US Open Championship 2026: Betting preview and free tips

Rupert McIntosh

Sports betting previews, tips & predictions 2026

June 17, 2026

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The 2026 US Open has arrived largely unnoticed amid World Cup hysteria but the world’s best will tee off at one of the great US links courses, wind-swept Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, on Thursday.

The high-quality 156-strong field for the third major of the year faces one of the ultimate tests in golf, especially if the wind gets up on New York’s Long Island.

ALSO READ: How to bet on golf

Shinnecock Hills is hosting the US Open for the sixth time and nobody wins around here by accident; the winners have all been players of the highest quality, able to handle the wind and shape the ball both ways, though we can’t confirm this is true of 1896 winner James Foulis.

Other winners include 1986 (Raymond Floyd), 1995 (Corey Pavin), 2004 (Retief Goosen) and 2018 (Brooks Koepka).That is a collection of high-quality ball strikers and clutch putters. So you would again expect that only the best of the best will be in the mix and also that anything under par will be a good score.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler naturally is favourite with betting sites. And it’s also telling that he is the only player under double figure odds. This is a wide-open event and one in which it may even pay to wait until the halfway mark to place a bet on the overall winner.

Read on for our summary of the chances of the leading players in betting markets for this event, and also for our free US PGA Championship betting tips.

Who is hot heading to Shinnecock Hills?

We have run an eye over the form of players on the PGA tour since the US PGA Championship won by Aaron Rai to see who has been tearing it up heading to the US Open, always a mighty test of any players game.

We came up with three names, including one, Wyndham Clark, who has already prevailed at a US Open but has been a little out of sorts with his game until recently.

1. Wyndham Clark: Has gone to a new level since the PGA Championship, winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson shooting 30 under par and closing with a 60. He also finished third at the Memorial Tournament and 11th at the RBC Canadian Open, playing the most aggressive, fearless golf of his career, combining his massive distance with a red-hot putter.
2. J.T. Poston: The Postman has quietly been delivering elite, machine-like consistency, culminating in a massive victory at the Memorial Tournament in a dramatic play-off against Ryan Gerard. Poston’s wedge play and short game have been flawless.
3. Bud Cauley: Cauley has been playing some of the most consistent tee-to-green golf on tour over the past month and finally got his reward, winning the RBC Canadian Open. Of late Cauley has barely missed a fairway or a green. His ball-striking metrics have skyrocketed, making him a major factor every single time he tees it up.

Honorable mention to Ryan Gerard, who has finished runner-up at the Memorial Tournament and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson (just behind Clark’s absurd 30-under performance). He is knocking loudly on the door.

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The US Open leading contenders

• Scottie Scheffler | Best finish: T2 (2022): The world No.1 heads to Shinnecock as the heavy favorite. His peerless ball-striking is precisely what a punishing layout demands. If his putter behaves on these notoriously slick, undulating surfaces, he is a great chance of securing a victory to complete his career Grand Slam.
• Rory McIlroy | Best finish: winner (2011): Coming off a spectacular Masters victory, McIlroy is riding a wave of major momentum. Shinnecock’s massive layout suits his elite driving capacity. If he can avoid the catastrophic big-number holes that sometimes plague his opening rounds, his stellar recent major form makes him a massive title threat.
• Jon Rahm | Best finish: winner (2021): Rahm boasts the ideal grinding mentality and low, piercing ball flight required to combat the stiff Long Island winds. His elite scrambling ability will be thoroughly tested around these complex greens. If his iron play matches his off-the-tee prowess, he will be in the mix late on Sunday afternoon.
• Cameron Young | Best finish: T32 (2023): His elite total driving distance and accuracy are massive assets on a course as expansive as Shinnecock. However, his inconsistent short game remains a glaring red flag for an event that relentlessly punishes missed greens.
• Matt Fitzpatrick | Best finish: winner (2022): Like a modern-day Nick Faldo, Fitzpatrick thrives when conditions turn brutal and par becomes a stellar score. He loves the hard grind of a USGA set-up. His exceptional course management and clutch short-game execution give him a distinct edge, making him a dangerous dark horse.
• Tommy Fleetwood | Best finish: 2nd (2018): Fleetwood has special memories of Shinnecock Hills, having fired a historic final-round 63 there in 2018 to finish second. His elite accuracy from tee to green and absolute comfort playing in heavy winds make him a threat to finally capture his elusive first major title.
• Xander Schauffele | Best finish: T3 (2019): Schauffele is arguably the most consistently reliable US Open performer of the modern era, racking up six top-10 finishes in just his first seven starts. His balanced all-around game lacks any clear weakness, making him a safe bet to contend.
• Ludvig Aberg | Best finish: T12 (2024): The young Swedish phenomenon possesses a robotic, ultra-precise driver that looks tailor-made for navigating Shinnecock’s 42 acres of fairway. His unshakeable temperament gives him a legitimate chance to win.
• Bryson DeChambeau | Best finish: winner (2020, 2024): The two-time champion proved at Winged Foot and Pinehurst that his unique cocktail of power and high-spin wedge play can systematically dismantle golf’s toughest set-ups. If he drives the ball cleanly and avoids the heavy native rough, his aggressive game plan could easily yield a third US Open crown.
• Brooks Koepka | Best finish: winner (2017, 2018): Koepka has already cracked the code of this venue better than almost anyone else in the field. When major weeks arrive, his clinical focus intensifies. Dismissing his chances on a course where he has tasted glory would be foolish, though it’s been a while since he was really at the top of his game.

The US Open golf betting tips

Our golf betting expert has assessed the markets and found some value betting tips for the third major of the year:

US Open past 10 winners/runners-up