One of the biggest events in the golf calendar begins on Thursday as 156 players tee it up at Shinnecock Hills in New York for the 2026 US Open. Included in the massive field is two current Tennessee golfers and one former Vol golfer.
The current Vols in the event include rising junior Jackson Herrington and rising sophomore Chase Kyes while Caleb Surratt is the former Vol in the field.
Herrington qualified for the 126th US Open by finishing second at last summer’s US Amateur at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Herrington, affectionally known as “Fridge”, joined Oliver Goss (2013) and Eric Rebmann (1987) as the only Vol golfers to make it to the US Amateur Finals.
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Kyes earned his invite to the US Open through local qualifying. The Birmingham native shot 11-under-par in two rounds of qualifying at Hawks Ridge Golf Club in Georgia earlier this month. Kyes hit a clutch putt on the 36th green to earn his spot and proceeded to offer some legendary quotes.
“We could still get 30 more minutes out of today.” 🌙
“I didn’t know it [the U.S. Open] was next week.” 🤣
Unfazed by the dark, Chase Kyes (a) shot 67-66 to make his first @USOpenGolf, and he gave a fantastic interview after with @RyanLavnerGC pic.twitter.com/pzdCycPjFM
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) June 9, 2026
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Surratt spent a year in a half in the Tennessee program from 2021-22 where he earned All-American honors during his freshman season. After playing half of his sophomore season, Surratt signed with LIV Golf to begin his professional career.
Things haven’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Surratt since, but he earned a spot in the US Open by shooting 3-under-par over 36 holes at the Dallas Athletic Club.
Surratt tees off at 6:35 a.m. ET on Thursday playing in the very first group of the day with James Nicholas and Taylor Montgomery. Herrington tees off at 6:46 a.m. ET with Nathan Kimsey and Cooper Dossey. Kyes tees off at 6:57 a.m. ET with Matthew Jordan and Alejandro Tosti.
