2026 U.S. Open: Five Sleepers to Watch, Including Major Contender Chris Gotterup

Two of the last four major winners have come from well off the pre-tournament radar. J.J. Spaun's victory in the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont was a stunning performance that didn't exactly come out of nowhere -- he battled Rory McIlroy to a runner-up finish at The Players earlier in the year -- but was not something anyone predicted at one of golf's stiffest tests. Just last month, Aaron Rai ran away from Jon Rahm and the rest of the field at the PGA Championship on Sunday afternoon at Aronimink to capture his first major victory in similarly shocking fashion.

As preparations continue for the 2026 U.S. Open at the iconic Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, those two recent major results are a reminder that on any given week, even at the toughest tests in golf, a surprise winner can emerge to beat the best players in the world. The challenge in identifying a possible sleeper pick at a major is figuring out what attributes will be the most important that week.

At Shinnecock Hills, there are plenty of factors at play, but the three attributes that will be tested most are ball control in the wind, the ability to grind through difficult conditions and putting. Possible sleepers this week must possess some combination of all three of those skills, although the balance of each category varies for each.

It's possible this week ends up being Scottie Scheffler's coronation as the latest to achieve the career grand slam or Jon Rahm's return to major glory or some other favorite capturing the win. However, the depth of the game of golf has never been greater, and the performances of Spaun and Rai in the last 12 months have been a reminder of how many players can reach the game's ultimate heights when they find their absolute best for four days.

2026 U.S. Open sleeper picks

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

45-1

Chris Gotterup Shinnecock Hills is proper links golf, and last year, we learned that is where Gotterup thrives with a win at the Scottish Open and his first major in contention at the Open Championship. Gotterup got off to a flying start early in the year with two wins, and while he cooled off a bit in the spring, he's starting to regain some of that great form. A T10 at the PGA Championship was a good sign for his form, and he's one of the best wind players in the world right now with his ability to flight the ball and shape shots. There's not much question of his ability to grind through tough conditions, and he's been a positive on the green this season, ranking 37th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting. 68-1

Robert MacIntyre Last year's U.S. Open runner-up has not had the best start to 2026, but he loves links golf, and Shinnecock Hills might make Bobby Mac feel right at home. For as mediocre as he's been this season in terms of finishes, he's still one of the best putters on the PGA Tour (13th in SG: Putting), and that, combined with an inherent ability to handle wind and tough conditions, makes him a possible threat at Shinnecock. 86-1

Harris English If you're talking about players who will be unflappable, English has to be near the top of the list. His ball-striking hasn't been where we're accustomed to it this year, but a world-class flusher like English can absolutely find his best when he needs it. What allows one to be particularly bullish about a man who had two runner-up finishes in majors last year to regain that form is that he's sixth on the PGA Tour in stroke gained putting this season, and that ability to confidently roll the rock will be critical to success at Shinnecock. 110-1

Ryan Gerard Gerard has been steadily building his confidence that he belongs among the best in the world, and while he fell just short in a playoff at the Memorial, that performance on an incredibly challenging golf course will be a big mental boost coming into the U.S. Open. Gerard is a very solid putter (27th in SG: Putting) and is tremendously long off the tee and with his irons. We'll have to see how he handles the wind, but the speed he creates is a big advantage in those conditions because the greater your ball speed, the less the wind impacts your flight. 240-1

Max Greyserman This New Jersey golf legend has played a lot of golf in the area, and he is a tremendous grinder, as evidenced by playing his way into the field in sectional qualifying last week. Greyserman seems to enjoy battling through the toughest test in golf, posting back-to-back top-25 finishes at the U.S. Open. The putter hasn't been great this year (71st in SG: Putting) but has always been his best attribute since joining the PGA Tour. If this week becomes a real grind on a difficult course, he's the kind of player that will hang around and could give himself a shot on Sunday.

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.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/us-open-sleepers-picks-2026/)._