Weather delays led to Round 1 being suspended due to darkness on Thursday. Wydnham Clark’s torrid pace has catapulted the 2023 U.S. Open champion into a four-stroke lead (-6) over the field at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
Wind was undoubtedly the main storyline in the opening round of the 2026 U.S. Open. Clark was among the later tee times, benefiting from a reduction in the brutal forecast that hampered most golfers who teed off in the morning. However, we must give credit to Clark, who sits second in SG: Putting and 12th in SG: Approach with three holes remaining to finish his hyper-productive first round.
Let’s dive into Friday’s 3-Ball matchups that are currently available on FanDuel Sportsbook. I’ve found three betting favorites, all at plus odds, to back ahead of Round 2 at the 2026 U.S. Open.
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2026 U.S. Open Picks & Predictions: Favorite Round 2 Props
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
3 Ball (Round 2) – Berger/Fowler/Bradley
I had a good feeling about Keegan Bradley coming into this major. I wrote him up as a golfer to Make The Cut at -126 odds, while also recommending Bradley as a longshot at 125-1 odds.
In Round 1, Bradley wound up finishing even par, which is a quality score at Shinnecock in the wind. Friday’s forecast still calls for wind up to 14 miles per hour, which plays into Bradley’s skill set against Rickie Fowler and Daniel Berger.
Neither of his opponents in this pairing played well off-the-tee, while Bradley gained +1.51 in this metric, hitting 13 of 14 fairways. It allowed the veteran to also sit in the top-40 for SG: Approach and top-30 for greens in regulation at 67 percent.
Clean lies go a long way at Shinnecock. Bet one unit on Bradley to continue striking the ball well enough to post the lowest score in Round 2 against Fowler (+1) and Berger (+7).
Pick: Keegan Bradley (+165)
3 Ball (Round 2) – M. Fitzpatrick/DeChambeau/Hovland
It should not come as a surprise to find Matt Fitzpatrick near the top of the leaderboard. He’s been dialed in this season, posting three wins, including two solo victories, while also playing comfortably on a links-style course with windy conditions due to his upbringing in England.
Fitzpatrick won the 2022 U.S. Open. He isn’t shying away now, ranked fourth in SG: Approach in Round 1 (+2.47) and 13th in SG: Putting (+2.58). That’s a potent combination, while also hitting 12 of 16 greens in regulation for a scorching 75 percent rate.
Bryson DeChambeau did surprise me with his quality play in Round 1. He’s only one stroke behind Fitzpatrick (-1) with a couple of holes to finish in Round 1 on Friday morning. The YouTube golf star and two-time U.S. Open winner ranks fifth in SG: Putting and top-20 in fairways hit and greens in regulation found.
I’m not worried at all about Viktor Hovland, who is outside the top-100 in nearly every metric based on his poor play in Round 1. It simply hasn’t been the Norwegian’s year.
So, this bet comes down to Fitzpatrick versus DeChambeau. I expect more consistency from Fitzpatrick, while DeChambeau feels like a more volatile golfer to back in this 3-ball matchup.
Bet one unit on Fitzpatrick as the favorite to cash this Round 2 prop at +145 odds.
Pick: Matt Fitzpatrick (+145)
3 Ball (Round 2) – Kitayama/Reed/Novak
Patrick Reed is my final betting favorite to back in the Round 2 3-Ball market at +135 odds. He’ll be going up against Kurt Kitayama (+4) and Andrew Novak (+3) with a one-stroke lead over both golfers following Round 1.
Reed hasn’t played much due to a suspension implemented during his return from LIV. However, he’s played well at both majors this year, carding top 12 finishes at the Masters and PGA Championship.
He only logged one birdie during Thursday’s opening round. However, the good news is that Reed has minimal miscues, with a double-bogey on the par-4 10th and a bogey on the lengthy par-4 14th.
Reed’s short game is his bread and butter. In Round 1, he ranked 17th in SG: Putting, while also sitting 52nd for greens in regulation hit at 61 percent. 90th or worse in SG: Approach, SG: Off-the-Tee, and fairways hit could’ve easily led to a higher score.
Novak finished Round 1 144th in SG: Approach and 111th in SG: Off-the-Tee. He was also 96th for greens in regulation and outside the top 50 in SG: Putting. Kitayama was the inverse, strong off-the-tee (15th) but horrible on approach (94th) and even worse putting (138th).
I think we see Reed settle in a bit more and post a potential red score in more fair conditions in Round 2. I don’t feel confident that we see much improvement from Novak or Kitayama.
Let’s bet one final unit on Reed to win this 3-Ball Matchup at +135 odds on Friday.
Pick: Patrick Reed (+135)