USA 250: Bobby Jones

Bobby Jones was born on March 17, 1902, in Atlanta, Georgia, and became one of the most remarkable amateur golfers of all time. As a teenager, he made waves, reaching the third round of the U.S. Amateur at just 14. Jones went on to secure a total of 13 major tournament victories, all as an amateur—a record that is still unmatched. In a remarkable feat, 1930 saw him complete the “Grand Slam” by winning the U.S. Open, British Open, U.S. Amateur, and British Amateur all in the same year. He decided to retire from competitive golf at the young age of 28, right when his career was peaking. Post-retirement, Jones co-founded Augusta National Golf Club and played a significant role in establishing the Masters Tournament, which kicked off in 1934.

Excitement Builds for the U.S. Open

With the third major championship of the year on the horizon and the U.S. Open returning to Shinnecock Hills for the first time since 2018, golf fans are in for a treat with some exciting pairings for the first two rounds.

A total of 156 players will take to the course this week, bracing themselves for the demanding challenges that lie ahead on Long Island. The last time players faced Shinnecock, Brooks Koepka emerged victorious, finishing with a score over par, making the 2018 U.S. Open a unique event since it was the only major to award the title under such conditions since Justin Rose’s win at the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion.

Notable First and Second Round Tee Times

* denotes 10th tee start, (a) indicates amateur player

Brooks Koepka, Cameron Young, Chris Gotterup: 7:30am/1:25pm ET*

You really can’t find a stronger trio than these three. But there’s a bit of uncertainty hanging over Koepka as he withdrew from last week’s Canadian Open due to some elbow and hand injuries. Young, a native of New York and someone who has won twice this PGA Tour season, is drawing a lot of attention as a favorite among fans. Gotterup has also secured two wins on tour this year and possesses the talent to both drive and putt exceptionally well, making him a potentially formidable opponent at Shinnecock.

Scottie Scheffler’s Grand Slam Bid Steals the Spotlight

Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Oberg, Tommy Fleetwood: 7:52am*/1:47pm

This group is one many expect to see in the mix come Sunday. Having all been teammates on past European Ryder Cup teams adds to their comfort on the course. Fleetwood came close to clinching the U.S. Open here in 2018 with a final round of 63, while McIlroy has a strong record with six consecutive top-10 finishes in the U.S. Open, despite missing out on Shinnecock that year. Oberg’s game looks fit for this tough course, but his performance will largely depend on his mental state.

Mason Howell (a), Scotty Scheffler, J.J. Spaun: 8:14am / 2:09pm*

This trio doesn’t need too much introduction: world number one Scottie Scheffler, defending champion J.J. Spaun, and last year’s U.S. Amateur winner, Mason Howell. It’s a big week for Scheffler as he tries for his first career Grand Slam; winning on Sunday would mean he makes history on Father’s Day—his 30th birthday.

One of These Seven Will Claim the 2026 U.S. Open Title

Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick: 1:25pm*/7:30am

Even though DeChambeau has clinched the U.S. Open twice, he didn’t qualify for the first two majors this year. It seems golf has transformed into a bit of a side gig for him lately. Fitzpatrick, without a doubt, ranks among the top three players worldwide in 2026; he knows what it takes to win this tournament, having done so in 2022. Hovland is a bit of a mystery this year, but he recently had a strong showing in Canada, finishing in third.

Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm: 2:09pm*/8:14am

The mix of past champions always adds intrigue. While some might question whether Shinnecock is a challenge too great for soon-to-be 46-year-old Rose, it’s risky to doubt someone like him on such a grand stage. Spieth, on one hand, is incredibly unpredictable—his game can either shine or crumble at any moment, yet he somehow manages to revive himself. Rahm, conversely, has a steadier approach but may struggle if things don’t go as planned.

Waves Early Thursday, Late Friday

• 6:35am/12:30pm ET*: James Nicholas, Taylor Montgomery, Caleb Surratt
• 6:35am*/12:30pm: Chandler Phillips, Harry Higgs, Hamilton Coleman (a)
• 6:46am/12:41pm*: Ethan Fang (a), Jaden Shaper, Jackson Suber
• 6:46am*/12:41pm: Nathan Kimsey, Jackson Herrington (a), Cooper Dossey
• 6:57am/12:52pm*: Chase Kyes (a), Matthew Jordan, Alejandro Tosti
• 6:57am*/12:52pm: Peter Uihlein, Eric Lee (a), Samuel Stevens
• 7:08am/1:03pm*: Carl Yuan, Brandon Wu, Jimmy Stanger
• 7:08am*/1:03pm: Adrian Dumont de Chassard, Ben Silverman, Emiliano Grillo
• 7:19am/1:14pm*: Padraig Harrington, Miles Russell (a), Cameron Smith
• 7:19am*/1:14pm: Patrick Rogers, Keith Mitchell, Graeme McDowell
• 7:30am/1:25pm*: Brooks Koepka, Cameron Young, Chris Gotterup
• 7:30am*/1:25pm: Im Sung Jae, Lucas Herbert, Christopher Reitan
• 7:41am/1:36pm*: Daniel Berger, Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler
• 7:41am*/1:36pm: Sam Barnes, Tyrrell Hutton, Kim Si-woo
• 7:52am/1:47pm*: Patrick Reed, Andrew Novak, Kurt Kitayama
• 7:52am*/1:47pm: Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Oberg, Tommy Fleetwood
• 8:03am/1:58pm*: Harris English, Adam Scott, Nick Taylor
• 8:03 AM*/1:58 PM: Alex Nolen, Maverick McNeely, Sepp Straka
• 8:14am/2:09pm*: Mason Howell (a), Scotty Scheffler, J.J. Spaun
• 8:14am*/2:09pm: Max Glaserman, Brian Harman, Jacob Bridgman
• 8:25am/2:20pm*: Sahis Segala, Jackson Koibun (a), Michael Kim
• 8:25am*/2:20pm: Alex Fitzpatrick, Tom Kim, Benjamin James
• 8:36am/2:31pm*: JB Holmes, Filippo Celli, Jackson Ormond (a)
• 8:36am*/2:31pm: Brandon Holtz (a), Ryuichi Oiwa, Dylan Wu
• 8:47am/2:42pm*: Jake Peacock, Bone Harbor (a), Kaito Onishi
• 8:47am*/2:42pm: Grayson Leitch, Logan Riley (a), Robbie Higgins

Waves Late Thursday, Early Friday

• 12:30 PM*/6:35 AM (Eastern Time): William Mow, Ryder Cowan (a), Hennie du Plessis
• 12:30pm/6:35am*: Niklas Norgaard, Rocco Paolo Repetto Taylor, Sudarshan Yelamaraju
• 12:41 PM*/6:46 AM: Adrian Sadier, Jackson Van Paris, Hugo Cousso
• 12:41pm / 6:46am*: Laurie Cantor, John Parry, Brian Lee (a)
• 12:52 PM*/6:57 AM: Neil Shipley, Matthias Schmidt, Bud Corey
• 12:52pm/6:57am*: Chris Kirk, Max McGreevey, Jake Knapp
• 1:03 PM*/7:08 AM: Pierceson Coody, Zach Blair, Kevin Roy
• 1:03 PM / 7:08 AM*: Harry Hall, Michael Brennan, Andrew Putnam
• 1:14 PM*/7:19 AM: Aaron Rai, Collin Morikawa, Jason Day
• 1:14 PM / 7:19 AM*: Davis Thompson, Preston Stout (a), David Puig
• 1:25pm*/7:30am: Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick
• 1:25pm / 7:30am*: Ryo Hisatsune, Corey Connors, Ryan Fox
• 1:36 PM*/7:41 AM: Dustin Johnson, Windham Clark, Gary Woodland
• 1:36 PM / 7:41 AM*: Ryan Gerrard, Russell Henry, Ben Griffin
• 1:47 PM*/7:52 AM: Joaquin Niemann, Alex Smalley, Shane Lowry
• 1:47pm / 7:52am*: Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele
• 1:58 PM*/8:03 AM: Akshay Bhatia, Carlos Ortiz, Minu Lee
• 1:58 PM / 8:03 AM*: Nicolai Hojgaard, Nicolas Echavarria, Robert McIntyre
• 2:09 PM*/8:14 AM: Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm
• 2:09pm/8:14am*: JT Poston, Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel
• 2:20pm*/8:25am: Ben Coles, Johnny Keefer, Matt McCarty
• 2:20pm/8:25am*: Arni Sveinsson (a), Taihei Sato, Marcelo Lozo
• 2:31pm*/8:36am: Angel Hidalgo, Matteo Pulcini (a), Spencer Tibbits
• 2:31pm / 8:36am*: Nick Hardy, Cole Hammer, Jack Schoenberger
• 2:42pm*/8:47am: Matthew Robles (a), Jake Solon, Manav Shah
• 2:42pm / 8:47am*: Marek Fleming (a), TK Kim, Giuseppe Puebla (a)