Sports

2026 U.S. Open Bets: 6 Picks for Shinnecock Hills

By Andrew Phelps Athlon Sports

Updated June 17, 2026 2:19 PM

The U.S. Open returns to historic Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, one of the toughest and most demanding venues in championship golf. With a 156-player field, a brutal low-60-and-ties cut line and conditions designed to punish every mistake, betting this event requires a different approach than most weeks on the PGA TOUR.

Shinnecock rewards elite ball-striking, scrambling, bogey avoidance and mental toughness, while thick rough, firm greens and unpredictable winds can quickly derail even the biggest stars. With favorites like Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele leading the field, these are the best bets to target for the 2026 U.S. Open.

All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.

Tyrrell Hatton First-Round Leader (+4100)

Hatton is the kind of golfer who seems to enjoy a good U.S. Open headache. Firm greens, nasty rough, swirling winds and impossible pin locations? Sign him up. The fiery Englishman arrives fresh off a LIV Golf victory and has been one of the best opening-round scorers in this field over the past six months. He also owns a T6 at Shinnecock Hills and top-five finishes in two of his last four majors. When Hatton's iron game is cooking, he can go low in a hurry. And if frustration starts creeping in later, that's tomorrow's problem for First-Round Leader bettors.

Maverick McNealy Top-20 Finish (+210)

McNealy might not be winning every week, but he's quietly become one of the most reliable grinders on TOUR. That's exactly the kind of profile that plays well at a U.S. Open. McNealy has already posted top-20 finishes at both the Masters and PGA Championship this season, and his short game is good enough to make a magician jealous. He ranks among the TOUR's best around the greens and with the putter, which should come in handy when Shinnecock starts handing out bogeys like free samples. If this turns into a battle of patience and par saves, McNealy looks like a strong bet to hang around the top 20 all week.

Russell Henley Top-10 Finish (+160)

Henley feels like the golfer who was built in a laboratory specifically for U.S. Open golf. He's not going to overpower Shinnecock Hills, but he might hit every fairway while everyone else is searching for their ball in the fescue. Henley leads the PGA TOUR in driving accuracy, owns one of the best scrambling games around and just picked up another victory at Colonial. He's also finished inside the top 14 in four of the last five U.S. Opens. The best part? Henley never seems out of a tournament. Give him four days of difficult conditions and a chance to grind, and a top-10 finish feels very realistic.

Tommy Fleetwood Top-5 Finish (+390)

Fleetwood has become the golf equivalent of that guest who keeps showing up at the party but somehow never takes home the prize. Maybe that changes at Shinnecock Hills. This is the site of his unforgettable closing 63 in 2018, a round so good it nearly stole the U.S. Open trophy. Fleetwood arrives with two top-five finishes and a T11 in his last four starts, and his steady, drama-free game is tailor-made for major championship chaos. If this week turns into a battle of patience, grit and avoiding big numbers, few players are better equipped to crash the top 5.

Matthew Fitzpatrick to Win (+2300)

Fitzpatrick is starting to feel like the guy who accidentally left his U.S. Open-winning form on vacation for a few years and just found it again. The Englishman arrives at Shinnecock Hills fresh off a runner-up finish in Canada and has spent most of 2026 collecting trophies and podium finishes. He's already proven he can win this championship, and his game is perfectly suited for a week where par feels like a birdie. Fitzpatrick thrives when conditions get difficult, mistakes get punished and patience becomes a weapon. Throw in a T12 at Shinnecock in 2018, and it's easy to see why he's one of the most intriguing outright bets on the board.

Ryan Gerard to Win (+13000)

Gerard feels like the long shot everyone will claim they saw coming after the fact. The odds say 130/1, but his recent form says otherwise. Gerard has played in the final pairing in two of his last three starts, including a heartbreaking playoff loss at the Memorial, and his iron play has been scorching hot. That's a pretty good recipe for success at Shinnecock Hills. He's been stuffing approach shots, gaining strokes in bunches and carrying more confidence than ever. For a player trending this hard in the right direction, those triple-digit odds look awfully tempting.

One-and-Done Play of the Week

If you play in a One-and-Done league, the idea is simple: You get to use each golfer once all season, so picking the right spot matters.

Jon Rahm feels like the One-and-Done selection for anyone who prefers sleeping peacefully Thursday night. Since winning the U.S. Open in 2021, Rahm has turned this championship into one of his personal playgrounds, rattling off six straight made cuts with a win and a stack of high finishes. He nearly added another major at the PGA Championship, only to run into a scorching-hot winner. Now he arrives at Shinnecock Hills with confidence, elite ball-striking and the type of all-around game built for U.S. Open punishment. If conditions get nasty, the wind starts blowing and par becomes a great score, Rahm is exactly the kind of player you want carrying your One-and-Done hopes into Sunday afternoon.

Last Week's Result

RBC Canadian: Burns - T20: $96,857

Season Total: $6,068,415

This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 6:00 AM.