Blanco shines on his return to the grass with the Legends

Champion Strategy

The US Open brought wind and little activity for a Monday. Practice rounds at majors have become slow. More and more players arrive earlier, not to avoid crowds, but to avoid waiting.

“It’s gotten terrible. You have to sign up to get times at the British Open and the US Open. Then they play in groups of four. You can’t complete nine holes in less than three hours,” Justin Thomas said.

The solution was outlined by Jack Nicklaus: see the field early, before it is filled with professionals and amateurs.

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy took a detour on their way to Ohio two weeks ago to play Shinnecock Hills. It was the first sight of the world number 1 and a refresher for McIlroy.

Jon Rahm arrived last Friday. Patrick Reed, not competing since the PGA Championship, is said to have played the course more times than some club members.

This week is one of the most energy draining, due to the mental stress generated by a course like Shinnecock and a major like the US Open.

Thomas and Jordan Spieth arrived over the weekend and practiced two days before the official start. They didn’t have the field to themselves, but almost. It was better than the alternative of long rounds.

With the preparation done, the official practice days are now light work. That’s the Nicklaus formula.

“That’s why I never wanted to practice then. I did my practice the week before. I didn’t want to get stuck in those six hours,” Nicklaus explained.

“If I had been there the week before, why did I need to arrive on Monday?” he added.

McIlroy had limited practice at the PGA Championship because of a blister on his right big toe. Still, he went to Aronimink two weeks early to train seriously.

Group H of the 2026 World Cup was made up of Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde, Spain and Uruguay. The six group stage matches will be played between June 15 and 26, 2026 in four cities: Atlanta, Guadalajara, Houston and Miami.

Headquarters and distribution

The first and second dates are concentrated in Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) and Miami (Hard Rock Stadium). On June 15 it will open with two parallel meetings; the same will happen on June 21. The third day, on June 26, will move to Houston (NRG Stadium) and Guadalajara (Akron Stadium).

The calendar establishes that each team faces two rivals in the first two days and closes with a different third. Spain and Uruguay will meet on the last day in Guadalajara. Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde will close in Houston.

With this distribution, the group starts with an Atlanta-Miami axis and defines its qualifiers in two different headquarters. The tournament will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Capacity and strategic location

MetLife Stadium, with a capacity for 82,566 spectators, is emerging as one of the largest capacity venues for the 2026 World Cup. Located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, it is part of the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, a relevant connectivity point within the northeastern corridor of the United States.

The venue has a FieldTurf artificial grass surface and dimensions of 105 x 68 meters, aligned with international standards. Its construction began on September 5, 2007 and ended on April 10, 2010, with opening on May 7 of that year. The total cost of the project amounted to $1.6 billion.

Management and design

The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority owns the stadium, while New Meadowlands Stadium Company, LLC operates it. Originally called New Meadowlands Stadium (2010-2011), it later adopted the name MetLife Stadium.

The architectural design was carried out by Ewing Cole, Skanska and 360 Architecture, firms that conceived a large-scale multipurpose venue. Its capacity and metropolitan location make it a venue with specific weight within the logistical device of the 2026 World Cup, both due to the volume of public it can accommodate and its access to a dense transportation network.