U.S. Open picks 2026: The 13 best bets to win at Shinnecock Hills

The 126th U.S. Open is upon us, and it also marks the first chance for Scottie Scheffler to complete the career Grand Slam. The World No. 1 won leg No. 3 at last year's Open Championship and could join that esteemed sixsome of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy with a victory at Shinnecock Hills. Oh, and Sunday of U.S. Open week is also Scottie's 30th birthday! Heady stuff!

RELATED: A tour of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

But there will be plenty of other great storylines at this storied New York track. And while Scheffler is (once again) the overwhelming betting favorite, he doesn't top our ranking because of his historically low odds. In fact, there are so many good choices that defending champ J.J. Spaun doesn't even make the cut. (Sorry, J.J.) Anyway, here's our rundown of the best bets (with odds via DraftKings) to win the U.S. Open.

1. Cameron Young (18/1)

Reason to pick: Arguably the guy who has been the best player on the planet the past 10 months playing a major championship in his home state at 18-to-1 odds? Yes, please!

Cause for concern: Will he feel added pressure playing in front of a "home" crowd?

2. Xander Schauffele (18/1)

Reason to pick: Look at this guy's incredible Wiki grid in majors, specifically at the U.S. Open:

NINE consecutive top-15 finishes, seven of which are top-10s. At least when you bet him, you know you'll probably have a chance come Sunday.

Cause for concern: He has just one win in nearly two years since claiming the claret jug.

3. Matt Fitzpatrick (20/1)

Reason to pick: Are people forgetting this guy won three of four PGA Tour starts in between the Masters and the PGA? I'm not. Throw in the fact he's a former U.S. Open champ and those 20-to-1 odds are too good to pass up.

Cause for concern: Did losing to his brother, Alex, at the Truist Championship hurt the confidence too much?

4. Jon Rahm (12/1)

Reason to pick: If not for Aaron Rai's stunning Sunday back nine at Aronimink, this past U.S. Open champ might be trying to win a second consecutive major championship.

Cause for concern: The LIV stuff has to be a distraction right now. Then again, it didn't seem to hold him back at the PGA Championship.

RELATED: Here's why Jon Rahm isn't stumping as much to find new LIV Golf investors

5. Scottie Scheffler (4/1)

Reason to pick: The World No. 1 hasn't won his past 11 PGA Tour starts, but he has six top-four finishes in that span, including three runners-up.

Cause for concern: Will he be feeling extra pressure trying to complete the career Grand Slam?

6. Tommy Fleetwood (25/1)

Reason to pick: The Englishman has three top-five finishes at the U.S. Open, including his closest call at a major back in 2018. Oh, yeah, that was at Shinnecock where he almost caught Brooks Koepka with a Sunday 63.

Cause for concern: Running this back from our PGA Championship ranking: He's still never won a PGA Tour event with a field of more than 30 players.

7. Chris Gotterup (40/1)

Reason to pick: The pride of Rutgers will have plenty of local support, and he's already shown some links golf chops by beating Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open last year.

Cause for concern: A T-10 at the PGA Championship was a nice sign, but he's cooled off a bit since winning two of his first three starts of 2026.

8. Rory McIlroy (7/1)

Reason to pick: After an opening 74 at Aronimink in his first start since winnning the Masters, McIlroy cooked the rest of the way and finished T-7.

Cause for concern: A repeat of last year's post-Masters swoon.

9. Patrick Reed (30/1)

Reason to pick: Despite playing sparingly—especially for him—in 2026, Reed has finished T-12 and T-10 at the first two majors. And he finished solo fourth at Shinnecock in 2018.

Cause for concern: Reed has lost strokes to the field off the tee in those two majors, so he'll probably need to improve on that at a USGA setup.

10. Justin Rose (35/1)

Reason to pick: A former U.S. Open champ, Rose is one of the few people in the field who can say he's already played two of these tournaments at Shinnecock Hills, including a T-10 in 2018.

Cause for concern: We keep harping on those new McLaren irons, but, yeah, those new McLaren irons.

11. Robert MacIntyre (50/1)

Reason to pick: The Scot and recent Golf Digest cover boy should feel pretty at home at this links layout. Plus, he finished runner-up at last year's U.S. Open.

Cause for concern: Big Bob's irons (136th in strokes gained/approach) have been lacking in 2026.

12. Bryson DeChambeau (16/1)

Reason to pick: He's a two-time U.S. Open champ, and he's coming off shooting 65 in his most recent LIV Golf round.

Cause for concern: He's been asking Google Gemini for swing tips.

13. Brooks Koepka (28/1)

Reason to pick: He's another two-time U.S. Open champ who has won at Shinnecock.

Cause for concern: He's putting so bad he should be asking Google Gemini for putting tips.

RELATED: What would you shoot at a U.S. Open venue?