The US Open has a way of commanding the sports world, and this year, with Shinnecock Hills serving as its stage just a few hours east of Manhattan (traffic permitting!), the buzz is loud. Thursday’s opening round shares the spotlight with the Knicks’ championship showcase in town, and the Hamptons’ summer crowd will provide no shortage of star power without strings attached.
For the next four days, golf will be impossible to ignore. And in the middle of it all is the usual question: Who will lift the trophy on Sunday?
These discussions are usually left to the golfers, but you don’t have to be a golfer – or have a handicap – to know exactly who the favorite is this week.
Ranked No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking and already a four-time major champion, Scottie Scheffler enters the week as the clear favorite. He leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained, putting, and scoring – just a few of the skills that will be tested at Shinnecock. No wonder his odds of winning are +550.
But Scheffler’s appeal goes beyond his status as the game’s best player. He arrives with a chance to accomplish something that only six PGA Tour players have accomplished: a career Grand Slam.
2026 US Open odds (top 25 ties)
Scottie Scheffler (+550)
Rory McIlroy (+1100)
Jon Rahm (+1200)
Cameron Young (+1800)
Tommy Fleetwood (+2000)
Xander Schauffele (+2000)
Bryson DeChambeau (+2200)
Ludwig Aberg (+2200)
Matt Fitzpatrick (+2200)
Russell Henley (+3250)
Brooks Koepka (+3500)
Collin Morikawa (+4000)
Justin Rose (+4000)
Sam Burns (+4000)
Tyrrell Hatton (+4000)
Wyndham Clark (+4000)
Justin Thomas (+4500)
Si Woo Kim (+4500)
Viktor Hovland (+4500)
Chris Gotterup (+4750)
Patrick Cantlay (+5000)
Patrick Reed (+5000)
JJ Spaun (+5500)
Hideki Matsuyama (+6000)
Jordan Spieth (+6000)
Robert MacIntyre (+6000)
Just behind Scheffler sits Rory McIlroy (+1200), who completed a career Grand Slam last year with his stunning playoff victory at the Masters. His most recent US Open appearance produced a respectable top-20 at Oakmont, but this week presents a different challenge for the Irishman.
When the US Open last visited the iconic Long Island venue in 2018, McIlroy missed the cut. Eight years later, he brings back a different player – and person. This time around, McIlroy has more time, more accomplishments and less to prove, which, as we’ve seen, could make him even more dangerous.
Next on the board is Jon Rahm (+1400). His runner-up finish at the 2026 PGA Championship at Aroninimink was a reminder that he remains one of the sport’s most competitive players. A victory at Shinnecock would mark Rahm’s first PGA Tour win since leaving LIV Golf in 2023.
Rounding out the top four is Xander Schauffele (+1800). With five top-10 finishes this season, Schauffele enters the week as one of the strongest contenders in the field. Along with his aggressive style of play and stellar short game it may seem like the perfect formula for navigating Shinnecock’s challenging structure.
