Ben Griffin heads into the U.S. Open with momentum and a clear plan for how he wants to prepare.
The 30-year-old made a late charge at the Charles Schwab Challenge, firing a five-under-par 65 in the final round after beginning Sunday six shots behind the leaders. While Griffin ultimately came up short, his strong finish continued a recent stretch of solid play as he turns his attention to golf’s third major championship of the season.
With the 2026 U.S. Open set to begin June 18 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, Griffin recently outlined how he plans to get ready for one of the sport’s toughest tests.
His strategy differs from some of the game’s biggest names.
Ben Griffin Explains Why He Won’t Visit Shinnecock Hills Early
While several top players have made advance scouting trips to major championship venues in recent months, Griffin said he prefers a different approach.
Speaking after the Charles Schwab Challenge, Griffin explained that he has no plans to visit Shinnecock Hills well before tournament week.
“I haven’t [seen Shinnecock]. Probably go the week of. I’m not a huge guy who goes and scopes out courses,” Griffin said.
The PGA Tour pro believes many courses play differently during tournament week than they do throughout the rest of the year.
“I feel like, at the professional level, the courses always play differently the week of versus any other time of the year,” Griffin explained.
He pointed to his experience living in Sea Island and playing PGA National as examples.
“I lived in Sea Island forever, and that course always played differently for the tournament. Even PGA National.”
Rather than spending extra time scouting the course weeks in advance, Griffin plans to arrive shortly before the championship and ease into preparation.
“It’s just that there are a lot of courses on Tour that play differently throughout the rest of the year, so I would rather get there maybe a day or two earlier,” he said.
Ben Griffin Prefers Relaxed Major Championship Preparation
Griffin also revealed that he has developed a routine he enjoys for major championships.
Instead of competing the week before a major, he prefers taking time off and focusing on preparation.
“Taking off the week prior is one thing I’ve been liking to do at these major championships,” Griffin said.
He added, “Just go in and have an easy flowing week where I’m not playing 18, but playing nine a day and just getting a good feel for the course.”
Griffin said he expects to arrive at Shinnecock Hills either Saturday night or Sunday morning before tournament week.
“So I’ll go up there Sunday morning or Saturday night and just have an extended week where I just play nine a day, and that will be good for me,” he said.
The strategy stands in contrast to recent preparation methods used by players such as Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood.
Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood Took Different Paths
Earlier this year, McIlroy made multiple trips to Augusta National ahead of the Masters Tournament.
The additional preparation appeared to pay off as McIlroy captured another green jacket and added to his major championship résumé.
Fleetwood has also embraced a similar strategy. Reports recently noted that the English star visited Royal Birkdale ahead of July’s Open Championship.
While many players value early course reconnaissance, Griffin appears comfortable relying on tournament-week preparation.
The U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills for the sixth time in tournament history. The last championship held there came in 2018, when Brooks Koepka captured the title.
As expected, Scottie Scheffler enters as one of the betting favorites, with McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Ludvig Åberg, Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood, and Koepka also among the notable contenders.
Recent PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai has also drawn attention heading into the event after capturing his first major title.
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