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SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK - JUNE 15: Jordan Spieth of the United States chips on the first green prior to the 126th 2026 U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 15, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)

The US Open is consistently the most difficult test on the annual professional golf calendar. You might think that would lead to the world’s best players hoisting the trophy, and while that does happen, sleepers have a legitimate chance every year at the national championship.

It makes sense, too, if you think about it. If it gets super tough, bordering on comically difficult, it adds variance. Perhaps that’s why three of the last seven winners entered the week with odds to win at 60-1 or longer.

US Open Picks: 3 Sleepers at 80-1 or Longer to Win at Shinnecock Hills

We saw it just last year at Oakmont Country Club. JJ Spaun won the US Open despite opening at 150-1. That feels borderline disrespectful in hindsight, but it was another reminder the winner can come out of nowhere.

Looking down the odds board ahead of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, there are three major champions who are enticing long-shot betting options (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook).

Jordan Spieth (80-1): There’s a reason he’s 80-1. Spieth hasn’t been able to close in a long time, and at a course like this — where there are so many variables out of the players’ hands — it’s probably when not if he has a tournament-killing round. But if you squint hard enough, it’s easy to see someone who could contend for another US Open. Spieth has been quite good at the majors this season, finishing tied for 12th at the Masters and logging a T-18th at the PGA Championship. He’s been quite good off the tee, and the approach game is serviceable. Could he turn back the clock for a weekend and have an out-of-his-mind putting performance? Maybe, right? Seven top-20 finishes in his last 12 starts speaks to the general consistency, but the blow-up rounds have kept those from being top-10s. It’s close, and maybe it never does come all the way back, but at 80-1, it’s tempting to take a ride on the Spieth Experience.

Shane Lowry (96-1): He’s in a similar boat to Spieth. Consistently solid all season without much to show for it, largely because of one or two rounds. Like the Masters, for example. Lowry was 9-under, two off the lead entering the final round. He shot 80 and finished outside the top 30. Maybe that’s more proof that he doesn’t have the right temperament to scoop up another major, but he tends to play well when it’s difficult. He’s also not afraid to play in the wind. Then again, he missed the cut at Oakmont last year and here in 2018. So it’s a lot to ask. He’s kind of feast or famine at majors, too. He has three top-20 finishes (including two top-10s) and two missed cuts at his 10 major starts since 2024. It’s a decent lottery ticket at 96-1, and if this is one of his good weeks, there could be a tempting cashout option if you don’t think he can close.

Cameron Smith (110-1): Even the best LIV guys feel like a dice roll at the majors. Smith is no longer one of those “best guys,” either. There are signs of life, though. He finished T-7 at the PGA, and he has made six of his 10 US Open career cuts. In two of those, he finished top-5. He’s another guy who won’t be afraid of any elements, and maybe he’s helped, even in the slightest, by the relatively wider fairways here. If he can keep it on the planet off the tee, he has the magic hands on and around the green. At some point this week, someone is going to post a 65 or 66 that will be a huge outlier. Smith is definitely capable of doing just that, especially if he gets the right side of a draw.