RADIO
Bryson DeChambeau Looking to Put Major Struggles Behind Him
Bryson DeChambeau has put together a strong season on LIV, recording two victories and four additional finishes of T11 or better. He now turns to the U.S. Open, an event he has won twice, most recently in 2024 and previously in 2020. The biggest story surrounding DeChambeau has been his struggles in majors this season. He missed the cut at both the Masters and the PGA Championship after losing more than 7.1 strokes around the greens and 1.3 strokes on approach. When the U.S. Open was last held at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, DeChambeau finished T25, gaining more than 5.4 strokes putting but once again losing strokes on approach and around the greens. On LIV this season, he has gained +0.22 strokes per round with his short game and +1.19 with his ball striking. The upside is obvious, but after his recent major championship struggles, his biggest test this week may be his mental game. At $11,000 on DraftKings, fantasy managers will want to carefully weigh out their options.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf
Ludvig Aberg Looking for First Major Victory at Shinnecock Hills
Ludvig Aberg has put together a very strong season, finishing outside the top 21 in just two of his last 12 starts, a stretch that includes six top-10s. He now turns to the U.S. Open, where he has recorded a T12 and a missed cut in two previous appearances. This will be his first trip to Shinnecock Hills, though his game should set up well here. Aberg ranks second in total strokes gained (+1.486 per round), 16th off the tee (+0.513), 11th on approach (+0.577), and 50th in driving accuracy. In 10 career major championship starts, he has missed four cuts but also recorded six top-25 finishes. At $9,200 on DraftKings, Aberg offers tremendous upside and possesses all the tools needed to capture his first major championship this week.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Justin Rose Hoping to Continue Major Success
After losing more than 4.2 strokes with his short game, Justin Rose missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open. He now looks to get back on track at the U.S. Open, where he finished T10 the last time the championship was held at Shinnecock Hills. Statistically, Rose ranks 91st off the tee (-0.057 strokes gained per round), 18th on approach (+0.495), and 58th in driving accuracy. While he has been slightly below average around the greens, Rose is known to elevate his game in major championships. He won this event back in 2013, albeit at a different venue, but he has already recorded a T3 at the Masters and a T10 at the PGA Championship this season. The biggest concern with Rose is that he has missed the cut in this tournament in five of the last six years, which makes him a more volatile play than other majors at $8,400 on DraftKings.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Aaron Rai Needs Putter to Cooperate at Shinnecock
After an impressive stretch that included a victory at the PGA Championship, Aaron Rai came back down to earth at the RBC Canadian Open, losing more than 3.8 strokes with his short game on the way to a missed cut. He now looks to get back on track at the U.S. Open, where he will be making his debut at Shinnecock Hills. Success at this championship typically hinges on strong off-the-tee and approach play, along with finding fairways, all areas that fit Rai well. He ranks 55th off the tee (+0.147 strokes gained per round), 17th on approach (+0.496), and second in driving accuracy (71.13%). The biggest question mark remains the putter. Rai gained nearly seven strokes with the flat stick at the PGA Championship, but has lost more than 3.4 strokes combined over his last two events. Still, he has put together a strong season, and at just $6,800 on DraftKings, he offers intriguing value.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Viktor Hovland Trending Up Entering U.S. Open
After a stretch of four straight finishes outside the top 30, Viktor Hovland bounced back nicely at the RBC Canadian Open with a third-place finish. He now looks to keep the momentum going at the U.S. Open, an event where he has found some success. Hovland has recorded four top-20 finishes in seven starts, including a third-place showing last year, though he will be making his Shinnecock Hills debut. The course should suit him well, as he ranks 21st on approach (+0.451 strokes gained per round), 37th tee to green (+0.497), and 16th in driving accuracy. Hovland remains one of the more volatile players on Tour, and at $8,100 on DraftKings, he brings plenty of boom-or-bust upside this week.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Nicolai Hojgaard Needs to Find Fairways at Shinnecock Hills
Nicolai Hojgaard has not been at his best lately, recording a T44 and two missed cuts in his last three starts since his runner-up at the Truist Championship. He looks to find something at the U.S. Open, though his major championship history is not ideal. In 14 career starts, Hojgaard has just three top-40 finishes to go along with four missed cuts. He comes to Shinnecock Hills sitting 15th in total strokes gained (+1.013 per round), 40th off the tee (+0.285), and 19th on approach (+0.454). While he remains one of the longest hitters on Tour, ranking fifth in driving distance, his accuracy can be an issue, especially at a U.S. Open setup. He only finds the fairways at a 51.45% rate, which could be detrimental at a course designed to punish those who are inaccurate. Still, if he can keep the ball in the short grass, he provides some risk-reward upside at $6,700 on DraftKings.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Alex Fitzpatrick Looks to Stay Hot at U.S. Open
Alex Fitzpatrick continues his impressive run on the PGA Tour, recording his fourth top-25 finish since earning his two-year Tour exemption. He now looks to keep it rolling at the U.S. Open, where he will be making his tournament debut. His major championship experience is also limited, with just two previous starts, resulting in a T17 at The Open in 2023 and a T75 earlier this year at the PGA Championship. Fitzpatrick brings a well-rounded game to Shinnecock Hills, gaining +1.403 strokes per round tee to green, +0.534 off the tee, and +0.880 on approach. As is usually the case at the U.S. Open, finding fairways will be crucial, and he has done that at an impressive 67.50% rate this season. Fitzpatrick is playing some of the best golf of his career, and with very few concerns in his game, the biggest question is how he will handle another major championship.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Shane Lowry Needs to Avoid One Bad Major Round
Shane Lowry roared out of the gates in 2026. The Irish golfer had a T-8 at Pebble Beach then nearly won later in February at the Cognizant Classic (T-2). Since then, most of Lowry's results have been in the 20's and 30's. Those are solid numbers but not spectacular. Lowry, across the board, performs well at most metrics. However, there seems to be one round where too many things go south. At the Masters, it was a Sunday 80 where everything fell apart. At the PGA, it was a Friday 76 that kept him out of contention. Lowry will not be phased by the early winds on Thursday afternoon which makes him a potential betting wager for a Top 20 result if he can keep things level into the weekend.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Ben James Gaining Experience at Shinnecock
Ben James turned pro before the RBC Canadian Open. The American golfer had quite an adventure blending highs, lows and a good deal of average golf. He made the cut, shot an incredible 63 on Friday, but watched the wheels fall off Saturday. The third-round 78 was rough to watch but again the 23-year-old was making his debut. Few are expecting much of James at Shinnecock this week. However, anything can happen early at the US Open. He benefits from an early tee time (8:25 am ET). James showed sold distance off the tee and was accurate with the driver 76.79% of the time. If the golfer can continue to hit fairways, James might be worth an early betting and DFS look on Thursday.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
J.J. Spaun Trying to Turn Tide on Long Island
J.J. Spaun returns to the US Open. The American golfer enjoyed his finest moment at Oakmont. Spaun held off Robert MacIntyre to win by two strokes after a Sunday Front 9 that would scare anyone. The golfer survived and made putts and approaches late in that final round. Spaun has an early advantage in that he tees off at 8:14 am ET. That could shield him from some of the heavier wind gusts. Also, driving accuracy will be important (100th in yardage - 301.9). Spaun hits the fairway 64.63% (20th) of the time. Again, Spaun needs the putter to be an excellent betting option over the weekend. The last two majors (PGA, Masters) have seen the putter be a large negative (-2.31 strokes gained at the PGA).
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Ben Griffin Attempts to Put the Memorial in the Rearview Mirror
Ben Griffin probably did not want to talk about the Memorial. The American golfer left early after a 74-77 on the course that Jack built. One of the big issues for Griffin was putting. He lost 1.67 strokes to putting and missed several easier putts as well. Two red flags about Shinnecock are obvious. Griffin's approach and off the tee metrics are not optimal for Shinnecock. With a long course, hitting longer shots from 200+ yards is almost a prerequisite. That is a weak part of Griffin's repertoire (157th at 60 feet 2 inches). If the golfer can temper the winds on Thursday and make some putts, that could pave the way for Griffin to be a weekend DFS option.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Ryan Gerard Showing Great Form Heading to Long Island
Ryan Gerard nearly won at the Memorial early in June. The American golfer lost in a playoff to JT Poston. Gerard gained four strokes on Poston to force hole number 73. It has been quite a season for the golfer as Gerard has made the cut in 15 of 17 events. The US Open is a different animal. However, Gerard gained a whopping 2.88 strokes to putting in Ohio. Majors are a concern for the young golfer, but at 26, the start could be troubling. Afternoon winds on Thursday with the potential for a shower will force him to play a little smarter at times. It will be intriguing to see how Gerard learns from the PGA and Masters troubles this week.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Rickie Fowler Might Get Early Boost at Shinnecock
Rickie Fowler will enjoy an early tee time at the US Open. The American golfer tees off on Thursday at 7:41 am ET. Fowler may have to turn back the clock to 2018 where he netted a Top 20. What the golfer did was to scale back his swing a little. This impacted his accuracy then (-8% to average) but it allowed him to approach the rough better. Setting up for better approach shots then boosted his strokes gained on approach to 1.45. Fast forward to 2026 where the last two tournaments have been disastrous for Fowler. He missed the cut badly at the Memorial losing 5.99 strokes gained. It may have been his worst event in years. Despite this, it may be time to ponder him for Thursday DFS purposes.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Jason Day is a Question Mark for the US Open
Jason Day comes off a misstep at the Memorial. The Australian golfer missed the cut after a 74-76 performance. Day started off the year well and was in contention at the Masters until a Sunday 75. He has missed several US Open cuts including 2018 at Shinnecock. While Day has gained 0.213 strokes to putting (51st), the problems mount off the tee and approaching the green. Day ranks outside the Top 150 in proximity and approaches greater than 200 yards. This scenario plays out with additional winds and breezes expected. Day has an afternoon tee time on Thursday which probably makes him less desirable from a DFS perspective.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
Pierceson Coody Could Have Issues at Shinnecock
Pierceson Coody will be facing a beast of a golf course at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. The American golfer is facing a course that in 2018 saw no golfer break par. Brooks Koepka survived at +1 to win the event. 2026 features an even more diabolical setup. Nevermind the 7,440 yard length and the wind on Thursday, Shinnecock, Coody faces a daunting task even with sold scrambling skills (33rd from the rough at 61.61%). Coody has lost strokes at several signature events in 2026 including the Memorial just a couple weeks ago. His driver accuracy is a red flag as well with accuracy fluctuating (-14% at the PGA Championship). Coody is a golfer to potentially target to miss the cut.
Source: PGATour.com
Source: PGATour.com
