The U.S. Open Added 35 More Exempt Players, but Adam Scott's Number Is the One That Hits Hardest

Image: Birdie Report

The 2026 U.S. Open field got a lot more real on Monday, May 18, when the USGA added 35 more fully exempt players and pushed the current total to 86.

That matters because it pulls a bunch of recognizable names into Shinnecock Hills from June 18-21, but the detail that really jumps off the page is Adam Scott.

According to the USGA’s official May 18 update, Scott is now in position to make his 100th consecutive major-championship start, joining Jack Nicklaus as the only players to reach triple digits in that category. That is absurd longevity in a sport built to make even elite careers look fragile.

This piece is based on the USGA’s official May 18, 2026 field update, checked on May 20, 2026. No pretending I got handed the secret Shinnecock seating chart.

The Headline Number Is 86, but the Story Is Wider Than That

The USGA said the field update added 35 additional golfers through several exemption buckets, with the biggest chunk coming from the top 60 in the OWGR as of May 18.

The most obvious names in that group:

• Jordan Spieth
• Patrick Reed
• Si Woo Kim
• Jason Day
• Rickie Fowler
• Kristoffer Reitan
• Alex Smalley

That is a much better batch than the usual dry “field update” label suggests. There is major-champion history in there, comeback intrigue in there, and a few form-based names who have forced their way into the story over the last couple of weeks.

Adam Scott’s Streak Deserves More Respect Than It Usually Gets

Scott is 45, he started this streak at the 2001 Open Championship, and the USGA says he has played every U.S. Open since 2002.

That is not just a trivia nugget. That is a career-scale flex.

Golf is supposed to be one of the crueler sports when it comes to staying relevant. The swing gets weird, the confidence gets expensive, the injuries pile up, and the young guys keep arriving with launch conditions from another planet.

And Scott is still here, still exempt, still stacking majors like it is a normal life choice.

Jordan Spieth Quietly Worked His Way Back Into This Conversation

Spieth being back in through the world ranking is worth noting too.

The USGA’s release says he finished 2025 ranked No. 80 in the world, but a steady 2026 run, including 12 made cuts in 13 PGA Tour starts and a T-11 at the Masters, pushed him to No. 47 by the May 18 cutoff.

That is not a full Spieth Renaissance Parade yet, but it is more serious than a nostalgia mention. He is back in the major-field math because his season has actually held together.

Aaron Rai’s Major Win Immediately Paid Off

The update also confirmed what we already knew was coming after Aaron Rai won the PGA Championship at Aronimink: the new major champ is now exempt into the U.S. Open for the next five years.

That is one of the cleaner rewards in golf.

Rai went from interesting contender to major winner in one week, and the USGA’s field release is the paperwork version of that leap.

The LIV Spots Are Now Official Too

This update also locked in the two LIV-related exemptions that had been hanging over the past couple of weeks.

The USGA says Joaquin Niemann got in via the final 2025 LIV standings, while Lucas Herbert got the active-season route from the current top three in the 2026 standings among players not otherwise exempt.

We already broke down why LIV Golf Virginia mattered because of the U.S. Open race and why Herbert taking that spot made actual competitive sense. The field update is the official confirmation that those stakes were real.

There Is Still More Field Movement Coming

The USGA also noted that this is not the finished picture.

• Japan final qualifying is set for May 25
• 10 final 36-hole qualifiers will take place on June 8
• another top-60 OWGR cutoff lands on Monday, June 15

So yes, the field is sturdier now. No, it is not fully cooked yet.

That is part of what makes the U.S. Open build fun. It still leaves room for the weirdos, grinders, and one-week heaters to crash the major.

Bottom Line

The USGA’s May 18 field update made the 2026 U.S. Open feel a lot closer by adding 35 more exempt players and pushing the current total to 86.

But the part worth remembering is Adam Scott reaching the doorstep of 100 consecutive major starts. In a sport that chews up almost everyone eventually, that number is ridiculous.

It is the kind of stat that makes a field announcement feel like more than admin.