The PGA TOUR is headed to Long Island for the third major of the season, as the U.S. Open Championship returns to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. This will be the 126th U.S. Open, and the sixth held at this venue. The event will begin on Thursday, June 18, and will conclude on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21, barring any weather issues.

Let’s start the week with a look at the format, history, and course for the U.S. Open Championship.

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The Format of the U.S. Open Championship

The U.S. Open Championship features a full field of 156 players, with approximately half qualifying due to an exemption from rankings or previous finishes and the other half working through sectional qualifying. The sectional qualifying concluded last Monday with “Golf’s Longest Day.” The final seven spots were locked up at the conclusion of the RBC Canadian Open, where champion Bud Cauley and J.T. Poston moved into the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking and the field was filled out by five players from the first alternate list from Final Qualifying sites.

This week’s tournament will have a cut after Round 2, reducing the field to the top 60 and ties. All four rounds will take place at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (more info below).

The purse for the U.S. Open will be released later in the week, but last year, the total was $21.5 million with the winner walking away with $4.3 million.

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The history of the tournament

The U.S. Open Championship was first played in 1895 in Rhode Island, and in 1896, it was played at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for the first time. In 1898, it became a four-round, 72-hole event with the same format as this year’s 126th U.S. Open.

The tournament has rotated through many courses, which the USGA (United States Golf Association) typically sets up to play with very difficult conditions. Last year, the event took place at Oakmont Country Club just outside of Pittsburgh, where J.J. Spaun claimed his first major championship with a winning score of -1, two strokes ahead of Robert MacIntyre.

The U.S. Open didn’t visit Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for 90 years until returning in 1986, when Raymond Floyd won by two strokes with a score of -1, just like Spaun last year. In 1995, Corey Pavin won at this course with a score or even par. Nine years later, Retief Goosen won in 2004 with a score of -4 over Phil Mickelson.

The most recent time that the U.S. Open visited Shinnecock Hills was in 2018. Brooks Koepka won that week with a score of +1, showing just how difficult the course can play. The victory was Koepka’s second U.S. Open title in a row, making him the third player to defend his U.S. Open title, joining Ben Hogan in 1951 and Curtis Strange in 1989. Koepka started the final round in a four-way tie with Dustin Johnson, Daniel Berger and Tony Finau, and held off a strong charge from Tommy Fleetwood, who finished one stroke back.

Koepka had to withdraw from the RBC Canadian Open last week but is still listed in the field for this week’s tournament. He is joined by an elite field with all the top golfers from LIV Golf and the PGA TOUR coming together for what should be an amazing week at Shinnecock Hills.

Check out the full field and odds on DraftKings Sportsbook to see all the players teeing it up this year.

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A Closer Look at the Course

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club began in 1891, when Willie Davis designed the original 12-hole layout with the help of over 100 members of the local Shinnecock Indian Nation. In 1894, the course expanded to 18 holes just before hosting the U.S. Open for the first time.

Over the years, several major redesigns have altered the layout, with Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore overseeing the most recent update in the early 2010s to get it ready for the 2018 U.S. Open. The course has not changed significantly since the last U.S. Open but is sure to still pose a tough test this week.

The fairways are carved out of rough terrain where the Fescue and rough are allowed to flourish, making recovery shots very difficult. There are not many trees on the layout, creating a links-style feel with the rolling terrain and strategic bunkering around the course. Many factors combine to make it one of the most difficult venues for the U.S. Open. The course features firm fairways that create run-out, thick rough that makes approaches impossible to control, and ever-shifting wind from hour to hour. The green complexes are especially challenging since any shot that misses can roll out into collection areas or careen off into the rough.

Golf Digest broke down every hole at the U.S. Open in this overview to help get you up to speed on the challenges, and U.S. Open has a great hole-by-hole “About the Course” section that showcases what to expect.

The par-70 course will definitely play difficult relative to par, as the USGA always sets it up that way for the U.S. Open. This week’s weather forecast will decide exactly how hard, though, since the course is one of the most exposed to the wind in all of championship golf. Since it’s so similar to Links courses in Scotland and England, players who have had success at The Open Championship and at past U.S. Opens should have an advantage.

Strokes Gained: Approach is always a strong metric to consider, and Scrambling and Strokes Gained: Par-4 will be key, along with finding players who excel on Links courses and in windy conditions. Players who are major-tested typically rise to the top in tough venues like this, although as we were reminded last year, the winner can be a surprise contender like Spaun was.

As you get ready for what should be another fun week on the PGA TOUR, be sure to get your DFS fantasy golf lineups and betting cards filled out with help from DK Network! We’ll have ongoing coverage throughout the week and exciting promotions to help you enjoy this weekend’s tournament.