2026 U.S. Open Picks & Predictions: PGA Sleepers
The 2026 U.S. Open is set to tee off from the iconic Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, this week. The third major of the PGA Tour calendar is going to test this entire field of 156 golfers, despite being loaded with talent.
Shinnecock offers no easy shots, stretching over 7,400 yards as a par 70 with undulating greens and fairways. Bunkers and wind are the primary defense, along with five-inch fescue that will punish errant tee-to-green shots. Even the greens hold no comfort, measuring nearly 9,000 square feet on average, with a recurring run-off design that makes three-putting feel inevitable. It’s largely why Brooks Koepka’s win here in 2018 came at +1.
My 2026 RBC Canadian Open Picks & Predictions: PGA Longshots did not have any real success at contending for our third longshot winner this season. Stephan Jaeger shot the worst score in the tournament (+10) before missing the cut, while Andrew Putnam’s +2 also led to a missed cut. Canadian golfer A.J. Ewart played best, although he only managed a T29 finish at -4-under-par.
That’s not to say we saw a pre-tournament betting favorite win the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday. In fact, Bud Cauley’s improbable win came after playing 238 events, converting his red-hot back-nine shooting into his inaugural PGA Tour win at 100-1 odds before last week’s opening round teed off.
We’re dealing with a really brutal course and a loaded field this week. It could be time for another unlikely golfer to rise to the occasion, following Aaron Rai’s PGA Championship win at longer than 290-1 odds. Below are my three favorite sleepers to bet in the outright winner market at the 2026 U.S. Open.
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2026 U.S. Open Picks & Predictions: PGA Sleepers
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Harris English (+8000)
Harris English has played plenty of U.S. Open tournaments, but this will be his first time teeing it up at Shinnecock Hills. English has carded three top 10 finishes at this major in 2020, 2021, and 2023.
In 2026, English has one top five finish. He also has posted T18-T17 finishes at the PGA Championship and the Memorial Tournament in his last two outings.
Ranks 28th in total strokes gained, including 31st in SG: Off-the-Tee, sixth in SG: Putting, and top-30 for driving accuracy. Approach play has been far from stellar this season for English, but finding fairways and burying putts could counter this weakness at a course that demands precision on approach.
At 80-1, let’s sprinkle a quarter unit (0.25) on English to win his sixth PGA Tour event and first major title.
Alex Fitzpatrick (+8000)
So far, the stage hasn’t been too big for Alex Fitzpatrick since securing his PGA Tour card with a win alongside his brother, Matt Fitzpatrick, at the Zurich Classic. The Englishman has four top 5 finishes in five solo events and should be able to lean on his accurate approach play in windy conditions.
+8000 feels relatively short for a newly-minted PGA Tour member like Fitzpatrick. Maybe oddsmakers know something that we don’t right now.
Poor putting kept Fitzpatrick from logging a win at the Truist Championship after carrying a lead into Sunday. Shinnecock is going to be a grind for every golfer in this field, which arguably gives Fitzpatrick a better chance than a birdie-fest.
Bet another quarter unit on Alex Fitzpatrick to log his first solo win on the PGA Tour to match his brother with a U.S. Open victory.
Keegan Bradley (+12500)
Keegan Bradley is flying under the radar at a nice 125-1 price in the outright winner betting market at Shinnecock this week. He’s no stranger to winning big events, posting eight PGA Tour victories, including a major title at the 2011 PGA Championship.
Bradley is trending up right now, logging a pair of top 20 finishes at the Truist Championship and Memorial across his last four events. Notable ranks include 42nd in total driving and 37th on 200+ yard approach shots.
Let’s bet on Bradley to win a PGA Tour event for the fourth consecutive season, which would be his second major victory and first U.S. Open title at Shinnecock.