Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is the host of the U.S. Open and has a complex history involving golf and American history. The course, one of the USGA’s five founding clubs in the 1890s, lies across ancient burial grounds that once belonged to the Shinnecock Nation and was built by the Shinnecock Nation’s own people. The sixth U.S. Open has been held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. John Shippen played in the 1896 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and was the first Black player to compete in the tournament. Oscar Bunn also played in the 1896 U.S. Open. According to foxsports.com, John Shippen and Oscar Bunn are believed to be the first two American-born players to play in the U.S. Open, and before the 1896 U.S. Open, British professionals told USGA management they refused to play against Black and Native American players. According to ictnews.org, Elmer Smith, a Shinnecock tribal member, was the first full-time superintendent of grounds at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, and Charlie Thom was the second full-time golf pro there. According to timesfreepress.com, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is the only course to host the U.S. Open in three different centuries. Scottie Scheffler has won the Masters in 2022 and 2024, the British Open and PGA Championship in 2025, and has been the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking for more than three years running. According to timesfreepress.com, Scottie Scheffler said it is hard to get the U.S. Open just right when it is held on a different golf course every year.