The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is staged by the United States Golf Association in mid-June, scheduled such that the final round is always played on the third Sunday, which is Father's Day. It is one of the four major championships in golf and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. The U.S. Open is staged at a variety of courses, set up in such a way that scoring is very difficult with a premium placed on accurate driving. Normally, an Open course is longer than normal and will have a high cut of rough (termed "Open rough" by the American press and fans), hilly greens (such as at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2005, which was described by Johnny Miller of NBC as "like trying to hit a ball on top of a VW Beetle"), and pinched fairways. Some courses that are attempting to get into the rotation for the U.S. Open will normally be rebuilt to have these features. Rees Jones is the most notable of the "Open Doctors" who take on these projects.

Qualification and prizes
Playoff losers:
^ Many early U.S. Opens were won by English and Scottish golfers who learned the game in their own country and moved to America as adults to take up positions as club professionals. Their original countries are shown unless they are known to have become U.S. citizens before their victories, as is the case with English born and raised Jim Barnes and Scottish born and raised Tommy Armour. Harry Vardon and Ted Ray made only short term visits to the U.S. to play tournament golf.

- Won in Playoff
Am = Amateur
Winners
The following golfers have won the U.S. Open more than once through 2007.
4 wins:
3 wins:
2 wins:

Willie Anderson: 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905
Bobby Jones: 1923, 1926, 1929, 1930
Ben Hogan: 1948, 1950, 1951, 1953
Jack Nicklaus: 1962, 1967, 1972, 1980
Hale Irwin: 1974, 1979, 1990
Alex Smith: 1906, 1910
John J. McDermott: 1911, 1912
Walter Hagen: 1914, 1919
Gene Sarazen: 1922, 1932
Ralph Guldahl: 1937, 1938
Cary Middlecoff: 1949, 1956
Julius Boros: 1952, 1963
Billy Casper: 1959, 1966
Lee Trevino: 1968, 1971
Andy North: 1978, 1985
Curtis Strange: 1988, 1989
Ernie Els: 1994, 1997
Lee Janzen: 1993, 1998
Payne Stewart: 1991, 1999
Tiger Woods: 2000, 2002
Retief Goosen: 2001, 2004 Multiple winners

Records

2008 - Torrey Pines Golf Course, South Course (La Jolla, California)
2009 - Bethpage State Park, Black Course (Farmingdale, New York)
2010 - Pebble Beach Golf Links (Pebble Beach, California)
2011 - Congressional Country Club, Blue Course (Bethesda, Maryland)
2012 - The Olympic Club, Lake Course (Daly City, California)
2013 - Merion Golf Club, East Course (Ardmore, Pennsylvania)
2014 - Pinehurst Resort, Course #2 (Pinehurst, North Carolina)