Golf’s Longest Day has officially come and gone, and with it, the final field for one of the sport’s most prestigious championships is nearly set.
The U.S. Open has long been known as golf’s most accessible major. It gives both amateurs and professionals the opportunity to earn their way into the tournament through qualifying. Earning one of those coveted spots, however, is rarely easy. Even some of golf’s biggest names find themselves on the outside looking in.
This year, 715 players competed across ten final qualifying sites in pursuit of just 43 available spots at Shinnecock Hills. The competition created another emotional chapter in U.S. Open qualifying history.
Big Names Who Qualified for the U.S. Open
With ten final qualifying sites, here’s who secured their spot at the 2026 U.S. Open, as well as the alternates, according to Golf.
Century Country Club & Golf Club of Purchase
Qualifiers: Kevin Roy, Max Greyserman, Benjamin James, James Nicholas
Alternates: Matt Jones, Andrew Svoboda
Gaston Country Club
Qualifiers: Carl Yuan, Jackson Ormond (a), Brandon Wu, Cole Hammer, Jackson Van Paris
Alternates: Harry Higgs, Cristobal Del Solar
Springfield Country Club (Springfield, OH)
Qualifiers: Neal Shipley, Zac Blair, Billy Horschel, Dylan Wu, Nick Hardy
Alternates: Brandt Snedeker, Maxwell Moldovan
Lakes Golf & Country Club (Westerville, OH)
Qualifiers: Davis Thompson, Arni Sveinsson (a), J.B. Holmes
Alternates: Sam Udovich (a), Braxton Kuntz
Lambton Golf and Country Club (Canada)
Qualifiers: Emiliano Grillo, Alejandro Tosti, Marcelo Rozo, John Parry, Max McGreevy, William Mouw
Alternates: Matt Wallace, Adam Svensson
Woodmont Country Club (Rockville, MD)
Qualifiers: Jackson Suber, Ben Kohles, Logan Reilly (a), Jake Sollon
Alternates: Bryan Lee (a), Blades Brown
BallonIsles Country Club (Palm Beach Gardens, FL).
Qualifiers: Ben Silverman, Giuseppe Puebla (a), Miles Russell (a), Ryder Cowan (a)
Alternates: Tyler Collet, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Hawks Ridge Golf Club (Ball Ground, GA)
Qualifiers: Chris Kirk, Jake Peacock, Keith Mitchell, Chase Kyes (a), Robbie Higgins
Alternates: Jack Schoenberger (a), Alexander Herrmann
Emerald Valley Golf Club (Creswell, OR).
Qualifiers: Greyson Leach, Andrew Putnam
Alternates: Spencer Tibbits, TingWei Chang (a)
Del Paso Country Club (Sacramento, CA)
Qualifiers: Taylor Montgomery, Eric Lee (a), Matthew Robles (a), Marek Fleming (a)
Alternates: Kihei Akina (a), Gabriel Salvanera
Big Names Who Didn’t Quite Make It
Among the most notable misses was Tony Finau, who failed to qualify for the U.S. Open for the first time since 2017. Max Homa also came up short, narrowly missing qualification for the second consecutive year.
Several other recognizable names were unable to secure spots, including Matt Kuchar and Aldrich Potgieter. Austin Smotherman was unable to complete his round and did not qualify.
One of the day’s closest calls belonged to Blades Brown. He narrowly missed earning a place in the field but was able to secure alternate status. This leaves the door slightly open if withdrawals occur before the championship begins.
As Golf’s Longest Day once again proved, qualifying for the U.S. Open remains one of the toughest tests in the sport. During which, household names, rising stars, and amateurs battle through the same 36-hole grind for a chance to compete on one of golf’s biggest stages.
U.S. Open Qualifying: Who Made It Through Golf’s Longest Day