Majors are meant to be difficult, but the U.S. Open stands above the rest as golf’s toughest test.

No other championship asks more of the players. No other championship is as deliberate about making the game difficult. The USGA's mandate has always been the same: identify the best player in the world, over four days, on a course that gives nothing away.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

Shinnecock Hills is sure to deliver another memorable U.S. Open weekend, as it has in the past.

In the five previous U.S. Opens at Shinnecock Hills, only three golfers have finished with scores under par, per Mark Schlabach of ESPN.

The clubhouse has its own significant history, and the course beneath it is one of the finest in the world: a links-style layout set among the rolling dunes of Long Island's South Fork.

Generally considered the earliest links in America, the course was heavily remodeled by C.B. Macdonald and then rebuilt by William S. Flynn in the early 1930s. The architecture has remained largely unchanged in nearly 60 years.

There’s a lot of U.S. Open history that’s happened here: In 1896, the USGA president refused to yield when players signed a petition saying they wouldn’t compete if John Shippen, a black man, and Oscar Bunn, a Native American, were allowed to start. Both men played, and Shippen tied for fifth, earning himself $25 for his performance.

Fifth place this year will get you a pretty $843,765. Just a bit more than Shippen made back in the day.

Ninety years later, Raymond Floyd won his final major at 43, becoming the oldest U.S. Open champion at the time until Hale Irwin won the event in 1990 at 45 years and 15 days old. Corey Pavin hit one of golf's most famous approach shots on 18 in 1995 to win by two. Brooks Koepka claimed the second of his back-to-back titles here in 2018, he now has five major titles to his name.

We expect Shinnecock to deliver another incredible story. With penalizing rough and slippery greens, any day at or under par is a good day. We’re sure to see the agony of defeat and mistake as well as the thrill of victory at the end for the champion. The winner will have to earn it against their competitors, but also against this test of a course.

U.S. Open Qualifying

You’ll see some unfamiliar names in the field this week.

That’s because the U.S. Open is the most accessible major in golf. Any professional or amateur with a handicap index of 0.4 or lower can enter. This year the USGA accepted 10,201 entries — the fifth time the total has exceeded 10,000.

Players work through local qualifying at over 100 sites, then final qualifying — 36 holes, one day, at 13 sites including international venues. The day is known as Golf's Longest Day, and the players who survive it arrive at Shinnecock having already earned something.

This year, 65 players qualified through local and final qualifying rounds, while 91 were exempt by rank, previous performance, and other exemptions.

LAGC Storylines

Justin Rose is no stranger to the difficulty of the U.S. Open, but he’s also the only one on the team to have conquered it before. His 2013 U.S. Open win will give him an edge, though the task ahead remains as difficult as any this year.

Tommy Fleetwood authored one of the greatest rounds in recent U.S. Open history — his 63 (-7) on Sunday at Shinnecock in 2018 broke the course record. Though he finished one stroke shy of the title, the score lives in the record books and the course clearly suits him. He arrives with unfinished business on Long Island.

Collin Morikawa is a two-time major champion, though he’s still chasing the U.S. Open trophy. Precise iron play is the premium here, and nobody on TOUR plays irons like Morikawa. He is among the most dangerous players in the field, and could secure his third of four majors en route to a Grand Slam.

Sahith Theegala earned his spot by being in the top-5 of the FedExCup Standings of those who weren’t otherwise exempt. He'll head to Shinnecock looking to capture his first major championship.

What to Watch

Rose, Fleetwood, Moriwaka, and Theegala all have reason to believe this is their time.

The wind will blow. The greens will be difficult to manage. Somebody will make a Sunday charge, while others will be defeated by the elements. We can’t wait to see the U.S. Open story unfold at Shinnecock Hills.

Tune in to ESPN, Golf Channel, and CBS to catch the action.