U.S. Open 2026: Predictions, Best Bets

The third major of the season is here with the U.S. Open, June 18-21, from Shinnecock Hills on Long Island.

There’s been plenty of chatter regarding the course setup, as the fairways have been widened from previous U.S. Opens held here and the tricky greens, which caused chaos in 2004 and 2018.

It would not be a surprise to see the winning score over par for the week. The players who play the best will be patient and avoid big numbers.

Going into the week, Scottie Scheffler has the best odds to win at +550. He’s looking for the career Grand Slam.

*odds as of June 16

U.S. Open Prediction

Scottie Scheffler is predicted to win the U.S. Open with a 15.38% implied probability, according to betting markets. Rory McIlroy is next at 8.33%.

Implied probability is the overall chance of a potential outcome in relation to the odds.

U.S. Open Best Bets

Russell Henley Outright Winner (+4000)

Henley checks a lot of boxes entering this week. For starters, he embodies what it takes to have success at a U.S. Open with his patient, gritty attitude. That has translated to recent success at this event, logging two straight top-10s.

And then, specifically to Shinnecock, he finished inside the top 20 when it was held here in 2018.

He also enters in solid form, winning the Charles Schwab Challenge two starts ago. His missed cut at the PGA Championship snapped a streak of three straight top 10s in majors.

Henley is one of the best active players yet to win a major, so he’s more than due.

Chris Gotterup Outright Winner (+4500)

Gotterup has cooled off after winning twice early in the season, but he’s still been very consistent. He has six top-25 finishes in his last nine starts.

The 26-year-old has also had some early success in majors, as he has four straight top 25s, including a T-10 finish at the PGA Championship this year.

He grew up in New Jersey, so he’s plenty familiar with Northeast golf, which will certainly help his cause this week.

Known as one of the longer hitters, it’s his putting that might surprise some. He’s gained strokes on the greens in nine straight events, which will help a great deal on the tricky Shinnecock putting surfaces.

As previously mentioned, he’s won twice this season but is still in search of that big “signature” win. A win this week would certainly accomplish that.

Cameron Young Top-10 Finish (+160)

Young is certainly capable of winning, but two straight finishes T-26 or worse bother me a little bit.

He has a lot of similarities to Gotterup when it comes to how they play. Both hit it a long way, but their putting goes under the radar. Young also grew up in the Northeast, so he’ll be right in his element, just like last fall at Bethpage at the Ryder Cup.

A T-4 at last year’s U.S. Open also shows he has developed the patience to contend at this event.

Tyrrell Hatton Top-10 Finish (+300)

Hatton comes into the week off a win in his last LIV event at Andalucia, and he’s also finished inside the top-5 in two of his last four majors.

He’s certainly a fiery player, which sometimes works against him, especially at the majors, but he’s seemed to figure out how to use that to his advantage of late.

As one of the best iron players in the world, his ball-striking will typically be there; it’s just a matter of the rest of his game being above average.

Sam Burns Top-20 Finish (+170)

Like Henley, Burns is one of the best active players yet to win a major and certainly has the talent, as he’s been part of multiple Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams.

The U.S. Open might be his best chance, given his excellent short game. That shows in the recent results, as he has two straight top 10s at this event. Additionally, he has logged a top 20 at three of the last five majors.

Burns also comes in playing well, finishing T-20 at the RBC Canadian Open, although he was near the lead entering Sunday’s rainy final round and also T-4 at the difficult Memorial tournament.