Scottie Scheffler's Struggles Are Quietly Shaking Up The 2026 U.S. Open and Nobody's Talking About It

Alright, you golf fanatics out there, listen up! The third major championship of the 2026 season, the U.S. Open, is already underway at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York, and practice rounds are heating up. We're talking 156 of the best from PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and USGA all battling it out. This isn't just another tournament, folks, it’s Shinnecock Hills, a notoriously brutal test, and with high winds expected all four rounds, it’s going to be an absolute grind. Who's gonna hoist that trophy on Sunday? That's the question on everyone's mind, trust me!

The Favorites Are NOT Looking Like Themselves

You’d think the overall favorite, Scottie Scheffler, would be cruising, right? Think again! This dude, who usually lives in the top 10, is hardly playing his best golf. He’s only got one win this season, and get this, NONE of those wins came in the PGA Tour’s most substantial tournaments. What gives? This is the U.S. Open, the pressure cooker, and your main guy is coming in cold. Then you've got Rory McIlroy, fresh off winning a second straight green jacket, so his game is sharp. But his driving accuracy? Rough. And he's not even playing as many tournaments as usual, so rust is a real factor here. Seriously, how often do you see the top guys wobbling like this heading into a major? It's wild!

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And speaking of who's missing, legends Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are sitting out their third major of the season. It looks like this could be the first time in decades they both miss all four biggest events of the year, which is just a gut punch for golf fans everywhere. Their personal circumstances are starkly different, but the result is the same: no Tiger, no Phil. But don't you worry, the field is still stacked with major players like Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, and Tommy Fleetwood all ready to attack this tough USGA challenge.

Sleeper Picks That Could Blow Up The Leaderboard

So, with the big names a bit shaky, who are the experts pointing to? CBS Sports golf writer Patrick McDonald has his eyes on Russell Henley as the winner, sitting at 40-1 odds via Caesars Sportsbook. Henley, man, he's quietly becoming one of the best players in the world and a regular in major championships. He just won the Charles Schwab Challenge, he was in the mix on Sunday at Augusta National, and his U.S. Open record is sneakily good. He's deadly accurate off the tee, precise into the greens, and has the mental toughness to handle Shinnecock. That’s a formula for success, right?

And for a true dark horse, McDonald is throwing out Ryan Gerard at 125-1 odds. This guy has been in the final group on Sunday in his last two tournaments, even if he did fall short in a playoff in the latter. That’s some serious fire when it counts! You love to see a player hitting his stride like that. So, as the tournament rounds fast approach, we’re bracing for an absolute showdown on Long Island. Get ready, because Sunday evening, someone’s hoisting that trophy, and it could be someone nobody expects!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.