US Open 2026 Betting Tips: Preview, Odds and Expert Predictions

The golfing world heads to one of its most iconic venues this week as Shinnecock Hills hosts the 126th US Open Championship.

Widely regarded as one of the purest examinations in golf, the US Open rarely disappoints when it comes to drama, and with Shinnecock returning for the first time since Brooks Koepka's victory in 2018, we could be in for one of the sternest tests seen in recent years.

Located on Long Island in New York, Shinnecock Hills combines classic links-style architecture, punishing fescue rough, lightning-fast greens and the ever-present threat of coastal winds.

It is a venue where every weakness is exposed and where survival often becomes just as important as scoring.

US Open 2026 key information, prize money and how to watch

Shinnecock Hills is one of the most historic venues in American golf and one of the five founding clubs of the USGA.

Established in 1891, it has hosted five previous US Opens and has crowned champions, including Raymond Floyd, Corey Pavin, Retief Goosen and Koepka.

Following an extensive restoration by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw ahead of the 2018 championship, the course remains largely unchanged and is once again expected to provide a formidable challenge.

• Venue: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, New York, USA
• Dates: Thursday 18th June to Sunday 21st May
• Total Prize Purse: Approximately £16 million
• Winner’s Prize Money: Approximately £3.2 million
• TV Channel: Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports Main Event
• Broadcast Times:
  Thursday and Friday – From 11:30am
  Saturday – From 15:00pm
  Sunday – From 16:00pm
• Tee Times: Can be found here

Best Golf Betting Sites in the UK for 2026

What does it take to win at Shinnecock? Key statistics and angles

Unlike many recent major championship venues, Shinnecock is not a golf course that can be overpowered easily.

While length certainly helps in places, this is far more a test of control, creativity and patience than brute force.

The fairways appear generous on paper, but firm conditions, diagonal angles and thick fescue rough mean players must constantly position the ball correctly from the tee. Simply finding the fairway is often not enough.

Where Shinnecock truly separates the field is around the greens.

The fast, heavily sloped putting surfaces are surrounded by vast run-off areas rather than thick rough, placing enormous emphasis on scrambling, touch from tight lies and the ability to save par repeatedly throughout the week.

With wind expected to play a significant role once again, approach play also takes on a slightly different meaning. Players must be capable of controlling trajectory and distance rather than simply firing at flags.

Historically, US Opens reward complete players, but Shinnecock may be one of the few venues where short game becomes every bit as important as ball-striking.

Expect bogey avoidance to be a key separator and for patience to prove just as valuable as aggression.

Key Statistics to win at Shinnecock:

• Strokes Gained: Approach / Ball Striking
• Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green / Scrambling
• Bogey Avoidance
• Proximity from 200+ yards
• Par-4 Scoring
• Recent Form
• US Open Form

Correlated Courses to consider:

While it is important to note that few courses perfectly replicate Shinnecock Hills, several venues could share similar characteristics, including but not exclusive to:

• Pinehurst No. 2 – US Open
• Chambers Bay – US Open
• Southern Hills – PGA Championship
• Kiawah Island (Ocean Course) – PGA Championship
• Royal Troon – Open Championship
• Royal Liverpool – Open Championship
• Royal Portrush – Open Championship
• Augusta National – The Masters

If you're new to golf betting, check out our guide on how to pick a winner when betting on golf using statistics, form and course history

US Open 2026 Betting Tips and Predictions

As expected, Scottie Scheffler heads the market at 11/2 as he chases a first US Open title – one that would complete the career Grand Slam and add yet another major to his growing collection.

Rory McIlroy is next best at around 11/1 following another outstanding major campaign, while Jon Rahm is available between 12/1 and 14/1 after continuing to impress throughout 2026.

Beyond the leading trio, the market begins to open up considerably, with several of the world's elite players priced between 18/1 and 35/1.

While recent US Opens have often rewarded elite ball-strikers, Shinnecock presents a slightly different examination. Players will need to combine high-end tee-to-green play with exceptional scrambling, patience and the ability to handle relentless pressure over four demanding rounds.

Matt Fitzpatrick – 20/1 each-way (8 places)

Tommy Fleetwood could prove to be a massive danger this week, but with a couple of doubts still hanging over his game, Matt Fitzpatrick remains the preferred option.

Already a US Open champion, Fitzpatrick has elevated himself to fourth in the world rankings thanks to a remarkable run that has yielded three victories in recent months and propelled him to the top of the FedEx Cup standings.

At times, he has been difficult to catch right, but his overall profile looks almost tailor-made for Shinnecock Hills.

His ball-striking has been immaculate throughout the season, while his ability to thrive in windy, firm conditions remains among the very best in the game.

A large part of that stems from a short game that has become genuinely elite. Fitzpatrick ranks only behind Andrew Putnam and Scottie Scheffler on Tour for SG: ATG this season.

His warm-up could hardly have gone much better either, finishing runner-up at last week's Canadian Open after a closing 64 that included an eagle at the final hole.

The Englishman also boasts an excellent record in testing conditions, with victories in events such as the Valspar Championship, British Masters and Nordea Masters, while he finally cracked the top five at The Open Championship with a T5 finish at Royal Portrush last year.

Statistically, he continues to tick all the right boxes, ranking fourth on Tour for SG: Approach, 10th for Par-4 Scoring Average, and 18th for Proximity from 200+ yards.

Considering his major pedigree, current form and suitability to the test, he still feels slightly undervalued compared to some of the names around him in the market.

Bet Fitzpatrick to win the US Open at Shinnecock at 20/1 each-way with eight places on offer at Betfred

Tyrrell Hatton – 35/1 each-way (8 places)

Tyrrell Hatton is surely ready to win a major championship.

While he showed flashes in golf's biggest events earlier in his career, he now appears a far more complete and consistent player, particularly over the past 18 months.

US Opens tend to place enormous demands on every aspect of a player's game, and Hatton's all-round profile is exactly what you want heading into a venue like Shinnecock Hills.

His victory at Valderrama just two weeks ago serves as another reminder of how comfortable he is on demanding, strategic golf courses, while his win at a firm and windy Bay Hill in 2020 remains one of the standout performances of his career.

Hatton also has excellent memories of Shinnecock itself, finishing sixth here in 2018 in what was just his second US Open appearance. He bettered that performance at Oakmont last year, finishing fourth and proving once again that he belongs among the elite in this championship.

He now owns top-six finishes in three of the four major championships, alongside multiple top-10s in the PGA Championship, underlining his ability to compete at the very highest level.

His third-place finish at Augusta earlier this year and fourth-place finish at the US Open 12 months ago also feel like clear indicators that a major breakthrough is edging closer.

With course form, major pedigree and a recent victory already in the bank, Hatton has plenty going for him as he prepares for his tenth straight US Open appearance.

Bet Hatton to win the US Open at Shinnecock at 35/1 each-way with eight places on offer at Betfred

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Patrick Reed – 40/1 each-way (8 places)

Patrick Reed's schedule has been somewhat unconventional since leaving LIV Golf, but the results suggest it is working.

The American has already collected two victories on the DP World Tour this season and arrives having finished T12 at The Masters and T10 at the PGA Championship in his two most recent starts.

A former Green Jacket winner, Reed possesses one of the most creative short games in world golf, a trait that could prove invaluable around the demanding run-off areas and tightly mown surrounds at Shinnecock.

He also has proven course form, finishing solo fourth here in 2018 when Koepka claimed victory.

While ‘Captain America' may no longer receive the same attention as some of the game's biggest names, he enters this week with his highest win tally in a single season since 2014 and appears to be playing with renewed confidence.

US Opens are often won by players capable of grinding out pars when others are making bogeys, and few players embrace that challenge more readily than Reed.

With elite scrambling, proven major pedigree and positive course history, he makes plenty of appeal at this price.

Bet Reed to win the US Open at Shinnecock at 40/1 each-way with eight places on offer at Betfred

Chris Gotterup – 45/1 each-way (8 places)

Chris Gotterup continues to look slightly underrated in elite company, and this could be a venue that showcases the very best of his game.

His breakthrough victory at the Scottish Open last year came in difficult, wind-affected conditions before he immediately backed it up with a T3 finish at Royal Portrush, proving he can handle links-style tests against world-class opposition.

For a US Open at Shinnecock Hills, that feels particularly relevant.

Gotterup possesses a naturally lower ball flight than many of his peers and looks completely at ease shaping shots and controlling trajectory when conditions turn demanding. He’s underrated in this regard, with the ability to produce virtually ‘every shot' in the book.

Being a New Jersey native, there is also a degree of home-state familiarity with the style of golf required in the northeast.

Statistically, his profile is impressive – he ranks fourth on Tour for Driving Distance, and if he opts to unleash the big stick, he could benefit from the rumoured wider fairways. Just as importantly, he has gained strokes on approach in 12 of his last 13 starts.

While the short game can occasionally be a concern, he demonstrated impressive creativity around Augusta National during his Masters debut earlier this year, eventually finishing T24.

The 26-year-old also ranks inside the top 30 on Tour for SG: T2G, Overall Scoring Average and Par-4 Scoring.

With four victories worldwide in the last 12 months and a game built around power and elite ball-striking, Gotterup looks capable of significantly outperforming these odds.

Bet Gotterup to win the US Open at Shinnecock at 45/1 each-way with eight places on offer at Fitzdares

Cameron Smith – 80/1 each-way (10 places)

Generous fairways are not words commonly associated with a US Open, but they have been a recurring theme from players who have already seen Shinnecock this week.

That should be encouraging news for Cameron Smith.

The Australian famously thrived on the expansive fairways of St Andrews when winning The Open Championship, and his two best US Open finishes have both come at similarly links-inspired venues in Chambers Bay and Los Angeles Country Club.

After a lengthy spell searching for his best form, Smith finally appears to be trending in the right direction again.

He has recorded finishes of T7, T16 and T5 in his last three LIV starts and produced his best major performance for some time with a T7 finish at the PGA Championship, snapping a streak of six consecutive missed cuts in majors.

The concern, as always, comes off the tee, but this feels like a venue where driving may be slightly less important than usual and where creativity around the greens can become a genuine separator.

If that's the case, very few players in the world possess a better weapon than Smith.

Ranking first in this field for SG: ATG, the Australian remains arguably the finest scrambler in professional golf.

Any player capable of winning both The Players Championship and The Open clearly has the pedigree to contend here, and at big odds with generous place terms on offer, Smith looks like an outsider well worth chancing.

Bet Smith to win the US Open at Shinnecock at 80/1 each-way with ten places on offer at Betfair

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