The 2026 U.S. Open Qualifiers Finals are over, with a grueling test for everyone who participated. Golfers, both pros and amateurs, played 36 holes on Monday to confirm the final field of the major at Shinnecock Hills. Here are the top three names who will be heading into the third major of the year next week.

Neal Shipley

The headlines on the U.S. Open X account read that Neal Shipley was at Oakmont last year as a fan. This year, he will be on the field as a player. And he earned the right to be a part of the major more than anyone else playing in the U.S. Open Qualifier at the Springfield Country Club. Well, maybe not more than Zac Blair since they were tied in first place. But you get my point.

The 25-year-old confessed that he has had a horrid season so far. He has made only 3 cuts in 13 appearances. That’s an average of 23% cuts made. For comparison, Tiger Woods has a better wins/cuts average of 24.18%. As astonishing as the 15-time major champion’s win rate is, Shipley’s poor form is just as alarming. And he must have been on his toes going to the Ohio-based course, trying to earn a place at Shinnecock Hills next week.

But Shipley put in an excellent show to ward off any threat. Playing 36 holes on Monday, he shot an 8-under par to tie alongside Blair at the top of the leaderboard. With five qualifying spots to play for, he had done enough to make the field for the 2026 U.S. Open. Now he has a week to prepare before he makes his second appearance in the major after finishing at T26 in 2024.

Billy Horschel

Billy Horschel didn’t have a confirmed spot in the 2026 U.S. Open field. He did have a spot in the field for the 2025 edition of the event. And his apparel partner, Ralph Lauren, had something special planned out for him to wear during the tournament. Unfortunately, he was sidelined from the U.S. Open last year due to an injury. This year, he was set to miss out on the trip to Shinnecock Hill due to a lack of qualification.

Fortunately, Horschel was able to overcome the obstacles at Springfield Country Club to earn a spot in the 2026 U.S. Open. Yes, he was competing with Neal Shipley to earn a place in the top-5. While Shipley and Zac Blair booked two places, Horschel finished one stroke below them, tied for third. That was enough for him to earn a ticket to Shinnecock Hill next week. Hopefully, this will give Ralph Lauren enough time to plan another amazing look for him. That is if they haven’t done so already.

Miles Russell

With Charlie Woods by his side as his caddie, Miles Russell was ready to qualify for his first major this year. But he had a lot of tough opponents to deal with at the BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, before he could earn a place among the four qualifying spots.

Russell was playing against a number of rivals who knew him a little too well. Luke Poulter, Giuseppe Puebla, and Luke Clanton were all on the field to challenge him for a shot at the spot. And Puebla also succeeded in his mission as he finished tied at first on the leaderboard. However, Russell was able to overcome everyone else and finish at T3. That was enough to earn him a spot in the Shinnecock Hills field. This will be the first major appearance of his career.

Giving a special shout-out to Ben Kohles, who has had five long days of golf. He won the 2026 BMW Charity Pro-Am on Sunday, celebrated with his daughters for a while before rushing out of South Carolina to fly to Maryland. After 72-holes of grueling test in the Korn Ferry Tour across four days and traveling over 600 miles, he played 36 holes on the longest day in golf and finished second to also qualify for the major next week.