U.S. Open 2026: How the 36-hole cutline is determined at Shinnecock Hills

Mike Mulholland

By Ryan Herrington

June 19, 2026

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SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — A weather forecast at the 2026 U.S. Open complete with consistent minimum winds of 15-20 mph over four days had USGA officials concerned enough to alter their original plans for setting up venerable Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Slower greens, syringing the putting surfaces mid-round and more conservative hole locations—the opposite of USGA thinking for decades when it comes to its national championship—were all employed to avoid a repeat of the disasters that befell the 2004 and 2018 Opens at Shinnecock.

“We could brutalize this place the next few days if we wanted to,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA Chief Championships Officer. “That's not what we're about. We really want it to be fair, and we want it to be what Shinnecock Hills has always been. It will be tough enough.”

Indeed, when the first round wrapped up Friday morning after a fog-delay stymied play on Thursday, the average score was still 73.278, even with the 18-hole leader, Wyndham Clark, shot a six-under 64 and there were 16 sub-par rounds. It’s lower than a year ago at Oakmont (74.63) but that was the highest it has been since eight years ago at Shinnecock (76.47).

Come Friday, however, the prevailing thought is that Shinnecock Hills will show more teeth, the winds drying things out and the concerns for a horrendous Thursday now behind everyone. With the potentially for more difficult play Friday’s second round, there’s a natural question that is coming into players’ minds: How will this impact making the 36-hole cut? Sure while players will be jockeying for position atop the leader board in hopes of eventually winning the championship come Sunday, many others will be simply trying to just make sure they’re still on Long Island come the weekend.

Unlike the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, which allows the low 70 players and ties to play all four rounds, the USGA has a slightly higher bar for its “cut rule,” taking only the low 60 and ties. And there is no “10-stroke rule” in effect to help determine the U.S. Open cut; the USGA did away with it in 2011.

With more than a dozen players posting under-par scores in the first round, the projected cutline from datagolf.com at 6:15 p.m. Friday was a 57.4 percent probability of four-over-par 144 and a 42.6 percent chance it dips to three-over 143. A year ago at Oakmont, the cut fell at seven-over 147 and two years ago at Pinehurst, it was five-over 145. Three years ago at LACC, it was only two-over 142, breaking the U.S. Open record for lowest cutline by one stroke previously set in 2003 at Olympia Fields and 2022 at The Country Club.

Among those appearing as if they'll not make to the weekend include: Bryson DeChambeau (five over), Viktor Hovland (five over), Jon Rahm (six over) and Patrick Cantlay (six over).

If you think just making the cut doesn’t mean much in determining the ultimate winner, we refer yet again to what happened eight years ago at Shinnecock Hills. Tony Finau and Daniel Berger had made the 36-hole cut with one stroke to spare, but were 11 strokes off the lead when they teed off on Saturday morning in the third round. They each posted four-under 66s, and when the winds picked up in the afternoon—along with the scores—Finau and Berger found themselves tied for the lead after 54 holes. Finau would eventually finish fifth and Berger would come in tied for sixth, each securing spots into the 2019 championship with their weekend play.

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So yeah, even just making the cut is a big deal. (Oh, and they’re playing for a record $22.5 million in prize money, so getting to the weekend, even on the number, can be financially very lucrative, too.)

Here's what the cutline has been for the last 10 U.S. Opens:

2025: 147 (+7), Oakmont
2024: 145 (+5), Pinehurst No. 2
2023: 142 (+2), Los Angeles Country Club
2022: 143 (+3), The Country Club
2021: 146 (+4), Torrey Pines
2020: 146 (+6), Winged Foot
2019: 144 (+2), Pebble Beach
2018: 148 (+8), Shinnecock Hills
2017: 145 (+1), Erin Hills
2016: 146 (+6), Oakmont
2015: 145 (+5), Chambers Bay

And here's what it's been the three previous times it's been played at Oakmont:

2018: 148 (+8)
2004: 145 (+5)
1995: 146 (+6)
1986: 150 (+10)

For history buffs, here are some stats related to the cut at the U.S. Open:

Highest 36-Hole Cut (Since World War II):
155 (15 over), The Olympic Club (Lake Course), San Francisco, Calif., 1955
154 (14 over), Southern Hills C.C., Tulsa, Okla., 1958
154 (10 over), Pebble Beach (Calif.) G.L., 1972

Lowest 36-Hole Cut
142 (+2), Los Angeles Country Club (North Course), 2023
143 (+3), Olympia Fields (Ill.) C.C. (North Course), 2003
143 (+3), The Country Club (Open Course), 2022
144 (+2), Pebble Beach (Calif.) G.L., 2019
144 (+4), Baltusrol G.C. (Lower Course), Springfield, N.J., 1993
144 (+4), Bethpage State Park (Black Course), Farmingdale, N.Y., 2009
145 (+1), Medinah (Ill.) C.C. (No. 3 Course), 1990
145 (+1), Erin Hills, Erin, Wis., 2017
145 (+5), Oakland Hills C.C. (South Course), Birmingham, Mich., 1985
145 (+5), Oak Hill C.C. (East Course), Rochester, N.Y., 1989
145 (+5), Shinnecock Hills G.C., Southampton, N.Y., 2004
145 (+5), Pinehurst R. & C.C. (No. 2), Village of Pinehurst, N.C., 2014
145 (+5), Chambers Bay, University Place, Wash., 2015
145 (+5), Pinehurst R. & C.C. (No. 2), Village of Pinehurst, N.C., 2024

Most Players to Make Cut
108, Oakland Hills C.C. (South Course), Bloomfield Hills, Mich., 1996
88, Baltusrol G.C. (Lower Course), Springfield, N.J., 1993

Most U.S. Opens Completed, 72 Holes
35, Jack Nicklaus
27, Hale Irwin
27, Sam Snead
26, Raymond Floyd
26, Phil Mickelson
26, Gene Sarazen
25, Gary Player
25, Tom Watson

Youngest to Make Cut (since World War II)
17/3/0 Beau Hossler, 2012, T-29th
17/8/29 Michael Thorbjornsen, 2019, 79th
18/1/25 Bobby Clampett, 1978, T-30th
18/4/25 Jack Nicklaus, 1958, T-41st
18/9/3 Aldrich Potgeiter, 2023, 64th

Oldest to Make Cut
61 Sam Snead, 1973, T-29
60 Tom Watson, 2010, T-29
58 Jack Nicklaus, 1998, T-43