Gusty, Changing Winds to Challenge Golfers at Shinnecock Hills for 2026 U.S. Open

Coming into the 2026 U.S. Open, one of the big questions was how much of a factor the weather would be at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. The wind is part of what makes Shinnecock Hills one of golf's toughest tests, and while it's always present, exactly how aggressive it's blowing on any given day will determine just how difficult the course will play.

The final pre-tournament forecast provides good news for the USGA and fans of carnage, and bad news for players who will spend four days battling the course and the elements. Those who hoped for relatively light winds in the 10-15 mph range will be greeted with 20+ mph winds on the first three days of competition, with things finally relenting a bit on Sunday, dropping to 15 mph.

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Not only is it expected to be extremely gusty at Shinnecock Hills this week, but the wind is going to be constantly moving around, blowing from different directions each day. It'll come primarily out of the south on Thursday, the southwest on Friday, the west northwest on Saturday and then back to a south southwest on Sunday. That's going to make it extremely difficult to establish a rhythm as the week goes on, because the holes will play differently in different winds.

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Adding to the challenge is the expectation of some rain and potential stormy conditions on Thursday, which could make for a very long day at the course if there are any stoppages of play.

2026 U.S. Open weather forecast

Forecast via Accuweather

Day Temperature (AM) Wind (AM) Chance of Rain (AM) Temperature (PM) Wind (PM) Chance of Rain (PM)

Thursday

71 degrees

SSE 16 mph (25 mph gusts)

55%

72 degrees

SSW 25 mph (43 mph gusts)

55%

Friday

76 degrees

WSW 20 mph (31 mph gusts)

7%

77 degrees

SW 20 mph (35 mph gusts)

6%

Saturday

76 degrees

WNW 20 mph (35 mph gusts)

7%

77 degrees

WNW 20 mph (39 mph gusts)

7%

Sunday

76 degrees

WNW 9 mph (16 mph gusts)

13%

75 degrees

SW 12 mph (25 mph gusts)

20%

Thursday afternoon could be gnarly and it's very possible that the early/late wave has a sizable advantage over the late/early wave this week just because of how big the difference in wind looks like it will be on Thursday from the morning to the afternoon -- whereas Friday's wind looks much steadier all day. The possibility of not only rain but afternoon thunderstorms could alleviate some of those issues for the late wave if a delay forces the first round to finish on Friday.

In any case, there will not be a reprieve from the wind until Sunday, when things are expected to calm down to a more manageable level. However, given the forecast calls for a big wind switch from WNW to SW, players might not have as strong a wind to deal with in the afternoon, but will still deal with a wind switch as the day wears on.

Aside from the possibility of a storm on Thursday afternoon, this is the exact forecast the USGA would've hoped for when they picked Shinnecock Hills as a host site. Stiff winds are part of the test and they'll get those all week, with the added bonus of the winds constantly shifting direction, adding to the stress and difficulty of figuring out how each hole will play each day.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/2026-us-open-weather-forecast-new-york-shinnecock-hills/)._