Upcoming U.S. Open Golf Championship dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
What the U.S. Open is and when it is played
The U.S. Open is the national championship of American golf and the third of the four men's major championships each year. It is run by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in mid-June and scheduled to finish on the third Sunday of the month, Father's Day. Unlike the Masters, it moves: the championship rotates among a set of established courses, so where you travel depends on the year.
The format has been 72 holes of stroke play (four rounds, lowest total score wins) since 1898, with a field of 156 players and a cut after the second round. Tournament rounds run Thursday through Sunday; the 2026 championship, for example, was played June 18–21. Practice rounds earlier in the week let spectators see the field in a looser setting before the cut.
Host courses: recent and upcoming
The U.S. Open has been played on 52 different courses. A handful return regularly, and the USGA publishes its host sites years ahead:
- 2024: Pinehurst Resort, Course No. 2, North Carolina
- 2025: Oakmont Country Club, Pennsylvania (par 70, 7,372 yards)
- 2026: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, New York
- 2027: Pebble Beach Golf Links, California
- 2028: Winged Foot Golf Club, West Course, Mamaroneck, New York
- 2029: Pinehurst Resort, Course No. 2
- 2030: Merion Golf Club, East Course, Ardmore, Pennsylvania
- 2031: Riviera Country Club, Los Angeles
Oakmont has hosted more U.S. Opens than any other course, ten through 2025, and Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and Oakmont each appear several more times on the schedule into the 2040s. If the Father's Day pattern holds, the 2027 final round at Pebble Beach falls on Sunday, June 20, but confirm dates with the USGA before booking travel.
How U.S. Open tickets work
Most U.S. Open tickets are grounds admission: a ticket for a given day lets you walk the course and watch from anywhere open to spectators, with no assigned seat. Grandstands at selected holes are generally first-come, first-served for ticket holders, and hospitality packages with private viewing areas are sold separately at a higher tier. The USGA sells tickets through the official championship site well ahead of the event, and once its allocation sells out, the resale market (tickets resold by original buyers) is where remaining days are found.
Demand follows a clear pattern, even though prices do not stay put:
- Practice rounds are the most available and least crowded days.
- Thursday and Friday show the full 156-player field before the cut, with the most golf on the course.
- Saturday and Sunday carry the most demand, with Sunday's Father's Day finish usually the hardest day to get.
- The host course matters. A famous public venue such as Pebble Beach or a club rarely open to outsiders draws more buyers than a returning site.
Every GoodSeats order is backed by a 100% guarantee. Spectator rules on bags, phones and cameras are set by the USGA each year, so check the current spectator guide on usopen.com before you go.
Where to watch on a U.S. Open course
Without reserved seats, your plan is the seat. Three approaches work, and each suits a different spectator:
- Stake out a green complex. Pick a par 3 or a demanding finishing hole with a grandstand or rising ground, and let every group come to you. This gives you the most shots per hour and a place to sit.
- Follow one group. Walking with a single pairing for 18 holes tells the story of a round, but crowds around marquee players run several deep, and you will see less of each shot.
- Start at the practice range. Early in the day, the range and practice green offer close views of players warming up, often with fewer people than the course.
U.S. Open courses are set up to be hard, with long, narrow fairways, thick primary rough and fast greens, so the most dramatic viewing is often around the greens, where recovery shots and short putts decide scores. Winning totals near even par are normal here. On weekend afternoons, claim grandstand space early, especially near the 18th.
What a day at the championship involves
A U.S. Open day is long and mostly on foot. Expect several miles of walking on uneven, often hilly ground, sometimes in June heat, and plan for limited shade on links-style and coastal courses. Comfortable shoes and sun protection matter more than anything you carry. Parking and shuttle arrangements vary by host site and are usually published by the USGA in the weeks before the championship, since most host courses cannot park a championship crowd on site.
Spectating etiquette is consistent across golf: stay quiet and still when a player is over the ball, keep phones silent, and wait for marshals to open crossing points before walking across a fairway.
History and records
The first U.S. Open was played on October 4, 1895, on a nine-hole course at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island; 11 players entered, and Horace Rawlins won. British professionals dominated until 1911, when John J. McDermott became the first American-born champion. Four players share the record of four titles: Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus. Tiger Woods won by 15 strokes at Pebble Beach in 2000, the largest margin in any major.
Recent champions include Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst in 2024 and J.J. Spaun at Oakmont in 2025. Wyndham Clark won at Shinnecock Hills in 2026 by one stroke over Sam Burns, leading wire to wire for his second U.S. Open title after 2023. Since 2018 a tie after 72 holes is settled by a two-hole aggregate playoff, replacing the old 18-hole Monday playoff; through 2026 it had not been needed.
Frequently asked questions
When is the U.S. Open golf championship played?
In mid-June, scheduled to finish on the third Sunday of the month, Father's Day. Tournament rounds run Thursday through Sunday.
Where is the next U.S. Open?
The 2027 U.S. Open is scheduled for Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, followed by Winged Foot in 2028 and Pinehurst No. 2 in 2029.
Do U.S. Open tickets include a seat?
General tickets are grounds admission with no assigned seat. You can walk the course, and grandstands at selected holes are generally first-come, first-served.
Which day of the U.S. Open is best to attend?
Thursday and Friday show the full field before the cut. Sunday decides the champion and draws the biggest crowds and demand.
Who organizes the U.S. Open?
The United States Golf Association, which has staged the championship since 1895.
Who won the 2026 U.S. Open?
Wyndham Clark won at Shinnecock Hills by one stroke over Sam Burns, his second U.S. Open title.