2024 US Open: Everything you need to know as golf’s Major season heads for Pinehurst No.2

The US Open returns to Pinehurst No.2, 25 years on from Payne Stewart's victory.

The revered Course No.2 at Pinehurst hosts the 124th US Open and the final chance of 2024 to grab a Major on US soil. Here’s our guide to everything you need to know.

Pinehurst No.2 will welcome a field of 156 players as it hosts the men’s Major Championship for the fourth time, 25 years after the US Open first headed to the famous North Carolina resort.

Following the decision to move the PGA Championship from its traditional mid-August slot to May in 2019, only three weeks separate the second and third Majors of the year.

Xander Schauffele prevailed by a single shot after a dramatic finale at Valhalla last month, holding off a charge from LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau to win his first Major.

DeChambeau’s performance was impressive, proving again that LIV golfers can still contend in the four biggest events of the year, but the US Open won’t have as many players from the breakaway circuit competing as we’ve seen at The Masters and PGA Championship.

Indeed, while 13 played at Augusta and 16 were in the field at Valhalla, only 12 will tee it up in North Carolina. A host of players attempted to punch their ticket to the competition via the 36-hole final qualifying on Monday, yet only two secured a spot in the field from the 17 who attempted to get there.

Former Major champions Webb Simpson and Francesco Molinari came through qualifying last week, while Matteo Manassero secured his first Major spot since 2016 at the Walton Heath qualifier. Robert Rock – who retired from professional golf in 2022 – also sealed his place in the event for the first time since 2012.

The main talking point from the ‘longest day in golf’ – so-called due to its grueling 36-hole format played in a single day – was the failure of Adam Scott to secure his place in the 156-player field for this week. The Aussie looked set to join host of big name players who will miss the US Open, ending his streak of 91 consecutive Major starts, which began at 2001 Open Championship. However, the 43-year-old will be at Pinehurst, having become exempt following the passing of Grayson Murray.

Scott, who is No. 61 in the World Rankings, moved into the qualifying spots when the late Murray (No. 59) was removed from the list. With the top 60 all qualifying, Scott will compete in his 23rd consecutive US Open, hoping to better his best finish – a tie for fourth in 2015 at Chambers Bay.

Sergio Garcia was another big name expected to miss out having failed to progress from qualifying, but the Spaniard will tee it up in his 25th consecutive US Open. The 44-year-old, who plays his trade on LIV Golf, was the first alternate from the Dallas qualifier.

Tiger Woods will be playing in his 23^rd US Open, the scene of his greatest-ever Major win, with the three-time winner receiving a special invite after his exemption ended. He will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing missed cut at Valhalla.

Martin Kaymer was the runaway winner when the tournament was last played at Pinehurst ten years ago, winning by an eight-shot margin, but a finish akin to either 1999 or 2005 – won by the late Payne Stewart and Michael Campbell respectively – would make for a more thrilling Sunday for the millions watching.

Despite popular opinion, the average winning score at the last ten US Opens has been 7.4-under-par – in fact, Brooks Koepka’s one-over score in 2018 is the only over-par total in that period, suggesting that, while the USGA ensures it’s no walk in the park, low scores are possible at a US Open. We predict something around the three-under will get the job done this week and expect a tight tournament packed with drama.

Where is the US Open being played?

The US Open will head to Pinehurst, one of the world’s best golf resorts, where the No.2 course will host the tournament for the fourth time, having previously held the Major in 1999, 2005 and 2014. The course has also hosted the PGA Championship in 1936, the US Women’s Open in 2014 and the Ryder Cup in 1951.

The first golf course at Pinehurst resort was opened between 1897-97, yet it wasn’t until 1907 when Pinehurst No.2 – designed by Donald Ross – opened.

For the US Open, Pinehurst will play as a par 70 with the course set to play at 7,588 yards featuring just two par-5s.

The winning scores in 1999 and 2005 were one-under and even par respectively, but Kaymer decimated the course ten years ago, finishing at nine-under for the tournament.

Read our full Pinehurst No.2 guide.

What format is the US Open?

The event uses a standard strokeplay format of 72 holes of 18 holes over four days.

If players are tied after 72 holes, a two-hole aggregate playoff is used to determine the champion, followed by a sudden death hole-by-hole match if so required.

Until 2017, the US Open used a full 18-hole Monday playoff to determine the winner, with the new format introduced in 2018.

Who is in the field for the US Open?

The top 60 players in the Official World Golf Rankings qualify for the Major which has a stacked 156-man field.

Scottie Scheffler heads to Pinehurst as the form player in 2024 with five PGA Tour wins to his name, including The Masters, Players Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and last week’s Memorial Tournament. But Xander Schauffele arrives with his PGA Championship victory still fresh in his mind, while Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy, and Viktor Hovland have plenty to be positive about.

Of the LIV contingent, Joaquin Niemann failed to secure his spots via sectional qualifying, while Patrick Reed, Louis Oosthuizen and Talor Gooch all chose not to attempt qualification for the tournament.

Read our full guide to the 2024 US Open field and how they qualified.

Who will win the US Open?

It would be easy for us just to pick Scottie Scheffler, but we like to delve properly into the reasons behind our chosen champion, so we’ve got our crystal ball out, analyzed the stats and come up with a comprehensive guide to who will win the US Open using ten detailed steps. But if you prefer to follow the bookies’ thoughts, the latest odds are below… and, unsurprisingly, they’re overwhelmingly backing the World No.1.

Selected odds for the 2024 US Open (correct 7 June, 22.00)

Scottie Scheffler 3/1

Rory McIlroy 11/1

Xander Schauffele 12/1

Bryson Dechambeau 16/1

Collin Morikawa 16/1

Viktor Hovland 16/1

Ludvig Aberg 18/1

Patrick Cantlay 33/1

Wyndham Clark 40/1

How much will the US Open winner receive?

Last year, Wyndham Clark received a winner’s share of $3.6m, which was over twice the amount that Kaymer received for winning the same competition in 2014 during the last US Open at Pinehurst.

The full prize money breakdown will be announced during the competition and we expect to see a hike from 2023. Once again, the leading amateurs will not be eligible for any of the purse.

How to watch the 2024 US Open?

Head over to our comprehensive guides on how to watch the US Open in the UK and how to watch the US Open in the US for all your viewing and streaming options.

Who has won the US Open in the last decade?

Incredibly, the previous ten editions have seen nine different winners, with only Brooks Koepka winning it more than once.

Only Brooks Koepka has achieved multiple US Open wins in the last 10 editions with back-to-back wins in 2017 and 2018 with a remarkable 17 shots between his respective winning scores. Tiger Woods isn’t among the most recent winners having lifted the last of his three US Opens in 2008 at Torrey Pines.

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About the Author

Ross Kilvington – Contributing Golf News Writer

Ross Kilvington is a freelance writer from Scotland who currently writes previews for Today’s Golfer, covering events on the DP World, PGA and LPGA tours along with the LIV Golf Series.

Ross holds a passionate interest in golf and tries to play as often as possible, although having two daughters under the age of 6 means his quest to break 80 will have to wait a little longer.

Despite first picking up a club aged 11, highlights are few and far between on the golf course.

An Eagle on the par-4 16th at Kinghorn is one that stands out (it doesn’t matter that it was only 290 yards).