their best when the stakes are at their highest.

Scottie Scheffler

The World No. 1 has had a consistent 2026 so far. He has made the cut in 12 starts he has had so far. Scheffler started the season with a four-stroke win at the American Express 2026. While he has not won any event since then, he has had three runner-up finishes, including one at the 2026 Masters, where he carded rounds of 70-74-65-68 for an 11-under 277. At the second major of the season, he derailed in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, which resulted in a tie for 14th position on the leaderboard.

Scottie Scheffler enters the US Open 2026 aiming to make history. The 20-time PGA Tour winner has already bagged the other three majors. If he can win this, he will become the 7th golfer in history, after Rory McIlroy, to complete a career Grand Slam. What’s more, Scheffler’s 30th birthday is on June 21, which is also the final day of the event.

He is the most complete player in the field. He is best in greens in regulation and elite off the tee and on approach. He’s also a proven U.S. Open performer with two top-3 finishes and a T7 last year.

Rory McIlroy

The next on the list is Rory McIlroy, who successfully defended his Masters title this year to become only the fourth professional to do so after Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. He performed exceptionally well at the PGA Championship, too, where he finished T7.

The Northern Irishman has previously won the U.S. Open in 2011 at Congressional. It was a historic win in which he set multiple records, including the lowest 54- and 72-hole stroke totals in tournament history at 199 and 268, respectively. In fact, he once reached 17-under in his final round, the most under par ever reached at any point in the event

At the age of 22, he became the youngest US Open winner since Bobby Jones in 1923, until Jordan Spieth beat that record at the age of 21 in 2015. However, McIlroy has not won it since then. With a renewed focus on majors, the 30-time PGA Tour winner would likely aim to win the event after 14 years.

Cameron Young

Cameron Young turned professional in 2019 but didn’t win a PGA Tour title until the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Since then, he has won two more, and both came this year. He first won the flagship PGA Tour event, the Players Championship, and then the inaugural Cadillac Championship. Besides that, he has made the cut in all 12 starts he has had so far. This propelled him to a career-best World No. 3.

This Cameron Young 2.0 version is one of the top professionals in the field at the US Open 2026 because of improved play. His driving average dropped by about 5 yards this season, but his driving accuracy has jumped to over 61% so far. It is close to a 10% increase compared to the 2025 season. Since Shinnecock Hills rewards fairway control and precision, his improved accuracy makes him a top-tier threat.

Tommy Fleetwood

Besides the missed cut at the PGA Championship 2026, Tommy Fleetwood has had a consistent season so far. He started it with a T4 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Then he followed it with a T7 at the Genesis Invitational. Fleetwood faced some issues in the middle, but is entering the US Open 2026 with a T4 at the Memorial Tournament and a T11 at the RBC Canadian Open.

The Englishman ranks fifth on Tour in Strokes Gained: Around the Green. Given Shinnecock’s challenging green complexes and collection areas, short-game prowess could be a major asset this week.

Fleetwood had what many call his best season last year. He made the cut in 18 of his 19 starts on the PGA Tour and made $18,496,238 in official earnings. The only missed cut came at the US Open, which he would want to change this year.

Jon Rahm

If there’s any LIV golfer who can likely win the US Open 2026, it is Jon Rahm. Bryson DeChambeau has won it twice in the past, but his performances in majors this year are not exactly what they used to be.

Rahm’s 2026 season is nothing short of exceptional, only that it is on LIV Golf and not the PGA Tour. So far, he has won two events and finished runner-up in four of the eight LIV Golf events. In fact, he ranks 1st in the breakaway league’s rankings. As far as the majors go, he has performed significantly better than other LIV golfers. He started with a T38 at the Masters and followed it with a 6-under 274 finish at the PGA Championship to claim the runner-up position on the leaderboard.

The Spaniard has a good short game, strong ball striking capabilities, and a proven track record. His 2026 LIV Golf dominance and previous major finishes hint at a good performance by him at Shinnecock Hills.

While every player in the field will face the same demanding test at Shinnecock Hills, these five arrive with the form, experience, and skill sets that make them stand out from the rest.