of 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 feels even stronger. Thursday’s opening round shares the spotlight with the Knicks’ championship parade in town, while the Hamptons’ summer crowd will provide no shortage of star power off the ropes.
For the next four days, golf will be impossible to ignore. And at the heart of it all is a familiar question: Who will lift the trophy on Sunday?
These conversations are usually left to the golf geeks, but you don’t need to be a golfer—or even have a handicap — to know exactly who is the favorite this week.
Ranked no. 1 in the official world golf ranking and already a four-time major champion, Scottie Scheffler goes into the week as the clear favourite. He leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained, putt and scoring — just some of the skills that will be tested at Shinnecock. No wonder his odds of winning are +550.
But Scheffler’s appeal extends beyond his status as the game’s most dominant player. He arrives with a chance to accomplish something only six PGA Tour players have accomplished: the career Grand Slam.
US Open 2026 Odds (Top 25 & Draws)
Scottie Scheffler (+550)
Rory McIlroy (+1100)
Jon Rahm (+1200)
Cameron Young (+1800)
Tommy Fleetwood (+2000)
Xander Schauffele (+2000)
Bryson DeChambeau (+2200)
Ludvig 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)
Only after Scheffler sits Rory McIlroy (+1200), which completed the career Grand Slam last year with his dramatic playoff win at the Masters. His most recent US Open appearance produced a respectable top-20 finish 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 returns another player – and another person. This time around, McIlroy is more seasoned, more accomplished and has a lot less to prove, which, as we’ve seen, can make him even more dangerous.
Next on the board is Jon Rahm (+1,400). His runner-up finish at the 2026 PGA Championship at Aroninimink served as a reminder that he is still one of the toughest competitors in the game. A win at Shinnecock would mark Rahm’s first PGA Tour win since leaving for LIV Golf in 2023.
Rounding out the top four is Xander Schauffele (+1800). With five top-10 finishes already this season, Schauffele enters the week as one of the most consistent contenders in the field. Plus, his aggressive style of play and stellar short game could prove to be the perfect formula for cruising Shinnecock’s defiant appearance.
