Shinnecock Hills will be the main character at the 2026 U.S. Open.
may be Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm, but the most important character is Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island’s South Fork. There are no shortcuts to be had at this links-style course.
It demands precision, patience, and a strategic game plan. Every wayward shot will be punished, and those who can get themselves out of trouble with craft and touch will have a leg up over those who just try to push their way through. The last time the U.S. Open championship was held at Shinnecock, it produced one of the most aesthetically pleasing leaderboards ever.
Brooks Koepka won at 1-over par, Tommy Fleetwood finished second at 2-over, Dustin Johnson was third at 3-over, Patrick Reed was fourth at 4-over, and Tony Finau was fifth at — you guessed it — 5-over. Top of the board: Tommy Fleetwood should be in the running at Shinnecock.
Tyrrell Hatton of England tees off on the 14th hole prior to the 126th 2026 U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Like his countryman, Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton has a skillset that should jive with Shinnecock. Although he missed the cut at this year’s PGA Championship, that was one of just two MCs for the Wycombe native at a major since the 2022 Masters, a span of 18 tournaments.
Hatton finished T4 at the 2025 U.S. Open, T3 at this year’s Masters, and was T6 at Shinnecock in 2018. A third Englishman on the card, don’t let Harry Hall’s pedestrian results this season keep you away at this price. His game has the potential to translate really well to Shinnecock. And that should matter more in this kind of setup than a player’s current form.
Known for his craft around the green, Hall has popped up on the leaderboard at some really tough tournaments, including the Sony Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the Truist Championship — all of which were “Signature Events. ” Like Fleetwood and Hatton, he’ll have plenty of experience with the do’s and don’t’s of links-style golf. Harry Hall on the sixth hole during a practice round prior to the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
Most of the time when you’re betting a first-round leader, you’re looking for someone to get white hot for 18 holes. At Shinnecock, it’s more about who can stay out of trouble for the day. The Aussie has had a lot of success on U.S. Open setups, twice finishing runner-up, and five times inside the top-10, and his short game is in good order this season. Day has been around the block a few times.
Don’t expect him to get overwhelmed by the moment on Thursday. Always worth a look at the majors, especially on a course that emphasizes the short game, Patrick Reed is tempting across all markets this weekend. Reed, a former winner at the Masters, finished 12th at Augusta this year and was T10 at the PGA Championship, so he’s having no issues transitioning from LIV tournaments to the elite fields he’s facing at the grand slams.
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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