U.S. Open 2026: 40 interesting facts about the record-tying 20 amateurs competing at Shinnecock Hills
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Briefly on Monday, the 2026 U.S. Open counted 21 amateurs in the field when Jack Schoenberger and Bryan Lee were culled from the alternate list to round out the 156-player field at Shinnecock Hills. That would have been the modern-day record for most amateurs competing in a single U.S. Open, topping the 20 that played in the 2018 U.S. Open at … wait for it … Shinnecock Hills!
However, almost as soon as Schoenberger got wind he was playing in the championship, a 23-year-old who just graduated from the University of Kentucky decided he would play instead as a pro. He could make the switched because his spot in local and final qualifying was not contingent on him being an amateur.
So we’re down to 20, a contingent still large enough to make it surprising if the recent trend of having at least one amateur playing 72 holes at the U.S. Open came to an end this week. The current streak is 17 out of the last 18 years (2021 being the one exception) that at least one amateur has made the cut, Justin Hastings accomplishing the feat a year ago at Oakmont Country Club with a T-55.
Among those who have earned low amateur honors since 2007 are some recognizable names on the PGA Tour: Nick Taylor (2009), Russell Henley (2010), Patrick Cantlay (2011), Jordan Spieth (2012), Michael Kim (2013), Matt Fitzpatrick (2014), Jon Rahm (2016), Scottie Scheffler (2017), Viktor Hovland (2019) and Neal Shipley (2024). The best finish by an amateur in the last 50 years? It was Hovland’s T-12 at Pebble Beach in 2019.
To help readers determine who has the chops to go the distance on Long Island, we offer this primer on all the amateurs set to tee it up at Shinnecock, with the players appearing in alphabetical order. A little context: seven of the top 27 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking are playing this week.
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Cliff Hawkins
Augusta, Ga. Age: 18 How he got in the U.S. Open: 2025 U.S. Junior champ World Amateur Golf Ranking: 213 Fun Fact I: Played at Augusta National in the 2022 Drive, Chip and Putt national finals. Fun Fact II: Will be roommates this fall at the University of Georgia with U.S. Amateur champions Mason Howell.
Ryder Cowan
Cliff Hawkins
Edmond, Okla. Age: 21 How he got in the U.S. Open: Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 24 Fun Fact I: The rising University of Oklahoma senior has played in the last three U.S. Amateurs and is playing for the U.S. team in the Palmer Cup next month in Ireland. Fun Fact II: Holds the OU record for most rounds of par of better in a single season (30 in 2024-25).
Ethan Fang
Tracy Wilcox
Plano, Texas Age: 21 How he got in the U.S. Open: 2025 British Amateur champ World Amateur Golf Ranking: 8 Fun Fact I: Was the first American to win the British Amateur since 2007 with his victory last year at Royal St. George’s. He is missing his title defense, however, with the 2026 British Amateur being held this week at Hoylake). Fun Fact II: He has missed the cut in the two majors he’s played since winning the British Am title (2025 Open, 2026 Masters).
Marek Fleming
Cliff Hawkins
Houston, Texas Age: 20 How he got in the U.S. Open: Local & Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 407 Fun Fact I: Missed match play in a 20-for-17 playoff at the U.S. Amateur last August so avoided that drama by making a clutch par save on the 36th hole to spare being in a 6-for-1 playoff at his Final Qualifying.Fun Fact II: Has a 72.61 stroke average through two seasons at the University of South Carolina.
Vaughn Harber
Big Ten
Blacklick, Ohio Age: 20 How he got in the U.S. Open: Local & Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 818 Fun Fact I: The 6-foot-3 Ohio native suffered a left knee injury kicking a soccer ball during his senior year in high school before enrolling at Ohio State. Won first start after being sidelined eight months. Fun Fact II: Caddies part time at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, which host the U.S. Senior Open later this month.
Jackson Herrington
Hector Vivas
Dickson, Tenn. Age: 20 How he got in the U.S. Open: 2025 U.S. Amateur runner-up World Amateur Golf Ranking: 113 Fun Fact I: After playing a practice round with Bryson DeChambeau and having Rory McIlroy sing his praises at Augusta National, he finished tied for the lowest score among amateurs at the Masters in April (eight over, MC). Fun Fact II: The 6-foot lefty has been given a great nickname—Fridge—by his teammates at Tennessee thanks to his endless appetite.
Brandon Holtz
Christian Petersen
Bloomington, Ill. Age: 39 How he got in the U.S. Open: 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur champ World Amateur Golf Ranking: 2,083 Fun Fact I: He works as a real-estate agent, but Holtz played college basketball at Illinois State (2005-09) and then tried his hand at professional golf before getting his amateur status reinstated in 2024. Fun Fact II: Had never played in a USGA championship until qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Mid-Am and winning it.
Mason Howell
Jared C. Tilton
Thomasville, Ga. Age: 18 How he got in the U.S. Open: 2025 U.S. Amateur champ World Amateur Golf Ranking: 70 Fun Fact I: Will be just the second U.S. Am champ to play the event again the next year since 2016, with the rest having turned pro instead (Tyler Strafaci being the other). Fun Fact II: Outside of a 77-76 showing at the Masters, Howell hasn’t shot worse than a 73 in eight rounds in PGA Tour events in 2026, but hasn’t made a cut in any of them. Has gained 0.614 strokes off the tee in those starts and 0.520 strokes putting.
Jackson Koivun
Andrew Redington
Chapel Hill, N.C. Age: 21 How he got in the U.S. Open: 2025 Mark H. McCormack Medal winner World Amateur Golf Ranking: 1 Fun Fact I: The two-time college player of the year at Auburn is skipping his senior season and turning pro after finishing his week at Shinnecock, thanks to the PGA Tour card he earned through the PGA Tour accelerated program. He’s played in seven tour events in his career, with three top-five finishes. Fun Fact II: To prepare for Shinnecock, he has watched YouTube videos of rounds from 2018, “to see some lines and stuff.” It helped him focus his practice on where his misses are. From there he’s spent much of his time at Shinnecock “chipping and putting.”
Chase Kyes
Birmingham, Ala. Age: 20 How he got in the U.S. Open: Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 233 Fun Fact I: Went viral after advancing through Final Qualifying when he said on Golf Channel he wasn’t sure when the U.S. Open actually was.
Fun Fact II: Says having just finished his freshman year at Tennessee he doesn’t feel much pressure at Shinnecock because no one expects anything from him.
Bryan Lee
Tyler McFarland
Fairfax, Va. Age: 22 How he got in the U.S. Open: Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 47 Fun Fact I: Playing in his second straight U.S. Open, after advancing in a playoff at Final Qualifying a year ago to compete at Oakmont. Initially lost a playoff for last U.S. Open spot at same final qualifying course this year, but go in off alternate list. Fun Fact II: Just finished his college career at Virginia, where he helped Cavaliers win two straight ACC titles and finish runner-up at 2025 NCAA Championship.
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Cliff Hawkins
Fullerton, Calif. Age: 21 How he got in the U.S. Open: Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 27 Fun Fact I: Reached the semifinals of the 2021 U.S. Junior and 2025 U.S. Amateur and got to Sweet 16 of 2025 Western Amateur. Fun Fact II: Transferred along with Ethan Fang from Cal-Berkeley to Oklahoma State for 2024-25 season, then clinched winning point to give Cowboys the 2025 NCAA title team.
Jackson Ormond
Ryan Lochhead/PGA of America
Rochester, N.Y. Age: 18 How he got in the U.S. Open: Local & Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 1,246 Fun Fact I: Earned medalist honors at both his Local and Final Qualifying sites. Fun Fact II: Set to start college career at Florida in the fall.
Giuseppe Puebla
Mike Stobe
West Palm Beach, Fla. Age: 17 How he got in the U.S. Open: Local & Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 179 Fun Fact I: Second youngest player in the field. Fun Fact II: Is a member of the U.S. National Junior team and has verbally committed to play at Florida starting in fall of 2027.
Mateo Pulcini
Cliff Hawkins
Argentina Age: 25 How he got in the U.S. Open: 2026 Latin America Amateur champ World Amateur Golf Ranking: 110 Fun Fact I: Claimed LAAC title in his third career start in the championship, easing the pressure and pulling off the win on a second playoff hole over Virgilia Paz Valdes. Fun Fact II: Represented Argentina in the World Amateur Team Championship last fall in Singapore
Logan Reilly
Cliff Hawkins
Lovettsville, Va. Age: 19 How he got in the U.S. Open: Local & Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 119 Fun Fact I: In 2025, won both the Virginia State Amateur and Open Fun Fact II: Just helped Auburn win NCAA team title at Omni Ls Costa.
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Downey, Calif. Age: 20 How he got in the U.S. Open: Local & Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 426 Fun Fact I: Led Santa Clara in scoring (71.06) during his sophomore year, after earning West Coast Conference freshman of the year honors in 2025. Fun Fact II: Through just two seasons, ranks fifth in school history with 32 career rounds under par and is sixth with 19 rounds in the 60s
Miles Russell
James Gilbert
Jacksonville Beach, Fla. Age: 17 How he got in the U.S. Open: Final Qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 11 Fun Fact I: The No. 1 ranked junior golfer in the world is the youngest competitor in the field this week at 17 years, 7 months and 17 days on the first day of play. Fun Fact II: Broke Tiger Woods’ record for youngest player to win AJGA’s Rolex Boys Player of the Year title.
Preston Stout
Cliff Hawkins
Dallas Age: 21 How he got in the U.S. Open: 2026 NCAA individual champ World Amateur Golf Ranking: 2 Fun Fact I: Has had a stellar 12 months, including winning NCAA team title, claiming Northeast Amateur crown (by eight shots), earning medalist honors at U.S. Amateur, playing for victorious U.S. Walker Cup team, winning third career Big 12 title and then becoming OSU’s 10th NCAA individual champion. Fun Fact II: With eight career college titles, he has chance become the winningest Cowboy of all time during senior year as he sits three back of Lindy Miller and one back of Scott Verplank.
Arni Sveinsson
Iceland Age: 20 How he got in the U.S. Open: Final qualifying World Amateur Golf Ranking: 20 Fun Fact I: He’s a rising junior at LSU but also the first golfer from Iceland to ever qualify to play in the U.S. Open. “I carry that with me as an underdog and having to break down milestones and barriers no one has from back home. It’s a true honor, and I just can’t wait to go over there and try to break more milestones for Iceland.” Fun Fact II: Shot in the 60s 15 of 31 rounds during sophomore year with Tigers.
