Chris Gotterup has contended at majors; is it time for him to break through and enter the winner’s circle?
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
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.