With club pros and amateurs competing alongside PGA and LIV touring pros, there’s a whole lot of talent coming to the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York this week. 

But while 156 golfers will be competing in the third major of the year, coming to you live on NBC and Peacock, a handful of those golfers are coming into the tournament with momentum and history on their side. While it’s anybody’s guess who will get through four grueling rounds at Shinnecock with the lowest 72-hole score and claim the United States Open Championship Trophy on Father’s Day, there are certain players to keep yours eyes firmly upon, the ones who are rounding into form at exactly the right time. 

Read on to find out which golfers to watch closely at the 126th U.S. Open from June 18-21, live on NBC and Peacock! 

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Who are the golfers to watch in the 2026 U.S. Open?Scottie Scheffler seeking his career Grand Slam

If you’re looking for likely winners of the U.S. Open, you should look first and foremost at the World No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler. He’s number one for a reason, having won 20 career PGA Tour events, including four majors. But he may just be extra formidable this week in New York, as he’ll have an opportunity to do something few players have completed: the career Grand Slam. With a win at Shinnecock, Scheffler can add the U.S. Open title to his previously won major championships: the 2022 and 2024 Masters, the 2025 PGA Championship, and the 2025 Open Championship.

Rory McIlroy looking to become European golfer with most major wins

Speaking of Career Grand Slam winners, the most recent man to do so happens to be the World No. 2, Rory McIlroy, who already has six major championships to his name. When he won the 2025 Masters, McIlroy became the sixth golfer to win all four majors in his career, joining the elite club of legends Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. But McIlroy still has plenty to play for this week, including besting Sir Nick Faldo to become the European with the most major wins ever, if he can pull off his seventh.    

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What are the golfers with the best odds of winning the 2026 U.S. Open?

With so many quality golfers in the field, there’s plenty of other players beyond the World No. 1 and 2 who has everything it takes to win the 2026 U.S. Open. Somewhat shockingly, at the time of writing, there are currently 22 players with better odds of winning this year’s U.S. Open than last year’s champ, J.J. Spaun. That just shows you how deep this year’s field is. 

Per Golf Channel (via DraftKing’s latest odds on June 15), here’s the golfers with the best odds to win the 2026 U.S. Open:

Scottie SchefflerRory McIlroy Jon Rahm Xander Schauffele  Cameron Young Matt Fitzpatrick Tommy Fleetwood  Ludvig Åberg Bryson DeChambeau  Brooks Koepka  Collin Morikawa Russell Henley Wyndham Clark Si Woo Kim  Sam Burns  Chris Gotterup Justin ThomasTyrrell HattonPatrick CantlayPatrick ReedJustin RoseViktor HovlandJ.J. SpaunHow can you watch the 2026 U.S. Open on NBC and Peacock?

You can catch the 126th U.S. Open live from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York this week on NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports’ best in the business golf coverage begins Thursday, June 18. Here’s the full schedule:

Thursday, June 185 p.m. – 8 p.m. ET: U.S. Open, Round 1 Late Coverage (Peacock) 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET: U.S. Open, Round 1 All-Access (Peacock)Beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET: U.S. Open, Round 1, Featured Groups (Peacock)Friday, June 196:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET: U.S. Open, Round 2 (Peacock)1:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET: U.S. Open, Round 2 (NBC/Peacock)7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET: U.S. Open, Round 2 All-Access (Peacock)Beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET: U.S. Open, Round 2, Featured Groups (Peacock)Saturday, June 20Noon – 8 p.m. ET: U.S. Open, Round 3 (NBC/Peacock)10 a.m. – Noon ET: U.S. Open, Round 3 All-Access (Peacock)TBD – U.S. Open, Round 3, Featured Groups (Peacock)Sunday, June 21Noon – 7 p.m. ET: U.S. Open, Final Round (NBC/Peacock)9 a.m. – Noon ET: U.S. Open, Final Round All-Access (Peacock)TBD – U.S. Open, Final Round, Featured Groups (Peacock)