For nine DP World Tour members, this week's U.S. Open will be their first taste of the "toughest test in golf".
The United States' national open and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will provide a unique challenge and for three members it is a true baptism of fire as they make their Major bow.
Here, we take a look at the nine men set for one of the biggest week's of their career so far.
Filippo Celli
Age: 25
Exemption: Final Qualifying
Best Major finish: T47 - 2022 Open Championship
The Italian finished in a tie for third at Walton Heath to earn his spot on Long Island as he continues to move through the ranks in his professional career. He may still be best remembered for his amateur heroics when, after two years of collegiate golf, he enjoyed a stellar summer of 2022. He won the European Amateur Championship, the Silver Medal at The 150th Open and tasted team success at the Eisenhower Trophy before turning professional on home soil at the Italian Open. He lost a six-way play-off at the Andalucía Challenge de Cádiz on the HotelPlanner Tour in 2023 and graduated from the Qualifying School later that year. He lost his card but is now back on Tour after finishing seventh on last season's Road to Mallorca with the help of a victory at the Dutch Futures.
Ugo Coussaud
Age: 33
Exemption: Final Qualifying
Best Major finish: N/A
The first of our two Major debutants, the Frenchman was another who played his way into the field at Walton Heath. It has been a long road to the Majors for a player who is in his tenth year as a professional career after an amateur career that saw him play in the Eisenhower Trophy and European Amateur Team Championship. In his rookie season on the Alps Tour, he won the Open Golf Clément Ader Paris to finish second on the Order of Merit and earn a place on the HotelPlanner Tour. He was a regular there for six seasons and in 2023 had a breakout year, winning The Challenge presented by KGA and registering three runner-up finishes to secure fourth place on the Road to Mallorca. He has been a picture of consistency o the DP World Tour ever since, securing eight top tens and making the Play-Offs twice.
Alex Fitzpatrick
Age: 27
Exemption: 2026 FedEx Cup standings
Best Major finish: T17 - 2023 Open Championship
For so long in the shadows of Major Championship-winning brother Matt, the Englishman has truly emerged to global prominence in 2026. After turning professional in 2022 following a successful collegiate career at Wake Forest University, he kickstarted his career in the paid ranks with victory on the HotelPlanner Tour at the British Challenge presented by Modest! Golf Management. But it wasn't until March this year where he made his DP World Tour breakthrough with victory at the Hero Indian Open. Less than a month later, he made history alongside Matt at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans as the pair became the first brothers to win on the PGA TOUR. He has since taken to life stateside like a duck to water, claming three top tens from five starts as a member of both the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR to help earn his place in the field this week.
Angel Hidalgo
Age: 28
Exemption: Final Qualifying
Best Major finish: Missed Cut - 2024 and 2025 Open Championship
Another player to come through qualifying at Walton Heath, the Spaniard is bringing his swashbuckling style to his first US-based Major. A two-time winner of the Spanish Amateur and member of the Spanish team that won the European Amateur Team Championship, he entered the paid ranks in 2018 and won twice on the Alps Tour in 2021. He claimed his first HotelPlanner Tour victory at the Big Green Egg German Challenge and while he did not graduate that year, he made the most of his limited status to finish 91st on the Race to Dubai Rankings secure a full card for 2023. A thrilling play-off victory against Jon Rahm at the 2024 Open de España presented by Madrid gave him onternational prominence and he will now be eager to take the next step and be a regular major contender.
Nathan Kimsey
Age: 33
Exemption: Final Qualifying
Best Major finish: T40 - 2025 Open Championship
The in-form Englishman is on course for a career-best year on the DP World Tour after winning Qualifying at Walton Heath. As an amateur, he represented Great Britan & Ireland at the Jacques Léglise Trophy, St Andrews Trophy and Walker Cup and won the European Amateur Team Championship with England before turning professional in 2013. He has achieved the rare feat of graduating onto the DP World Tour by winning both the Road to Mallorca and the Qualifying School but injuries to his hand and wrist in recent seasons have made it hard for him to fully establish himself. Now back on Tour once again via the Qualifying School, he already has five top tens in 2026.
Rocco Repetto Taylor
Age: 23
Exemption: Final Qualifying
Best Major finish: N/A
The only player on our list to fully take the US collegiate route to professional golf, the Spaniard will be playing his first Major on Long Island. After four years at Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, he turned professional in 2024 and quickly tasted victory on the Alps Tour at the La Cigale Golf Open. The Spaniard’s maiden HotelPlanner Tour win came in just his second appearance at the Challenge de Cadiz, a result which opened up playing opportunities on the 2025 Road to Mallorca. Following his rookie campaign, which included four further top ten finishes, Repetto Taylor earned one of 20 available DP World Tour cards following the Rolex Grand Final supported by The R&A.
Adrien Saddier
Age: 34
Exemption: 2025 Race to Dubai Rankings
Best Major finish: T52 - 2025 Open Championship
The Frenchman celebrated his 200th start on the DP World Tour with victory at the Italian Open last year. It was also his first title as a professional since the 2016 Fred Olsen Challenge de España on the HotelPlanner Tour. While he first earned his card at DP World Tour Qualifying School in his rookie year as a professional in 2013, it is only since returning to the Tour by the same route at the end of 2022 that his career has prospered. After comfortably retaining his status in 2023 and 2024, he finished runner-up at the BMW PGA Championship to go alongside his win in Italy as he finished ninth in the Race to Dubai to earn a dual member card on the PGA TOUR.
Jayden Schaper
Age: 25
Exemption: 2026 Race to Dubai Rankings
Best Major finish: Missed Cut - 2026 US PGA Championship
Along with Patrick Reed and Casey Jarvis, he is one of three players to have won twice on the DP World Tour this season. A two-time Sunshine Tour Rookie of the Year, he won over back-to-back weeks during the Opening Swing - on both occasions prevailing in a play-off. Last season, he registered nine top tens on golf's global tour - second most behind Angel Ayora - and he has only built from there. Having moved inside the world's top 50 briefly earlier this year, he is the top-ranked South African. Having returned to action at the Turkish Airlines Open after a near two-month break, he has not quite hit those early-season heights but now makes a second Major start in as many months as he aims to kickstart his push for the Harry Vardon Trophy.
Hennie du Plessis
Age: 29
Exemption: Final Qualifying (Alternate)
Best Major finish: N/A
The South African will make his Major debut after getting into the U.S. Open field as the first alternate from the Walton Heath final qualifier. A two-time winner on the Sunshine Tour, he spent 18 months on the sidelines from 2024 to 2025 as he battled his way back from wrist surgery and a few complications with his rehab. He is now on track for his career-best finish on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World this season. During the International Swing, he registered three consecutive top-five finishes including a runner-up spot at his national open in March.
