The US Open in golf is played in mid-June and is traditionally decided so that the final round falls on Father's Day, the third Sunday in June. The tournament runs over four days, from Thursday to Sunday, and is organised by the United States Golf Association, USGA. If you want to know exactly when the tournament is played in a particular year, you'll find the dates on the USGA's official pages, but the point in the year itself is fixed: the third Sunday in June is finals day.
That makes the US Open the year's third major, wedged between the Masters in April and The Open Championship in July. For anyone who wants to follow golf's most intense period, June is the week when the world's best players gather on one of the toughest courses in the USA, set up to punish the slightest mishit.
Where the US Open sits in the golf calendar
The four major championships come in the same order every year, and the US Open is the third in the line. The Masters opens the season in Augusta in April, the PGA Championship follows in May, the US Open is played in June, and The Open closes the major season on a links course in Great Britain in July. Anyone who wants to understand why some weeks carry more weight than others in the world of golf can read more in our rundown of major golf tournaments.
That the US Open lands on Father's Day is no coincidence but a firmly rooted tradition. The final round on Sunday afternoon, American time, means late evening for a Swedish viewer, which makes the June weekend a nighttime project for the truly devoted. If you're unsure how a major differs from other types of tournament, our article on different golf tournaments gives a clear overview.
What makes the US Open golf's toughest test
The US Open has a reputation as the toughest test of the majors, and that is intentional. The USGA sets up the courses with narrow fairways, extremely high and dense rough, and fast, firm greens. The winning scores therefore often end up close to par, sometimes over, which is unusually high compared with other tournaments where birdies rain down. The philosophy is simple: whoever wins the US Open must have proven that their whole game holds up, from the tee to putting under pressure.
That is precisely why precision from the tee becomes decisive. Where other weeks reward length outright, the US Open rewards the player who keeps the ball on the fairway and avoids the punishing rough. If you want to understand more about how a hole is built and where the margins lie, we go through it in golf holes: rules, architecture and iconic courses.
Qualifying gives everyone a theoretical chance
One of the US Open's most distinctive aspects is that the tournament is open. Unlike an invitational, anyone with a sufficiently low handicap can enter qualifying, which gives amateurs and club pros a real, if narrow, path to the field. The name reflects exactly this: it is an open championship, not a closed elite club.
Qualifying takes place in several stages during spring and early summer and culminates in long qualifying days where players complete 36 holes in a single day to secure one of the coveted spots. It is one of the few stages in professional golf where a relatively unknown player can suddenly break into the world elite. If you want to understand what handicap is required to even be in contention in such contexts, we sort out the levels in the best handicap in golf.
The courses that recur in the US Open
The USGA rotates the championship among a number of classic courses, and some venues recur with such regularity that they have almost become synonymous with the tournament. Below are three of the most iconic.
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach sits at the edge of the Pacific Ocean in California and is perhaps the most photographed course in American golf. The holes along the cliff edge, with the sea as a constant hazard, make the course as beautiful as it is merciless when the wind picks up. It was here that Tiger Woods won the US Open by a record margin, one of the most dominant performances in major history. The course is also one of the few top courses where the public can book tee times, albeit at a hefty price.
Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont, outside Pittsburgh, is often regarded as the hardest course in the entire US Open rotation. It is known for its rock-hard, lightning-fast greens and for the bunkers called the church pews, long rows of furrowed sand traps that turn tee shots into a game of nerves. Oakmont has hosted more US Opens than any other course, and the winning scores here are regularly among the highest in modern times.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Shinnecock Hills on Long Island is one of the USA's oldest clubs and a course with a distinct links character, open to the wind and with rolling terrain. Here the weather often becomes decisive, and the course has on several occasions tested the patience of both players and organiser when the greens have dried out in the wind. It is a place where positioning and thoughtfulness matter more than raw strength.
A Swedish angle on the major season
For Swedish golf enthusiasts, the US Open coincides with their own season being in full swing. While the world elite battle in American rough, most Swedish courses are in their best form in June, with long bright evenings that invite late rounds. Over the years, Swedish players have made it into the fields via both ranking and qualifying, and the path up almost always goes via lower tours. Anyone curious about that journey can read about Swedish golfers on the European Tour.
Following a major often inspires one's own game, and June is the obvious month to book in your own rounds. If you need a nudge to get out more often, you'll find ideas in our guide to playing nine holes on the golf course, a smart format for evening golf when you don't have time for a full round.
Dress for June golf when you play yourself
Watching the pros contend with heat and wind on American courses highlights how important the right garment is when you play a hot June day yourself. A well-ventilated polo that breathes and holds its shape through the entire round makes a difference on the closing holes. In the polo shirts collection you'll find functional options that sit just as well on the course as afterwards, and for the really hot day a pair of trousers & shorts completes the outfit without losing the clean line.
The June sun is sharp, and a cap protects both your eyes and your concentration during the long hours outside. A few models from the range of caps give you a brim and Swedish design sense in one. If you want to see how the garments work together over a whole day on the course, you can browse see the entire range at Local Rule and put together an outfit that carries you through the whole major season, both as a player and as a late-night viewer of the night's showdown.
