First Look: LIV Golf players at U.S. Open

Thirteen LIV Golf full-time players are among the 156 participants competing in this week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

IN THE FIELD

LAURIE CANTER (Majesticks)

U.S. Open exemption: Top two players in the 2025 Race to Dubai on the DP World Tour, not otherwise exempt.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Has two top-20 finishes in his last five starts. Shot a season-low 64 in the final round of South Africa.
Current ranking: 42

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU (Crushers)

U.S. Open exemption: Winner of 2020 and 2024 U.S. Open Championships.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Became just the second league player to win consecutive tournaments, winning Singapore and South Africa each via playoff.
Current ranking: 2

TYRRELL HATTON (Legion XIII)

U.S. Open exemption: Lowest 10 scorers and ties from 2025 U.S. Open.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Went wire-to-wire in Andalucía for his first LIV Golf win in two years, holding off Legion XIII teammate Jon Rahm for a two-stroke win.
Current ranking: 4

LUCAS HERBERT (Ripper)

U.S. Open exemption: Top 3 players in the LIV Golf Individual Standings not otherwise exempt as of May 18, 2026.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Broke through with his first LIV Golf individual title by shooting 24 under to win LIV Golf Virginia by four strokes.
Current ranking: 5

DUSTIN JOHNSON (4Aces)

U.S. Open exemption: Top 3 players in the LIV Golf Individual Standings not otherwise exempt as of May 18, 2026.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Broke through with his first LIV Golf individual title by shooting 24 under to win LIV Golf Virginia by four strokes.
Current ranking: 20

GRAEME McDOWELL (OKGC)

U.S. Open exemption: Final qualifying.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Shot lowest round of his LIV Golf career, a 7-under 63, in second round at Hong Kong en route to a T8 finish.
Current ranking: 38

JOAQUIN NIEMANN (Torque)

U.S. Open exemption: Top 3 player in 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings who is not otherwise exempt.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Increased his LIV Golf record to eight individual tournament victories with his win at LIV Golf Korea. Claimed LIV Golf exemptions for both the U.S. Open and Open Championship.
Current ranking: 3

CARLOS ORTIZ (Torque)

U.S. Open exemption: Top 10 scorers and ties from 2025 U.S. Open.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Opened with 10-under 60 in Hong Kong, just the sixth time in league history that a player has shot 60 or better. Shot a season-low 21 under to finish solo 8th in South Africa.
Current ranking: 25

DAVID PUIG (Fireballs)

U.S. Open exemption: Top 60 in points in the Official World Golf Ranking as of May 18, 2026.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: His solo 2nd to Jon Rahm in Mexico City is the best result of his LIV Golf career. Has five top-10 finishes and eight top-25 finishes.
Current ranking: 8

JON RAHM (Legion XIII)

U.S. Open exemption: Winner of 2021 U.S. Open Championship.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Has two individual wins (Hong Kong, Mexico City), four runner-up finishes and two other top-10s in a dominant start that has him in position for a third consecutive season-long Individual Championship.
Current ranking: 1

CAMERON SMITH (Ripper)

U.S. Open exemption: Winner of 2022 Open Championship.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Produced his best result of the season in his most recent start, a T5 in Andalucía. Has three top 10s this season.
Current ranking: 21

CALEB SURRATT (Legion XIII)

U.S. Open exemption: Final qualifying.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Has three top-20 finishes this season, including a season-best T12 in Virginia.
Current ranking: 35

PETER UIHLEIN (RangeGoats)

U.S. Open exemption: Final qualifying.
2026 LIV Golf highlights: Opened the season with consecutive podium finishes, giving him seven career podium results in his LIV Golf career.
Current ranking: 19

KEY STORYLINES

• Current season-long points leader Jon Rahm and his closest pursuer, Bryson DeChambeau, lead the contingent of 13 LIV Golf players competing at this week’s U.S. Open
• Rahm and DeChambeau are among four former U.S. Open winners among the LIV Golf players, along with Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell
• DeChambeau is seeking to become the seventh golfer to win three U.S. Open titles, having previously won in 2020 and 2024
• DeChambeau, Rahm and Johnson are each seeking the third win of their major careers
• Winners of the last seven LIV Golf tournaments played this season are in the field at Shinnecock Hills – Rahm (Hong Kong and Mexico City), DeChambeau (Singapore and South Africa), Lucas Herbert (Virginia), Joaquin Niemann (Korea) and Tyrrell Hatton (Andalucía)
• The top five players in the season-long points standings are all in the field – Rahm (1), DeChambeau (2), Niemann (3), Hatton (4) and Herbert (5)
• Niemann and Herbert claimed the two LIV Golf U.S. Open exemptions for Shinnecock Hills that are based on the league’s season-long points race – Niemann for his 2025 performance and Herbert for 2026
• Three players earned their spots through U.S. Open final qualifying at Dallas Athletic Club – Peter Uihlein (who took medalist honors), Graeme McDowell and Caleb Surratt
• Uihlein, a past U.S. Amateur champion, is playing in his first major since 2018 while the 22-year-old Surratt is making his first major start of his career
• McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, is making his first major start since 2020
• Hatton enters fresh off his win at LIV Golf Andalucía in his first start since becoming a first-time father
• Fitting for the World’s Golf League, seven different countries are represented by the 13 players – Australia (2), Chile, England (2), Mexico, Northern Ireland, Spain (2) and the United States (4)
• Nine of the league’s 13 teams are represented, with Legion XIII (3 players), Ripper GC (2 players) and Torque GC (2 players) having multiple representatives
• Eight of the 13 players competed in the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills; Johnson produced the best finish, a solo third at 3 over

U.S. OPEN NOTEBOOK

TWO-TIME WINNER

Both of Bryson DeChambeau’s major wins have come at the U.S. Open. He’s not surprised.

“I’ve always felt like my game was prepped for the U.S. Open for some reason,” said the Crushers GC captain. “Ever since I was a kid, my ball-striking was really good. I putted well on fast greens, slopey greens. Felt like it was the most open and fair championship for tough golf out here. The ones that I won, I feel like that was the case, at Winged Foot and Pinehurst.”

DJ’S OUTLOOK

Dustin Johnson won the 2016 U.S. Open, which means his 10-year exemption runs out after this year. He goes into this week with confidence after returning to form with top-5 finishes in his last two LIV Golf starts.

He also can lean on his performance at Shinnecock Hills when it last hosted the U.S. Open in 2018. Johnson finished solo third that year.

“I know I can win on it,” said the 4Aces GC captain. “Obviously it takes a lot of good golf to do it. I like the golf course. I think it sets up well for me.”

G-MAC’S BACK

Graeme McDowell’s 10-year exemption for winning the 2010 U.S. Open ran out in 2020. Since then, he’s gone through final qualifying each year but hadn’t earned a spot until this year.

“Much more excited than I ever thought I would be,” McDowell said. “I’ve missed the majors and I don’t think I understood how much I missed it until I managed to qualify for Shinnecock.”

SURRATT’S MAJOR DEBUT

After coming close to qualifying in recent years, Caleb Surratt broke through this year to earn his first major start at this week’s U.S. Open, surviving a 6-for-1 playoff in final qualifying..

Alas, his debut takes place at Shinnecock Hills, one of the most difficult tests of golf for any major championship. In the previous four U.S. Opens at the course in Long Island outside New York, just three players have ever finished under par.

“Let’s be honest – your first-ever major playing at Shinnecock Hills is going to be a rude awakening,” said Surratt’s Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm. “I don’t know if I can make him understand how difficult it’s going to be.”

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old Surratt has never backed down from a challenge. “Definitely not going just for the experience,” he said. “That’s a piece of it, right? Win or lose, you always want to get better. But that’s an after-the-fact thing. I’m there to do my deal, do my best, prepare correctly and play as well as I can the whole week.”

SHINNECOCK HISTORY

Eight of the 13 LIV Golf players in this week’s field previously competed in the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Here’s how they fared:

Dustin Johnson (solo 3rd) – Shot 69-67-77-70 (283) for 3 over.

Tyrrell Hatton (tied 6th) – Shot 75-70-72-69 (286) for 6 over.

Bryson DeChambeau (tied 25th) – Shot 76-69-73-74 (292) for 12 over.

Peter Uihlein (tied 48th) – Shot 75-72-75-74 (296) for 16 over.

Graeme McDowell (MC) – Shot 79-70.

Cameron Smith (MC) – Shot 79-72.

Jon Rahm (MC) – Shot 78-77.

Lucas Herbert (MC) – Shot 83-74.

LIV GOLF AT PREVIOUS U.S. OPENS

This year’s U.S. Open is the fourth that’s been held since LIV Golf made its debut in the summer of 2022.

2025 (Oakmont) – Tyrrell Hatton and Carlos Ortiz were both in contention in Sunday’s final round; each eventually finished tied for fourth (3 over) for their best career results in any major. Jon Rahm was another stroke back and tied for seventh.

2024 (Pinehurst) – Bryson DeChambeau produced one of the signature shots in U.S. Open history a bunker shot from 50 yards on the final hole to save par and win by one stroke. Sergio Garcia tied for 12th, his best result in his last eight U.S. Open starts.

2023 (Los Angeles CC) – Cameron Smith took solo fourth (6 under) for his best U.S. Open result, while Dustin Johnson finished 10th. Ten of the 15 LIV Golf players in the field made the cut.