US Open Tips and Predictions
The Punter's Preview: Reed the sole selection for Steve Rawlings
Steve Rawlings: Patrick Reed looks very well equipped to perform well this week. After a great start to 2026, which saw him win in Dubai and Qatar, Reed heads the DP World Tour standings but without a card on the PGA Tour, he's been very lightly raced since his two wins. He played a couple of events in March in South Africa, finishing 29th and 10th, but his only two starts since have been in the year's first two majors. He finished 12th in the US Masters, the major he won in 2018, and 10th last time out at Aronimink behind Aaron Rai in the US PGA Championship.
Like the 1995 US Open winners at Shinnecock, Corey Pavin and Retief Goosen, Reed is now 35 years old and the fact that he has such a wealth of experience, that he's a brilliant putter on Poa Annua, and that he's very lightly raced, all bodes well. This may well be a week where freshness, both mentally and physically, could be a big advantage and I thought he was fairly priced at around 50/151.00 on the Betfair Exchange.
Back Patrick Reed
US Open Each-Way Picks: Back Henley to keep blooming at 30/131.00
Dave Tindall: You want strong form going into a US Open and Russell Henley certainly has that. He also has tournament form after seventh and 10th in the last two US Opens. And given that we're on a links-style track, it's also relevant that he's posted fifth and 10th in the last two Open Championships.
Shinnecock requires an all-round game and Henley ranks 20th in that category this season. And with an emphasis on short game, note that the 37-year-old is one of just five players in the field who rank in the top 50 for both SG: Around The Green and SG: Putting.
He certainly seemed to take to Shinnecock in 2018 when posting the first-round lead. Ninth at halfway, he eventually finished 25th but it looks a decent marker...
Without a top 10 in his first 32 majors, Henley now has six in his last 14, including three of the last four. A late bloomer at this level, this is his time. Take the 30/1 (5 Places).
Back Russell Henley each-way (5 Places)
Find Me a 100 Winner: Back Gerard to continue rising at 159/1160.00
Steve Rawlings: The world number 23, Ryan Gerard, is a player on the up and I was quite surprised to see him trading at as high as 160.0.
His sole success on the PGA Tour came in last year's Barracuda Championship, an opposite field event played in the same week as the Open Championship, but he's gone from strength to strength since.
In need of a high finish to get into the world's top 50 to secure a place in the US Masters before the end of 2025, Gerard travelled all the way to Mauritius just before Christmas and achieved his goal with an unlucky playoff defeat to Jayden Schaper.
He followed that performance with a second in the Sony Open in Hawaii and a second in the American Express so he's demonstrated an ability to hold his form once he's found it and after a week off, he could go well again here after his 10th at Colonial and his unlucky second at Muirfield Village.
Back Ryan Gerard (2 Us)
First Round Leader: Back Reed to hit the ground running at 40/141.00
Dave Tindall: Early reports that the fairways were wider than usual and there was a going to be real emphasis on short game brought Patrick Reed to the forefront of my mind.
He was already on the shortlist due to his fourth place here in 2018 and although I didn't back him in the outrights, I'll definitely play the Ryder Cup star here. Reed has twice been a halfway leader in the US Open while he was second after 36 holes of April's US Masters.
Reed's name also starts to flash when noting he was the first-round leader in at the Qatar Masters in February. It always blows at Doha GC and his eventual victory there added to wins at other windy venues such as Kapalua and Torrey Pines. Overall, Reed has finished inside the top 10 after day one in five of his last eight starts so he's been hitting the ground running on a consistent basis.
Back Patrick Reed each-way for FRL
Top 5 and 10 Tips: Back English winner to fire again
Dave Tindall: Matt Fitzpatrick's record of one top 10 in 11 US Opens doesn't look great but, as well as the win at Brookline, he's twice finshed 12th and was Low Amateur on his debut in 2014.
One of those 12ths was at Shinnecock in 2018 and on most of the evidence of 2026 he must have a golden chance of landing a top 10 this time.
The Englishman finished 10th the week before his 2022 US Open victory and he heads to Shinnecock with an even better warm-up performance after taking second at TPC Toronto last week.
Back Matt Fitzpatrick for Top 10
US Open Specials: Back Fleetwood and Koepka double at 40/141.00
Dave Tindall: A US Open being held in links-type conditions is right up Tommy Fleetwood's street as he proved eight years ago.
Koepka withdrew from the Canadian Open due to a hand problem but said it was getting better "day by day" and he should be fine. Anyway, beware the injured golfer and all that.
With six top 20s in the last nine starts he's thereabouts and his putter - the thing clearly holding him back - was working well in Canada before his WD.
In tough, attritional US Open conditions I'm more than happy to have five-time major winner Koepka onside and note that he won at TPC Scottsdale six years apart. Just a top five will do here, thanks.
Back 2018 US Open Shinnecock Repeat: Brooks Koepka and Tommy Fleetwood both Top 5 Finish (incl. ties)
US Open stats, trends and players
US Open 2026: Back 50/151.00 10-year trends pick
Dave Tindall: Common sense says you don't go into the US Open searching for your 'A' game. And there is decent evidence that you have to be in good nick to meet the demands of a testing US Open track.
JJ Spaun again helps this trend as he'd finished sixth at the Charles Schwab Challenge just two starts earlier. While we're discussing recent surprise major winners, also note that newly-crowned US PGA champion Aaron Rai went into that event on the back of a top five.
Back to the US Open and eight of the last 10 winners had posted a top 12 in one or both of their previous two PGA Tour starts....
The 29-year-old American Sam Burns has finished seventh and ninth in the last two US Opens and was also seventh in this year's Masters. He's a non-major winner and warmed up for Shinnecock with fourth place at Memorial. Burns has played in five previous US Opens so is in the sweet spot for champions of this event.
Back Sam Burns each-way (6 Places)
US Open Form Stats: Fleetwood could fire at Shinnecock again
Andy Swales: When the US Open was last staged at this week's venue Shinnecock Hills, the Englishman closed with a 63 to finish runner-up, one shot adrift of champion Brooks Koepka. His form this year has been mixed, although three of his last four starts have yielded top-12 finishes.
Tommy Fleetwood