U.S. Open 2026 latest updates: News and notes from Shinnecock Hills

He'll ferry you from Cutchogue to the U.S. Open and back

Chip Cheek took his first customers by boat Monday from Broadwater Cove in Cutchogue to Strong’s Southampton Shinnecock Bay Marina, a quarter-mile walk from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

Cheek, 65, from Cutchogue, is the co-owner of Peconic Bay Sunset Cruises alongside his wife, Lisa. Throughout the week of the U.S. Open, Cheek, the captain, will take passengers to and from Strong’s in Southampton for $150 roundtrip. Each ride takes about 90 minutes, Cheek said.

“Oh my god, it became a vacation rather than just an arduous journey,” said Joel Ehrlich, one of Cheek’s first three passengers of the week. “It's really wonderful.”

Ehrlich, 63, of Mattituck, traveled with his wife, Phyllis, and friend Peter Masso for Monday’s U.S. Open practice round. Cheek says the group is his only trip on Monday, and he also has single bookings for the practice rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Once the U.S. Open officially starts, Cheek said he has multiple trips lined up from Thursday through Sunday. He added he can take eight people each trip on his white 30-foot Sea Ray.

Cheek said he has worked in hospitality his whole life and also sells wine wholesale for Raphael Vineyards on the North Fork. In 2020, he started Peconic Bay Sunset Cruises — which offers services including sunset cruises and boat charters. This was several years after separate bouts of kidney and colon cancer and pancreatitis made him reevaluate how he wanted to spend his time.

“People get sick,” Cheek said, noting he’s had clean health since 2015 and gets checked every six months, “but it makes you realize that you don't have all the time in the world.”

It inspired Cheek to spend as much time as possible on the water and start his business. Now, it’s leading him to spare people on the North Fork the hassle of getting to Shinnecock for the U.S. Open.

Yes, the Open brings more traffic. But it brings more business, too.

Several Hampton Bays businesses said they welcome the visitors from the U.S. Open, even if it means more traffic.

Scott Gerber, owner of Uncle Joe’s Pizza & Parlour on Montauk Highway, said the business has seen an increase in sales from the U.S. Open in addition to seasonal summer rentals and the FIFA World Cup.

“Anytime there's a large-scale event anywhere in the Hamptons, a lot of local tourism picks up,” he said.

Since “housing is tight” in the area, Gerber said that Hampton Bays is one of the most popular areas for rentals.

“We see a ton of new folks coming in, and a lot of people coming in saying they're going to be going to the Open, so our numbers are up,” he said.

Steven Fusco, who has owned Bagel Place Cafe & Deli for 14 years, said foot traffic increased on Monday and he anticipates business to especially boom when tournament play begins Thursday and runs through Sunday.

Fusco said while they received an influx of customers at the last U.S. Open in 2018, the only thing he doesn’t like about the event is the increased traffic.

Last week said it took him an hour and 20 minutes to drive from near Exit 65 on Sunrise Highway to the store.

“It’s horrible,” Fusco said. “I mean, it's bad enough out here in summer to begin with.”

Still, Fusco said the event is overall a positive thing, and if they wanted to “do one after the Fourth of July” he’d be happy. Fusco said his wife painted patriotic decorations on the storefront’s glass windows and doors last week in anticipation of tournament visitors.

“I complain about the traffic, but I like the business,” Fusco said. “I'll take it.”

Remaining practice round tee times for Monday

Time: 11:21 AM

Alex Smalley

Gary Woodland

Scottie Scheffler

Patrick Cantlay

Xander Schauffele

Chris Gotterup

Time: 11:32 AM

Matt McCarty

Matthew Robles (a)

Rickie Fowler

Time: 12:30 PM

Matthias Schmid

Matt Fitzpatrick

Alex Fitzpatrick

Brandon Wu

Tyrrell Hatton

Time: 12:41 PM

Ryo Hisatsune

Benjamin Griffin

J.B. Holmes

Time: 12:52 PM

Billy Horschel

William Mouw

Alejandro Tosti

Jayden Schaper

Hennie Du Plessis

Time: 1:03 PM

Angel Hidalgo

Corey Conners

Nick Taylor

Dylan Wu

Time: 1:14 PM

Kristoffer Reitan

Max Greyserman

Patrick Rodgers

Time: 1:25 PM

Michael Kim

Taihei Sato

Time: 1:36 PM

Kaito Onishi

Marcelo Rozo

Carl Yuan

Nicolas Echavarria

Time: 1:47 PM

Justin Thomas

Jordan Spieth

Jake Knapp

Cameron Young

Time: 1:58 PM

Tommy Fleetwood

Manav Shah

David Puig

Carlos Ortiz

Joaquin Niemann

Rocco Paolo Repetto Taylor

Time: 2:09 PM

TK Kim

Aaron Rai

Time: 2:20 PM

Sudarshan Yellamaraju

Max McGreevy

Kevin Roy

Ryder Cowan (a)

Time: 2:31 PM

Maverick McNealy

Johnny Keefer

Matthew Jordan

Time: 2:42 PM

Nicolai Hojgaard

Mateo Pulcini (a)

Time: 3:15 PM

Jack Schoenberger

Matthias Schmid

Time: 3:26 PM

Emiliano Grillo

Time: 3:37 PM

Akshay Bhatia

Alejandro Tosti

Time: 3:48 PM

Angel Hidalgo

Time: 3:59 PM

Kristoffer Reitan

Time: 4:43 PM

Tommy Fleetwood

With 'circus' in town, canceled tutoring, changed Father's Day plans

Outside the King Kullen on Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays, shoppers said the traffic brought by the U.S. Open was altering their plans.

Liz Nacinovich, who lives in Queens and frequently visits Hampton Bays, said it took her sister an hour and a half to get from her home in Hampton Bays to the elementary school in Southampton where she teaches, and she canceled her morning tutoring appointments for fear of being late. Her commute usually takes an hour, due to the "trade parade" — the collection of contractors, landscapers and other workers traveling to the Hamptons each day.

"She was hoping that maybe the trades wouldn't be as bad. but she said this morning it was just as bad," Nacinovich said. "It’s stressful."

While she is in town, Nacinovich said she plans to avoid major roads and enjoy the comfort of her sister's home and its surrounding area.

Nacinovich said she and her family were considering celebrating Father’s Day on the East End, but with the sporting event, they may spend the holiday in Queens.

"With this circus going on, I’m not going to be able to get reservations, all the prices are jacked up, and you don't want to sit in traffic," she said. "So it altered ... the family's ability to enjoy our home."

Tina Belvedere, 76, Hampton Bays, said the parking lot at the King Kullen shopping center is usually fairly empty on a Monday morning. But on Monday, the lot was mostly full, and she figured the sporting event was the reason why.

“Last time it really bothered me, because I was working in Southampton. It was terrible,” said Belvedere, who used to worked for a veterans organization. “But now I'm retired. I guess it brings money into the town. I guess it’s OK.”

Less stress, faster trips on the LIRR

Paul Saulnier, a volunteer for this year’s U.S. Open, got a text alerting volunteers that heavy traffic is causing delays to get to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

So, Saulnier, 68, took the Long Island Rail Road.

From the Hampton Bays LIRR station to Shinnecock Hills "is only like 10 minutes," he said. "But it'll take you like an hour and a half in a car, so they say."

Saulnier, who also has a residence in Queens, added he wouldn’t have volunteered if he didn’t have a house closer to Shinnecock, because of the traffic.

Robert Bracken, 61, from Greenport, was also waiting at the Hampton Bays station to head to Shinnecock as a fan for Monday’s practice round.

Bracken said he wasn’t surprised "at all" about the traffic on his way to Hampton Bays, where he said he parked his car before finishing his trip by taking the LIRR.

"It could have been hours," Bracken said of driving all the way to Shinnecock. "Less stress for us to take the train."

 

Links on the links

What this U.S. Open will lack in perceived star power it will more than make up for in setting at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

This championship has potential to become known as the U.S. Wide Open. Why? Because of the more-generous-than-usual fairways.

From "Westward Ho" to "Home," here's the hole-by-hole breakdown of the course at Shinnecock.

The FAQ for fans who are going or want to go to the Open.

Adam Scott is 45 and he's about to accomplish something only Jack Nicklaus has done: play in 100 straight majors.

From the east, a free shuttle

For fans attending the U.S. Open from Southampton, Sag Harbor, Bridgehampton and East Hampton, a free parking and shuttle service is available at the Hampton Classic fairgrounds on Mitchell Lane in Bridgehampton.

The shuttle took about 20 minutes to get from the Hampton Classic fairgrounds to the drop off point near Gate 8 — a generally smooth entry for fans attending Monday’s practice round.

Traffic delays already happening

At about 8 a.m., the traffic woes were in evidence.

Just under 10 miles away from Shinnecock Hills, GPS estimated arrival time was about 31 minutes.

Drivers traveling from the west to the U.S. Open on the Long Island Expressway early Monday met fairly smooth traffic after 6 a.m.

But approaching from the west, traffic signs encouraged U.S. Open attendees to park in Calverton Enterprise Park and take a shuttle to Shinnecock Hills.

GPS alerted travelers on the LIE to avoid taking Route 27 and was rerouting drivers onto backroads through Hampton Bays.

Then, drivers getting onto County Road 80 from Country Road 62, 5 miles from the venue, had an estimated 35 minutes' arrival time to their destination due to road closures, including St. Andrew’s Road, according to GPS.

Traffic cones lining the median of Montauk Highway, as well as people directing traffic, prevented westbound drivers from making U-turns.

The very basics of the U.S. Open

The 126th U.S. Open will be held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton June 18-21. The tournament will see its final round played on Father's Day. Practice rounds begin Monday.

When the field is set, it is likely to have about 68 players who had to go through 36-hole qualifying process and 88 players who were exempt through various categories. The favorite is Scottie Scheffler, who has been favored at every major as the No. 1 player in the world for three straight years and has won three of the last 10 majors. Masters champion Rory McIlroy is also a betting favorite.

Just like the other three majors, the format is 72 holes of stroke play. If there is a tie between two or more players at the end of regulation, there will be a two-hole aggregate playoff, and if it's still tied, a sudden-death playoff after that.

For now, clear ride into Shinnecock Hills

Early Monday, signs along Route 27 east of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club warned drivers to expect delays associated with the U.S. Open, whose first practice round begins Monday morning.

Police cars were seen lined up along the road.

Traffic jams — which stretched 10 miles on the first day of the 2018 U.S. Open practice round in Shinnecock — had not begun.

Traveling to the golf course from the east posed no major problems; there was some congestion near the course entrance, but no stoppages.

The USGA is encouraging fans to take the Long Island Rail Road or use shuttle buses from park-and-ride lots.