Qualifiers for all 2026 Signature Events, THE PLAYERS and majors

UPDATE (June 9): Two countries, 10 sites, five playoffs, 43 qualifiers, 21 debutants, 12 amateurs and a Tuesday finish. All Final Qualifying for the U.S. Open was missing was the partridge in the pear tree.

Fans were treated to another epic display of competitive golf in its essence on Monday with the final array of 36-hole sprints for a tee time at next week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. There wasn’t enough daylight for the site in Oregon to determine its two qualifiers, so it wrapped on Tuesday morning with Andrew Putnam emerging from a two-way playoff that needed nine holes.

Among the 43 who advanced, 21 will be making their first start in the major. The other 22 are a combined 43-for-81 in the tournament, but only Emiliano Grillo pegged it at Shinnecock Hills the last time it hosted in 2018. He missed the cut.

With 12 starts in the U.S. Open, Billy Horschel leads all qualifiers in experience. He’s followed by J.B. Holmes (nine), Chris Kirk (eighth) and Grillo (seven).

The next update of the Official World Golf Ranking will send its top 60 into the U.S. Open. Of the latest version, only the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday champion J.T. Poston isn’t officially exempt, but at 39th in the OWGR as noted in Sunday’s update of this page (below), he will be. Among those immediately outside the current bubble and not yet in, Eric Cole (63rd), Bud Cauley (68th), Matti Schmid (70th) and Jordan Smith (71st) are in the field at the RBC Canadian Open. Sami Valimaki (64th) is not competing, and because his divisor will remain at 52, he will not qualify.

Each of the 13 sites that hosted Final Qualifying also determined two alternates. If necessary, they will be called to complete the field of 156. As far as the order of alternates, the USGA does not release its master list. This is done to avoid confusion externally. If a golfer from one of the qualifying sites withdraws, he is replaced by an alternate from the same site, but if a qualifier who gained entry through another conduit withdraws, the USGA calls on the next alternate on its master list, which is made up of the 13 first and 13 second alternates.

This is a rare week during which the majority of the attention for qualifiers into a major is devoted to what takes place on Monday, not Sunday. Nevertheless, before the USGA conducts 10 competitions for its Final Qualifying into the U.S. Open, there’s the not-so-insignificant impact of the outcome of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.

Rest assured, this page will be updated after all sites hosting Final Qualifying conclude, but J.T. Poston will no longer be a part of it. That’s because he prevailed in a playoff over Ryan Gerard at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Poston was slated to peg it in the 36-hole qualifier at Lakes Golf and Country Club in nearby Westerville, Ohio, on Monday. More on why he’s been able to withdraw from it in a moment.

Poston went par-par in overtime to clinch his fourth PGA TOUR title. This one arguably is the most impressive of the lot as it yields three-year exemptions as a PGA TOUR member and into THE PLAYERS Championship, both through 2029 when he turns 36 years of age. For finishing inside the top 50 of the 2025 FedExCup, he already was exempt into all Signature Events this season but finished no better than T24 (Truist Championship) in any of the first six.

The Memorial also was the latest stop of the Open Qualifying Series, whereby the top finisher who made the cut and was not already eligible for The Open Championship would gain entry. Poston gobbled that up, too. This will mark his fifth appearance. Since debuting in 2021, he’s just 1-for-4 with a T41 at Royal Liverpool in 2023.

The R&A also reserved one spot into The Open for the highest-ranking golfer in the LIV Golf Individual Standings through Sunday. At third, Joaquin Niemann has earned the exemption. He’s 3-for-6 in the major but without a top 50.

Now, Poston isn’t automatically exempt into the U.S. Open via Sunday’s victory, but he will climb inside the top 40 of the Official World Golf Ranking (from 94th) when that formula is updated. Because the top 60 in the OWGR will be added to the field of 156 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club after next weekend’s action around the world, he’s guaranteed to retain his position for his seventh start in the U.S. Open.

NOTE: Until all methods of entry are released by the governing bodies, traditional criteria are used to determine qualifiers. Refer to remaining qualifying criteria at the bottom of the page for details.

SE = All Signature Events
US = U.S. Open
OPEN = The Open Championship

Recent additions

SE -- none
US -- Zac Blair, Ryder Cowan, Marek Fleming, Max Greyserman, Emiliano Grillo, Cole Hammer, Vaughn Harber, Nick Hardy, Robbie Higgins, J.B. Holmes, Billy Horschel, Ben James, Chris Kirk, Ben Kohles, Chase Kyes, Greyson Leach, Eric Lee, Max McGreevy, Keith Mitchell, Taylor Montgomery, William Mouw, James Nicholas, Jackson Osmond, John Parry, Jake Peacock, Giuseppe Puebla, Andrew Putnam, Logan Reilly, Matthew Robles, Kevin Roy, Marcelo Rozo, Miles Russell, Neal Shipley, Ben Silverman, Jake Sollon, Jackson Suber, Arni Sveinsson, Davis Thompson, Alejandro Tosti, Jackson Van Paris, Brandon Wu, Dylan Wu, Carl Yuan
OPEN -- Joaquin Niemann, J.T. Poston

NOTE: Golfers are omitted if they haven’t competed recently in majors for which they are eligible (e.g., The Open Championship = David Duval, Paul Lawrie).

REMAINING QUALIFYING CRITERIA

Criteria are listed in chronological order where possible. Best estimates are given but all are subject to change.

Signature Events

• Travelers Championship (June 25-28)

U.S. Open (US) at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club – June 18-21

• Winners of multiple PGA TOUR events that award full FedExCup points allocation since the 2025 U.S. Open.
• Top 60 of Official World Golf Ranking (June 15).
• Special exemptions per the USGA.

The Open Championship (OPEN) at Royal Birkdale Golf Club – July 16-19

• Top three, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the RBC Canadian Open (June 14).
• Winner of the British Amateur, if still an amateur (June 20).
• Winner of the U.S. Open (June 21).
• Winner of the European Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (June 27).
• Leader in World Amateur Golf Ranking points accumulated at the St. Andrews Links Trophy (June 7), British Amateur (June 20) and European Amateur Championship, if still an amateur (June 27).
• Top player, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the Italian Open (June 28).
• Top five, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the FedExCup at the conclusion of the Travelers Championship (June 28).
• Final Qualifying. Top four at each of four sites (June 30).
• Top five, not otherwise exempt, inside the top 20 in the Race to Dubai at the conclusion of the BMW International Open (July 5).
• Top three, not otherwise exempt, who make the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open (July 12).
• Winner of the Last-Chance Qualifier (July 13).