On the outer reaches of Long Island’s South Fork, the wind always arrives before the golfers. It will be there on Thursday, when the 126th US Open returns to Shinnecock Hills, its white-shingled Stanford White clubhouse from 1892 perched above fescue that flashes and leans with every gust. For the sixth time, and the first since 2018, the national championship will be staged at Shinnecock Hills.
William Flynn’s 1931 design will again be presented as a par-70, stretching 7,440 yards, but the scorecard barely hints at how hard it plays. The fairways are conspicuously wide by major-championship standards, and in 2026 the USGA is restoring them to some of their original breadth, giving players ample targets from the tee.
