Who are our betting staff at Shinnecock

“Green buildings there are very difficult.”

“The fairways are very open.”

“It’s blowing hard there.”

By clicking on “2026 US Open Picks to Win: Here’s Who Our Staff Bets at Shinnecock,” you expect, of course, to learn who we like this week in the third round of the year, and you’ll find that below. But how we get to that is based a little bit on what we hear – and we’ve heard some things from players who have been to the Long Island, NY, course.

The first three paragraphs of this story are some of our picks – and there’s more below. As always, I hope the thoughts, along with our picks, will help you with your weekly picks, whether that’s for a low-level fantasy league, or (legal!) big-money bets with a sportsbook.

It means Scottie Scheffler: “I had never been there. It was my first time in the area. It was kind of what I expected. I had heard some rumors about how difficult the greens were. I was a little surprised at the width of the fairways, but the green structures are very difficult, and I think that’s where the biggest challenge comes from. The offense, too, was a really good penalty, I think, if you don’t have a chance to get out. Being generous enough where it gives you an opportunity and thus because the green structures are incredibly difficult, so they can place the pegs wherever they want and make the score as high as they want.

What you can do with it: The greens are wide and complex – so a player with the right length and a good landing game should win.

It means Rory McIlroy: “Shinnecock looks great. The fairways are very generous. They’re more generous than in 2018. But the first cut is 5 inches long. So it’s like the first cut might be three feet wide and it’s going into the fescue. So if you miss the fairway by even a yard, you’re going to — but you have to miss a lot. The fairway, I feel like you deserve a bad lie.

“And the greens – they’re still really green. … The greens are turning 11, 11.2, something like that. And I don’t think they need to be too fast. I think if they can keep it at that green speed, they can make them stronger, and they can use the hole locations that they want to use without having some of the problems that they had in the US, I opened up every last thing in the US. the speed where they are and we don’t get them too out of hand, and I think it’s going to be a good week if it’s organized by the way, I think it’s one of the best championship courses in the country I mean, it’s an amazing golf course.

What you can do with it: One of the best tests of bravery – so the grinder should do well.

It means JJ Spaun: “It’s like Oakmont. But I feel like any US Open course is like a shock. But it was cool to live in the area. It is clear that it is blowing strongly. So I think the understanding is that it’s – you’re going to have to control the trajectories and things are going to be big in that area. But yes, from what they said in the media, how the fairways will be generous, they won’t try to deceive you, it will be – Shinnecock will be played as it should be or as it was intended by design. ”

What you can do with it: Strong winds – so a strong batsman must fight.

With that, here are our picks.

2026 US Open pick to win

Alan Bastable

Victory: Cameron Young, +1,800. Almost all the favorites – Scottie, Rory, Bryson, Ludwig – I stopped for one reason or another (spotted form, mainly) … except one: Cameron Young. Call a local(ish) boy for his first USO title.

Josh Behow

Victory: Scottie Scheffler, +550. It’s still early, but it could be rainy – and more importantly, windy – for a few days on Long Island, which means I’m getting to watch the guys who played well at the Open Championships. That boils down to two names for me: Scottie Scheffler (who won the Open last year) and Matt Fitzpatrick, who tied for fourth last year and has been one of the top three players on Tour this season. That brings me to Scottie, who deserves it, and wins to complete a career Grand Slam.

Adam Christensen

Victory: Tommy Fleetwood +2,200. This is a heart pick rather than a head pick, but you’re looking for “the best player without a major position” – and why not get him in the place where he shot the best round of his career? Fleetwood is an absolute flusher and has recently flashed some form in Memorial, enough for me to pick him to go to a place where a good approach game will be rewarded.

James Colgan

Victory: Scottie Scheffler, +550. I have thought about this. I grinded on it. I’ve questioned the wisdom of picking the best player of the past five years to win the event he so desperately wants to win when his game seems to be in an unusual lull. It all seems so silly – too silly to work. But then I remember that Scottie’s entire career was defined by his ability to win early. What he does is very good. And to win a career grand slam less than 12 months after setting it dominoes – before any of us in the media began the long journey of questioning his competitive integrity or aura or “ability to win big?” It strikes me as the most complete NEVER possible. Add in the fact that Shinnecock has historically picked all-time winners, and I’m officially out of other options.

Jack Hirsh

To win: Tommy Fleetwood, +2,200. I’ve had Scottie Scheffler penciled in here for a very long time, but while I think he’s still the No. 1 player in the world, his game isn’t as bulletproof as it used to be. Instead I’ll go with Fleetwood, who have been out of the playoffs for the past two weeks at the Memorial. He’s had the best short game on the PGA Tour this season and seems to have figured things out with a new putter. Not to mention, he almost shot 62 here last time.

Jessica Marksbury

To win: Scottie Scheffler, +550. I just can’t stop the World No. 1. Sure, he hasn’t had his “bests” of late – but his worst finish of the year was a tie for 24th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and that was back in March. The US Open is the game’s toughest test and Scottie has all the tools to win a No. 5 major — and complete a career grand slam.

Maddie MacClurg

Victory: Matt Fitzpatrick, +2,500. To win at Shinnecock Hills, you need accuracy off the tee, exceptional ball striking and the ability to chip in when the green is inevitably missed – all Fitzpatrick strengths. If the putter is hot, I think the Englishman will be together on Sunday.

Zephyr Melton

Victory: Scottie Scheffler, +550. The Shinnecock will reward those who control their golf ball the best, and no one in the world is more adept at that than Scottie Scheffler. Give him a career grand slam.

Jake Morrow

Victory: Ben Griffin, +6,600. A strong start to the year, just locked in some gear, and since the fairways are so friendly I think his potential issues with accuracy off the tee can be mitigated, allowing for more aggressive play.

Nick Piastowski

To win: Wyndham Clark, +4,000. Let’s go with one of the hottest players in golf. If the roads are really open, that benefits him too.

Josh Schrock

Victory: Tommy Fleetwood +2,200. He finished second at Shinnecock in 2018, thanks to a blistering final round. It comes from the fourth game in the Memorial. It has the playmaking and short game needed to stay at Shinnecock. A lot of people will be looking for Tommy to win the Open when he goes home at Royal Birkdale, but he did it a month earlier and won a proper test at the US Open.

Johnny Wunder

Victory: Jon Rahm, +1,200. The runner-up finish at the PGA was a sign that he is still one of golf’s great game hunters. Shinny needs a good hitting ball and imagination around the green – which he has in spades. If the putter is pointing too far, no one is hitting it.

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