SOUTHAMPTON, NY — If the PGA Championship taught us anything, it is that even amid an era of professional golf catered towards the world’s best, any player can be the world’s best on any given week. At Aronimink Golf Club, it was Aaron Rai who played his way into the winner’s circle at the second major championship of the season by teeing it up in an alternate field event across from a signature event the week prior.
This week at Shinnecock Hills, it could be someone similar as the U.S. Open has had a way of crowning champions who were perhaps on the second or third page of potential contenders. Last season, it was J.J. Spaun who shocked the world with a birdie to remember on the 72nd hole at Oakmont Country Club. Two years earlier, Wyndham Clark fended off fan favorites in Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler at Los Angeles Country Club amid a week of record scoring.
It is true, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is likely to threaten the career grand slam on Sunday — a day that triples as the final round of the championship, Father’s Day and Scheffler’s 30th birthday. McIlroy has done everything but win a U.S. Open since his last trip to Shinnecock Hills in 2018. Schauffele has never finished outside the top 15 in the U.S. Open. Fitzpatrick has the most wins this season.
The big names one should expect to be there in the final round should be present, but there are surprises every single year, and at the U.S. Open, those surprises have had a knack of bettering both expectations and the rest of the field.
Check out the nine golfers who we believe could be the last man standing come Sunday at Shinnecock Hills, along with a full slate of U.S. Open picks and expert predictions from the CBS Sports staff before play begins, and a complete breakdown of the U.S. Open TV schedule and coverage guide for the week.
2026 U.S. Open predictions, favorites to win
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Who will win the 2026 U.S. Open, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 17 golf majors heading into the weekend, including the past five Masters, and find out.
