The 2026 U.S. Open tees off from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, this week, marking the third major of the PGA Tour season. Brooks Koepka returns as the defending winner from 2018 at this difficult par 70, seeking his third U.S. Open victory at +3500 odds.
Scottie Scheffler continues to be a short betting favorite in the outright winner market, despite failing to win any event following his dominant debut at The American Express back in January. Scheffler is +550, followed by Rory McIlroy (+1200), 2021 U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm (+1300), Xander Schauffele (+1800) and 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick at +2000 odds.
Shinnecock Hills runs 7,440 yards as a par 70. It’s going to be tough to conquer with undulating fairways and large greens measuring over 8,800 square feet. Wind is in the forecast for most of the rounds, while over 150 bunkers are in play, creating extreme difficulty on approach. Five-inch fescue is the primary rough, while putting is an entirely separate challenge, as evidenced by poor putting metrics from the field in 2018.
My 2026 RBC Canadian Open Picks: Best Bets settled 1-2 at TPC Toronto on Sunday. Aaron Rai’s missed cut and Kristoffer Reitan’s pedestrian T60 finish kept us from turning a profit. However, Wyndham Clark stayed hot, particularly in Round 3, leading to a T11 finish to cash his Top 20 prop at +125 odds.
I’ve got three best bets, each worth one unit, to tail ahead of Round 1 at the 2026 U.S. Open on Thursday morning. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free picks and analysis throughout the rest of the PGA Tour season.
2026 U.S. Open Picks: Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Top 20 Finishing Position
Let’s start by targeting one of the PGA Tour’s best tee-to-green golfers this season. Russell Henley ranks first in driving accuracy and scrambling, 22nd in proximity, and also sits 18th in putting average.
This is a potent combination for a course like Shinnecock Hills that is going to chew up a lot of inaccurate shots this week. Henley’s gone T3-T25-T49-MC-W-T22 in his last six events, so he’s a bit of a wild card.
Henley carded a T25 finish at Shinnecock back in 2018. He’s collected seven top 20 finishes this season, so at +170, let’s grab the value on Henley in the Top 20 Finishing Position prop betting market on FanDuel.
Pick: Russell Henley (+170)
Top 20 Finishing Position
I like how Patrick Reed profiles at Shinnecock. In both previous majors played this season, Reed has made the most of his opportunity, carding T12 at the Masters and a T10 at the PGA Championship.
Reed’s short game is where he can really separate from the field. He logged a solo fourth-place finish at Shinnecock in 2018, shooting 3-under-par in the final round to surge up the leaderboard.
Grab Reed at his current +210 price in the Top 20 market before it shortens ahead of Round 1 on Thursday.
Pick: Patrick Reed (+210)
Top 20 Finishing Position
Alex Fitzpatrick is having quite a run on the golf course in 2026. He’s cementing his own legacy from Matt Fitzpatrick, his brother, although he did earn his PGA Tour card during their joint win at the Zurich Classic.
Fitzpatrick should be accustomed to playing in windy conditions this week. After that victory in New Orleans, the Englishman has carded a Top 20 finish in four of five events played, including a T20 at the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday.
He’s a strong player on approach and off-the-tee, which sets Fitzpatrick up nicely ahead of his U.S. Open debut at Shinnecock. Bet on Fitzpatrick’s Top 20 finish prop at a solid +300 price.
Pick: Alex Fitzpatrick (+300)
