U.S. Open final qualifying: Uihlein, McDowell, Surratt punch tickets in Texas

Peter Uihlein, Graeme McDowell and Caleb Surratt are U.S. Open bound.

The three LIV Golf players earned spots in the 156-player field for the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills after finishing inside the qualifying positions at Dallas Athletic Club on Monday, with Uihlein leading the way at 9 under and McDowell finishing at 4 under.

Uihlein was dominant from the jump, posting rounds of 67-66 to finish atop the leaderboard and claim one of nine available spots at the Texas site. It will be his first major start since 2018.

McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, leaned on his experience to grind through the 36-hole format and qualify. It will be his first major appearance since 2020.

Perhaps the most remarkable story of the day belonged to Surratt. The Legion XIII player survived a six-for-one playoff to claim the final qualifying spot — and in doing so, earned the first major start of his career.

Across the Atlantic at Walton Heath, Thomas Detry's U.S. Open bid ended in agony. The Belgian and 4Aces GC star, who had already narrowly missed the LIV Golf U.S. Open exemption at Maaden LIV Golf Virginia, finished at 10 under — good enough to force a playoff for one of seven available qualifying spots — but was eliminated after finishing fourth in the playoff.

The 126th U.S. Open is set for June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.

PREVIOUSLY REPORTED (SATURDAY, MAY 16)

As the dust settles on the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, a group of LIV Golf players are already turning their attention to what comes next — a grueling 36-hole sprint for one of the most coveted tickets in golf.

Nineteen LIV Golf players are scheduled to compete in U.S. Open final qualifying spread across three venues and two weeks — the Dallas Athletic Club in Dallas, Texas, and Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England this Monday, followed by Hino Golf Club in Japan next Monday (May 25). The qualifiers will fill a significant portion of the remaining spots in the 156-player field for the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, set for June 18-21.

It is a last chance for those LIV Golf players not already exempt to earn their way into one of golf's four major championships.

Dallas Athletic Club — May 18

The Dallas Athletic Club will host the largest contingent of LIV Golf players in final qualifying, with 14 competitors teeing it up on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Blue and Gold courses (Nicklaus won the 1963 PGA Championship on the Blue course originally designed by Ralph Plummer. The 36-hole format demands consistency over two rounds, and the field at Dallas is expected to be among the most competitive at any site.

The LIV Golf players attempting to qualify at Dallas Athletic Club are: Abraham Ancer (Torque GC), Sebastian Muñoz (Torque GC), Josele Ballester (Fireballs GC), Branden Grace (Southern Guards GC), Brendan Steele (HyFlyers GC), Byeong Hun An (Korean GC), Caleb Surratt (Legion XIII), Cameron Tringale (HyFlyers GC), Graeme McDowell (OKGC), Harold Varner III (OKGC), Michael La Sasso (HyFlyers GC), Peter Uihlein (RangeGoats Golf Club), Scott Vincent (HyFlyers GC), and Sergio Garcia (Fireballs GC).

Garcia arrives at Dallas having just earned his best finish of the 2026 season — a solo second-place finish at Maaden LIV Golf Virginia. The Fireballs GC captain is in peak form and will be among the favorites to advance.

McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, brings the kind of experience that matters most in high-pressure qualifying situations. Varner III arrives looking to find some form while McKibbin and Surratt are among the younger players in the field with legitimate major championship aspirations.

Vincent, who posted a remarkable 10-under 62 in Rd. 3 at Virginia, enters the qualifier in the best form of his LIV Golf career. La Sasso, who has shown flashes of his best golf in 2026, will look to take a significant step forward with a qualifying berth.

Fireballs GC’s David Puig had been entered here in an attempt to qualify, but he finished T18 at last week’s PGA Championship, which moved him up to 58th in the world ranking, earning him an exemption into the U.S. Open.

Walton Heath Golf Club — May 18

Across the Atlantic, three LIV Golf players will take on the storied Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England — one of the great heathland courses in the world and a venue that has hosted the Ryder Cup and multiple European Opens. The Old Course, built by Herbert Fowler in 1904, plays firm, open and exposed — a true test of ball-striking and course management.

Sam Horsfield (Majesticks GC), Thomas Detry (4Aces GC) and Victor Perez (Cleeks GC) will all tee it up at Walton Heath.

Detry enters the qualifier with perhaps the most motivation of any LIV Golf player in the field. The Belgian came agonizingly close to earning the LIV Golf U.S. Open exemption at Maaden LIV Golf Virginia, finishing T6 — just short of what he needed to claim the spot that ultimately went to Lucas Herbert. A strong qualifier at Walton Heath would allow him to make it to Shinnecock Hills regardless.

Detry's consistent results since joining LIV Golf prior to the 2026 season have been excellent and Walton Heath's demand for precision from tee to green suits his game well. Horsfield and Perez are both quality ball-strikers who could thrive in the heathland layout.

Hino Golf Club — May 25

One week later, Danny Lee (Korean GC) and Yosuke Asaji (Wild Card) will make their U.S. Open qualifying bids at Hino Golf Club in Japan. Both players will look to use the familiarity of competing in Asia to their advantage.

Ten LIV Golf players are already exempt for the U.S. Open – Herbert; Joaquin Niemann (who earned the U.S. Open exemption based on the final 2025 LIV Golf standings); past U.S. Open winners Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson; 2022 Open Championship winner Cameron Smith; Puig is exempt after his PGA Championship performance got him into the top 60 of the OWGR (58th); Laurie Canter is exempt via his top-2 finish in the 2025 Race to Dubai standings; and Tyrrell Hatton and Carlos Ortiz, who each finished T4 at last year’s U.S. Open.