The Form Players Heading into the US Open 2026

The US Open is the ultimate truth serum in golf. No hiding spots, no bail-out areas, no coasting into a weekend payday. Shinnecock Hills – that brute of an inland links on Long Island – will punish anyone not firing on all cylinders. When the USGA sets this 7,440-yard par 70 up with firm greens and coastal wind, the scoring average can balloon past four over (it hit +4.65 back in 2018). This is not a week for passengers.

So who is actually playing their best golf right now? Forget narratives and name value. The Statz trending data tells us exactly who is peaking at the perfect time – and who has been quietly climbing the ranks when nobody was watching.

Here is the form guide you need heading into the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

The Hottest Hands in Golf

Strokes Gained Total over the last 16 rounds tells us who is playing the best golf in the world right now. No noise, no reputation – just performance against the field.

Jon Rahm leads the way at +2.665 per round, though that figure comes from just eight rounds. Still, when Rahm is on, few can match his all-round game. The Spaniard has the power and precision to tame Shinnecock, and his form says he is ready for a major fight.

Right behind him is a name that might surprise casual fans. Jackson Koivun sits second at +2.623 per round across a full 16-round sample. That is no small-sample fluke – that is sustained, elite-level golf.

Wyndham Clark is third at +2.600 per round over 16 rounds. Clark already has a US Open title on his CV and knows what it takes to close out the toughest test in golf. His form heading into Shinnecock is ominous.

Scottie Scheffler sits fourth at +2.410 per round over 16 rounds. The world number one does not need form to be dangerous, but when his numbers look like this, the rest of the field should be nervous. His L24 SG Total of 2.39 confirms the consistency – this is not a hot streak, it is his baseline.

Joaquin Niemann rounds out the top five at +2.040 per round from eight rounds. The Chilean is a ball-striking machine, and as we will see below, his approach play is the best in the field right now.

The Movers – Who Is Trending Up?

Raw form is one thing. But the delta between a player’s recent eight rounds and their prior eight rounds tells a different story – it shows who is surging. These are the players whose games have clicked into gear at exactly the right time.

Jesper Svensson tops the movers chart with a staggering +4.70 delta. He went from -2.30 SG Total in his prior eight rounds to +2.40 in his recent eight. That is a complete transformation. When a player flips the switch that dramatically, something fundamental has changed in their game.

Ryan Gerard is not far behind with a +3.94 delta, moving from -1.01 to +2.93 per round. Gerard also ranks 10th in SG Approach form – his iron play is sharp and Shinnecock rewards exactly that.

Si Woo Kim has the third-largest swing at +3.34, and his recent eight-round SG Total of +3.08 is elite by any standard. Kim has always had the talent – when his game is humming, he can compete with anyone.

Brice Garnett (+3.26 delta) and Max Homa (+2.86 delta) complete the top five movers. Homa’s move from -1.49 to +1.37 is particularly interesting – he has major pedigree and the kind of creative shot-making that Shinnecock demands.

Approach Form – The Key to Shinnecock

If there is one stat that separates contenders from pretenders at Shinnecock Hills, it is Strokes Gained: Approach. The greens here average around 6,000 square feet – small, firm, and fiercely defended by bunkers and run-off areas. You have to be precise with your irons to contend.

Joaquin Niemann leads SG Approach over the last 16 rounds at a remarkable +1.429 per round. That number is elite. If Niemann can keep hitting greens like this at Shinnecock, he will be in the mix on Sunday.

Scheffler is second at +1.111, confirming what we already know – his iron play is world class and his form is peaking. Tom Kim (+1.044) is third, with J.J. Spaun fourth at +0.982. Spaun’s L24 SG Approach of 1.08 makes him one of the most consistent iron players in the field over a longer window too.

Jackson Suber (+0.979), Aaron Rai (+0.919), and Alex Fitzpatrick (+0.915) all feature in the top seven. Fitzpatrick’s brother Matt knows a thing or two about US Opens, and Alex’s approach numbers suggest the family talent for iron play runs deep.

Names to Watch at Shinnecock

Putting the form data together, here are the players who could outperform their odds this week.

J.J. Spaun – Eighth in overall SG Total form (+1.596/round), fourth in SG Approach (+0.982), and his L24 numbers (SG Total 1.60, SG APP 1.08) show this is not a blip. Spaun is a grinder who thrives when conditions are tough. Shinnecock is his kind of test.

Aaron Rai – Ninth in SG Total form (+1.592/round) and sixth in SG Approach (+0.919). The Englishman grew up on links-style golf in Wolverhampton and his game translates beautifully to courses that demand accuracy over power. At likely generous odds, Rai could be tremendous value.

Jackson Suber – Tenth in SG Total (+1.556/round) and fifth in SG Approach (+0.979) over 16 rounds. Suber is hitting his irons as well as almost anyone in the field. When a player ranks top 10 in both overall form and approach form simultaneously, that is the profile you want at a US Open.

Ryan Gerard – The second-biggest mover in the field (+3.94 delta) and 10th in SG Approach (+0.771). Gerard’s recent form of +2.93 per round is spectacular, and the approach numbers confirm this is built on substance, not just hot putting. One to track closely.

The Bottom Line

Shinnecock Hills does not care about your world ranking. It does not care about your brand deals or your Instagram following. It cares about one thing – can you play golf at your absolute peak when the conditions demand it?

The data says Scheffler, Rahm, Clark, and Niemann are the form horses. But the movers list and the approach numbers point to real value further down the market. This is a US Open where precision matters more than power, and the players dialling in their irons right now will have a serious edge.

Dig into the full field data and projections at statz.ai/golf and track who is trending on the Statz trending page before you finalise your selections.