Golf Magazine

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — If you were worried about whether Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, would find suitable partners for some Wednesday-afternoon tune-up golf, here on the eve of the sixth U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, you can stop worrying. McIlroy went off the 10th tee a little after 2 p.m., playing with Mason Howell and Hamilton Coleman. Both are 18-year-old native Georgians who will matriculate at the University of Georgia at the end of summer, where they will be roommates.

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — The last time the U.S. Open rolled through these parts, in 2018, Zach Johnson uttered a line that became the stuff of golf Twitter lore: “They’ve lost the golf course.” Johnson was referring, melodramatically, to the USGA’s management of Shinnecock Hills’ greens, which by the end of a dry and windy Saturday were crispier than burnt pita. Eight years later, the Open is back, and with a forecast that could make the previous edition look like, well … a breeze.

Check in to GOLF’s Tour Confidential every Sunday night for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport. This week, with the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, we’ll hit one key topic every night. The 126th U.S. Open begins on Thursday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, where Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are the betting favorites. While both have already won this season and been in contention several times, they have also exhibited flaws.

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — There’s steak. And then there’s Icelandic steak. And Icelandic steak, next to your knife and fork, looks much like what you’d ask for at the meat counter in your local supermarket. But, as you can surmise by this setup, an Icelandic steak’s distinctiveness is in its succulence. Which comes not by chance. The cows are built different on the island south of the Arctic Circle. Because of those who mind them. There are no compromises. There is nothing artificial.

I’m watching the U.S. Open from home this week, which means I’m missing plenty of nuance about the sights and sounds of Shinnecock, arguably the greatest American golf course and an epic major championship host. But if there’s an advantage to monitoring from my living room, it’s that it’s easier to focus on some of the big-picture stuff.

With this year’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock and America’s 250th birthday colliding into one big summer of red, white and blue, there are multiple ways for golfers to show off their patriotism with new gear! We’ve compiled some of the coolest golf gear and accessories to help you celebrate America’s birthday while making sure you’re still performing at the top of your game. Who doesn’t love showing off some red, white and blue gear or decking out the bag with a few patriotic accessories?

Welcome to Bag Spy, a GOLF series devoted to understanding the crucial equipment choices that define a player’s bag. With the help of players and/or their expert fitters, we dig deep beyond the photos to examine setups, specs and the thinking behind them. In this installment, GOLF Associate Equipment Editor Jack Hirsh takes you inside Min Woo Lee’s bag as he gets set for the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

Mitsubishi Golf has been stepping up their limited-edition game over the last few years with drops of their popular Diamana shaft profiles and some other gear. For the 2026 U.S. Open, they’re offering up a new Red, White, and Blue collection featuring a Diamana Blueboard shaft, a Branded Bills Diamana RWB hat, and a commemorative ball marker featuring the classic Diamana RWB surfboard logo.

The U.S. Open has a way of commanding the sports world, and this year, with Shinnecock Hills serving as its stage just a couple hours east of Manhattan (traffic permitting!), the buzz feels even louder. Thursday’s opening round shares the spotlight with the Knicks’ championship parade in the city, while the Hamptons’ summer crowd will provide no shortage of star power outside the ropes. For the next four days, golf will be impossible to ignore.

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — How do you win at Shinnecock Hills? Not easily, for starters. It’s Wednesday of tournament week, so by now you’ve probably heard all about the course’s challenges from both players and media. But here’s one more reminder, from a U.S. Open champ. We caught up with Wyndham Clark on the range on Monday to discuss the difficulties players face this week. “The main thing is the greens,” he said.