46th U.S. Senior Open Championship Notebook

The inaugural U.S. Senior Open, played in 1980, was conducted for golfers 55 and older. The next year, the USGA lowered the minimum age to 50 to match the Senior Tour’s age requirement. Arnold Palmer, who had just turned 50, won the 1981 championship.

Miller Barber captured the first of his three U.S. Senior Open titles in 1982 – he also won in 1984 and 1985. The U.S. Senior Open has six two-time champions: Gary Player (1987, 1988), Jack Nicklaus (1991, 1993), Hale Irwin (1998, 2000), Allen Doyle (2005, 2006), Kenny Perry (2013, 2017), Bernhard Langer (2010, 2023) and Padraig Harrington (2022, 2025). 

Galvin Green Doubles Down on Durability

Golfers invest serious time and money when selecting the best waterproofs, but too many garments are replaced before they truly need to be.

For more than two decades, Galvin Green has worked directly with customers to assess, repair and support garments after purchase, helping golfers keep their trusted waterproofs in use for longer. This is a natural extension of more than 30 years of designing responsibly sourced performance-driven golf apparel that allows golfers to play their best in all conditions.

46th U.S. Senior Open Championship Fact Sheet

Scioto Country Club, designed by Donald Ross, opened for play in 1916. The course was renovated by Dick Wilson in the 1960s, by four-time U.S. Open and two-time U.S. Senior Open champion Jack Nicklaus and Dr. Michael Hurdzan in 2008 and most recently in 2021 by Andrew Green, who reclaimed the course to Ross’ original intent. In addition to the golf course, Scioto has acclaimed facilities and programs for aquatics, fitness, tennis, platform tennis and pickleball. Nicklaus and Bob Jones, two legends of the game, are tied to Scioto Country Club. 

Jones won the U.S. Open, one of his nine USGA championships, at the club in 1926, while Nicklaus honed his game there with teaching professional Jack Grout. Scioto will become the third club to host three U.S. Senior Opens. Saucon Valley Country Club, in Bethlehem, Pa., was a host site for a third time in 2022 and The Broadmoor’s East Course, in Colorado Springs, Colo., hosted its third in 2025.

Titleist GTS4 Driver vs. Tour Edge Exotics LS Driver Review

I took the new Titleist GTS4 driver head-to-head against the new Tour Edge Exotics LS driver recently and the results were expected and surprising.  I tested both drivers with the same 9 degree heads, the same Fujikura Ventus Blue 6S shafts,  used the same Pro V1x ball, and all numbers were recorded using GCQuad.

The GTS4 is going to win some awards.  It's like the craft IPA everyone talks about.  And there are some definite improvements from GT4 to GTS4 I'll touch on below.  However the Exotics LS is going to win over the crowds.  And in some ways Exotics LS legitimately outperformed the GTS4.  By comparison it's like the local lager that quietly wins blind taste tests.

Fujikura Unveils Limited Edition United States 250th Anniversary Shaft Supporting Folds of Honor

Fujikura has introduced its limited-edition VENTUS TR USA 250th Anniversary shaft, continuing its long-standing partnership with Folds of Honor while celebrating a landmark moment in the nation’s history.

The special-edition shaft combines Tour-proven VENTUS TR performance with a distinctive and striking design, featuring the iconic patriot red, white and blue colorway, along with the Folds of Honor logo and a commemorative ‘250’ emblem to acknowledge the 250th Anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Golf Pride Introduces Stars and Stripes ZERO TAPER Putter Grip

Golf Pride, an industry leader in golf equipment manufacturing, announces the release of its limited-edition Stars and Stripes ZERO TAPER putter grip in commemoration of the United States’ historic 250th anniversary. The release serves as a celebration of the rich heritage of American golf, a pastime the company has actively supported through domestic design and engineering for the past 77 years. 

The grip features a red, white and blue colorway and includes large ‘USA’ lettering, along with a waving American flag. Beginning June 25, the specialty model will be available online at GolfPride.com for $39.99. 

Club Champion Launches “The Fitting Challenge” - Offering a $450 Golf Shaft Credit if Their Fitters Can’t Beat Your Gamer

Club Champion, the nation’s premier custom club fitting and building studio, today announced The Fitting Challenge, a limited-time promotion running June 23 through July 18, 2026, at U.S. Club Champion fitting studios. The challenge is simple: let Club Champion’s world-class fitters find you a better club in at least one measured category – or receive a complimentary shaft credit of up to $450.

New Club Champion customers age 18 or older book a fitting session and bring their current club – their “Gamer” – into the studio. A Club Champion fitter then conducts a complete fitting, using a Tour-grade launch monitor to measure head-to-head performance across three categories: carry distance, accuracy, and efficiency. The verdict is in the data.

Bridgestone Golf Introduces New e6 SOFT TREADLINE Golf Ball with 360 Align Tech

Bridgestone Golf, the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, today introduced the new e6 SOFT TREADLINE golf ball with 360 Align Tech. Currently the longest-running and best-selling golf ball franchise in Bridgestone Golf history, the e6 SOFT now comes with groundbreaking 360 Align Tech, inspired by the tread of the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Ascent tire.

 

As with past e6 models, the new e6 SOFT TREADLINE features a large, soft, fast core with gradational compression engineered for extreme ball speed and distance. A soft, seamless Surlyn™ cover provides excellent durability and enhanced feedback at impact, while Bridgestone’s advanced aerodynamics provide in-flight stability. This combination of design elements helps golfers to achieve high launch and low spin off the tee for optimum ball speed and distance, with ample short game feel and performance around the greens.

USGA to Open On-Site U.S. Senior Open Merchandise Pavilion for Pre-Championship Shopping

The 2026 U.S. Senior Open Merchandise Pavilion at Scioto Country Club will be open from Saturday, June 27, through Sunday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for exclusive pre-championship shopping for fans. Tickets are not required to access the Merchandise Pavilion during these two days.  

 

The Merchandise Pavilion features more than 25,000 items from brands bearing the 46th U.S. Senior Open Championship logo, including hats, polo shirts, outerwear, T-shirts, posters, headcovers, golf towels and much more. Peter Millar, the official outfitter of the USGA, will be a featured brand in the Merchandise Pavilion, showcasing their many apparel offerings. 

Second Wynd: Clark Hangs on for 1-Shot Win at Shinnecock Hills

Wyndham Clark completed a wire-to-wire victory Sunday at Shinnecock Hills, becoming just the ninth player to lead after every round of a U.S. Open and the first since Martin Kaymer in 2014.

The 2023 champion closed with a 3-over 73 to finish at 4-under 276, edging Sam Burns by one stroke for his second U.S. Open title. Tom Kim, a qualifier who entered the week ranked No. 141 in the Official World Golf Ranking, finished third at 1-under 279.

Miyu Yamashita Rallies from Five Back, Birdies Playoff Hole to Capture Meijer LPGA Classic

Miyu Yamashita delivered a championship performance Sunday at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Giving, firing a scorching 8-under par 64 to erase a five-shot deficit and claim victory for her third LPGA career title. 

Yamashita put together the lowest round of the week at Blythefield Country Club, carding eight birdies to finish regulation at 17-under par. After forcing a playoff, she wasted little time securing the title, birdieing the first extra hole to capture her first win of the season.

Inside the Mind of a Club Champion Master Fitter: An Iron Fitting Review

Many golfers walk into an iron fitting believing the clubhead is the star of the show.  And while head designs certainly matter, experienced fitters know that the shaft often has the greatest influence on how a golfer delivers the club to the ball.

During an iron fitting at Club Champion much of the session is devoted to identifying the shaft that produces the most consistent strike pattern, ball flight, and dispersion.  And the process is far more sophisticated than simply choosing between flexes or lengths.

Clark Leads by Four After 36 at Shinnecock Hills

Wyndham Clark spent his Friday afternoon watching the U.S. men's soccer team advance to the World Cup knockout round — and why not? Through 36 holes of the 126th U.S. Open, the defending champion owns a four-stroke lead.

His 7-under 133 — built on an opening 64 and a second-round 69 — set a Shinnecock Hills record. The 64 came despite a 4 a.m. wake-up call after Thursday's fog delay pushed his finish into Friday morning. He closed the day in style, draining a 33-footer for birdie on 18.

Clark Takes Wind out of Shinnecock Hills and Leads Suspended Opening Round by Four

Going into Thursday’s opening round of the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, all the talk was about the expected high winds that were going to whip through the eastern end of Long Island.

Then Mother Nature threw in a curveball.

Joint Statement from the USGA, The R&A, PGA Tour and DP World Tour

Over the past eight years, The USGA and The R&A have raised concerns about distance increases and the long-term consequences of failing to address this consistent trend.

Through a series of formal feedback processes and numerous individual stakeholder meetings, the governing bodies agreed on an across-the-game change in how golf balls are tested via the Overall Distance Standard (ODS).

PING Signs Wyndham Clark to Scottsdale TEC Putter Agreement

Four-time PGA Tour winner and 2023 U.S. Open Champion Wyndham Clark has signed an agreement to exclusively play a Scottsdale TEC putter, PING CEO & President John K. Solheim announced today.

“Wyndham comes into the U.S. Open this week as one of the hottest players in the world,” said Solheim. “He’s been using the Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset model since the Houston Open and has steadily climbed in the world rankings since then on the strength of a win and third-place finish in his last three tournaments. We’re excited he’s having such tremendous success with the new model and benefiting from the Eye Q alignment technology and the onset design. His choice to use the new putter further validates the performance golfers can expect when adding a Scottsdale TEC putter to their bag.”

126th U.S. Open Championship: Fact Sheet

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will be set up at 7,440 yards and will play to a par of 70. 

The yardage for each round of the championship will vary due to course setup and conditions. 

2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills: Championship Notes

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is hosting the U.S. Open for the sixth time, having previously hosted in 1896, 1986, 1995, 2004, and 2018. In addition, it has hosted a U.S. Amateur (1896), U.S. Women’s Amateur (1900), a U.S. Senior Amateur (1967) and a Walker Cup (1977).

Most U.S. Opens hosted: Oakmont CC (10, most recently in 2025), Baltusrol GC (7, most recently in 1993), Shinnecock Hills GC (6, including this year), Oakland Hills CC (6, most recently in 1996), Pebble Beach GL (6, most recently in 2019) and Winged Foot GC (6, most recently in 2020).

USGA Announces Tee Times for 126th U.S. Open Championship

The United States Golf Association (USGA) announced tee times for the first two rounds of the 2026 U.S. Open Championship, Thursday (June 18) and Friday (June 19). 

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will be set up at 7,440 yards and play to a par of 35-35—70. 

2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills: Notebook and Storylines

This is the 126th U.S. Open Championship and the 21st U.S. Open contested in New York. The Empire State has hosted 76 USGA championships overall.

Shinnecock Hills is the only course to have hosted the U.S. Open in three different centuries.