This year, five Drive, Chip and Putt alumni earned spots in the 126th U.S. Open, highlighting the journey to one of golf’s toughest tests.
PGA TOUR winner Akshay Bhatia, a participant in the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, returned to the U.S. Open alongside quartet of first-timers Hamilton Coleman, Jackson Koivun, Ryder Cowan and Miles Russell.
- Akshay Bhatia— 2014 National Finalist
- Hamilton Coleman— 2022 National Finalist
- Jackson Koivun— 2015 Regional Competitor
- Ryder Cowan— 2019 National Finalist
- Miles Russell— 2018 National Finalist
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Boys 12-13 competitor Akshay Bhatia drives in the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday April 6, 2014.
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Masters champion Nick Faldo poses with Boys 12-13 Drive champion Hamilton Coleman during the 2022 Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.
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UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA - SEPTEMBER 12: Jackson Koivun poses with his medal after winning the Drive competition in the Boys 10-11 yr. old division during the Drive, Chip and Putt regional qualifying at Chambers Bay on September 12, 2015 in University Place, Washington. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images for DC&P Championship)
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Ryder Cowan in the Boys 12 - 13 age group receives his trophy for winning second place overall from Masters Champion Mark O'Meara during the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 7, 2019.
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Boys 7-9 division competitor Miles Russell poses with Nick Faldo after winning the Drive and Chip portion of the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Coleman, an Augusta native and 2022 National Finalist, earned his place in the field after winning the U.S. Junior Amateur title last summer. Koivun qualified as the winner of the 2025 Mark H. McCormack Medal, and Cowan and Russell both achieved their major championship berth through U.S. Open Final Qualifying at Ballen Isles Country Club earlier this month. All four continue their rise as some of the game’s brightest young talents, each adding a major championship appearance to their impressive amateur resumes.
2026 U.S. OPEN - Round Three
SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Amateur Ryder Cowan of the United States plays his shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 20, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)
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2026 U.S. OPEN - Round Three
SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Akshay Bhatia of the United States plays his shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 20, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)
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2026 U.S. OPEN - Round Two
SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK - JUNE 19: Amateur Hamilton Coleman of the United States plays a shot from the 14th tee during the second round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 19, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
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2026 U.S. OPEN - Round Three
SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Amateur Jackson Koivun of the United States plays a shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 20, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)
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2026 U.S. OPEN - Round Three
SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: Amateur Miles Russell of the United States plays a shot from the seventh tee during the third round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 20, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)
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Koivun and Cowan made the most of their major opportunity, finishing with shared low amateur honors and emphasizing the strength of golf’s next generation. Their appearances at the U.S. Open reflected the lasting foundation Drive, Chip and Putt can provide. From competing as juniors in the program to teeing it up in one of golf’s most prestigious championships, Bhatia, Coleman, Koivun, Cowan and Russell showed just how far the journey can lead.
