The Five: Which top players are fighting for U.S. Open qualification?

The third major of the year is only three weeks away, and only two viable pathways remain to qualify. The first is to get inside the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking on June 15, the day after the RBC Canadian Open. And the second is to earn a spot through U.S. Open Final Qualifying on the "Longest Day in Golf" (June 8).

More than a few notable names find themselves on the outside looking in. Let’s go through five of them.

Tony Finau

Official World Golf Ranking: 103rd

The last time Shinnecock Hills Golf Club hosted the U.S. Open, Tony Finau played in the final group on Sunday. Finau is fighting for any tee time he can get this year.

Finau was part of a four-way tie for the lead entering the final round of the 2018 U.S. Open, alongside eventual champion Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger and Dustin Johnson.

Finau ultimately finished in a tie for fifth, bogeying three of his first four holes to drop out of contention. It’s one of only five top-five major finishes in Finau’s career.

That form feels a long way off for Finau right now, though he’s coming off the best finish of his season and his first top 10 in more than a year. He shot 67-63-69-65 to place sixth at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. The result buoyed his world ranking, but he remains outside the top 100 and a long way off from qualification. Without continuing that form at Colonial Country Club this week, Finau’s lone path will be through Final Qualifying.

Earlier this year, Finau failed to qualify for the Masters and snapped a streak of seven straight appearances. Finau has played in seven consecutive U.S. Opens and is at risk of ending that streak, too.

Aldrich Potgieter

Official World Golf Ranking: 76th

The reigning Rookie of the Year is not yet in the U.S. Open. That comes as a bit of a surprise, given his solid play this season and his inclusion in many Signature Events. He showed his merit at the PGA Championship, tied for third after 36 holes. Had Potgieter maintained that position, he would have automatically qualified for the U.S. Open, but he fell back on the weekend and finished outside the top 30. Now he’s fighting for a spot in the third major of the season.

At 76th in the OWGR, Potgieter has a road to the top 60, though Final Qualifying is the more likely pathway. Potgieter is not in the field at Colonial and is not currently qualified for the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.

Max Greyserman

Official World Golf Ranking: 62nd

The American is the highest-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking who is not yet exempt for Shinnecock Hills, currently just outside the top 60 cutoff. Getting above that threshold will be harder than it seems, though.

For starters, Greyserman had a great week in Dallas, finishing T9, yet only jumped one spot in the rankings. He is playing again at the Charles Schwab Challenge this week, but he is not exempt into the Memorial Tournament next week, while several others just behind him in the world rankings are in the field. That necessitates a good performance in Texas or in Canada in two weeks. Greyserman can also qualify via Final Qualifying.

Greyserman has performed well in limited major championship experience. He was tied for third through 36 holes at the PGA Championship earlier this month, ultimately finishing tied for 14th. In seven major starts as a professional, Greyserman has made five cuts and finished no worse than T33 when making the weekend. He has three top-25 finishes.

It would be particularly meaningful to qualify for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock. Greyserman is far from a hometown kid, but he was born in New Jersey, just a stone's throw from Newark Airport, and would surely feel plenty of local support.

Max Homa

Official World Golf Ranking: 123rd

If Homa misses this U.S. Open, it would mark the first time he’s missed a major in back-to-back years since he became a mainstay on the PGA TOUR in 2021. Homa notably missed out on last year’s U.S. Open by losing in a playoff during the "Longest Day in Golf," so he knows the razor's edge of relying on that pathway.

To avoid it, Homa will need to win one of the next three weeks. He showed the top form is still there with a T9 at the Masters, but he has not maintained that level since. He struggled at the RBC Heritage, Cadillac Championship and Truist Championship, finishing no better than T38, and missed the cut at the PGA Championship.

Homa is in the field at Colonial this week. He has one top 10 in six appearances at the venue.

Rasmus Højgaard

Official World Golf Ranking: 70th

Højgaard played the Ryder Cup last fall, but he’s not in the U.S. Open. He’s the only player from either team not currently exempt into the third major of the year.

That’s a product of a poorly timed dip in form. Højgaard began 2026 inside the top 40 of the world, but was unable to maintain that positioning in time for U.S. Open qualification as he struggled to begin the year. Højgaard’s tie for ninth at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches is his lone top 20 this season. And while he has played better lately – six straight made cuts – that was not enough to remain inside the top 60.