US Open Golf Betting Tips: Two great angles in the Specials markets

As Shinnecock Hills Golf Club prepares to host the 126^th edition of the U.S. Open, I’ve looked beyond the outright betting and identified a couple of selections that can provide some added interest in New York. Here are my US Open Specials tips...

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*You can bet on the tournament and check out the latest US Open 2026 Odds over on betfred.com

1.5 pt Alex Noren Top Continental European each-way (1/5 - 4 places) @ 10/1

The Top Continental European market is a competitive one, but I’m hoping that the links pedigree of Alex Noren could just give him an edge over his illustrious competitors. He’s hit the top 30 in the first two majors of the season and, having finished 25^th at Shinnecock back in 2018, there are plenty of reasons to expect a bold showing this week.

Noren has been ultra-consistent in 2026, placing 32^nd or better in 10 of his 14 appearances on the PGA Tour. He was 30^th at The Masters to kick off major season and followed that with a 26^th-place finish at the PGA Championship. In addition, his two top-10s this campaign have come across his last five starts, finishing 7^th at the Cadillac Championship and 9^th at the Memorial Tournament.

The Swede’s high-quality short game – ranking 15^th in SG: Putting and 55^th in SG: Around-the-Greens – and ability in the wind already makes him a strong fit. Combine that with his recent improvement in SG: Approach, sitting 31^st across the last two months, and he’s well equipped to meet the demands of Shinnecock.

Noren’s suitability for this challenge was clearly evident eight years ago, as he sat 14^th after 36 holes before eventually finishing 25^th. The only other two players in this market who teed it up there were Jon Rahm and Kristoffer Reitan, who each missed the cut by some way.

Rahm of course has an excellent links record and, returning in good form, he’s more than capable of turning that result on its head. Kristoffer Reitan was an amateur when he played in 2018 and has come on considerably over the last 12 months, whilst Shinnecock first-timers such as Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland undoubtedly have the class to contend.

However, Noren is sharper around the greens than most, and as a former Scottish Open winner who has finished 2^nd and 3^rd at the Dunhill Links and has seven Open Championship top-25s, he simply excels at this brand of golf.

You can check out Jamie's full US Open Preview here...

1 pt Ryan Fox Top Rest of the World each-way (1/4 - 4 places) @ 16/1

Ryan Fox is another player who shines in windy, links-like conditions, which he put to good use to finish 41^st on his U.S. Open debut here at Shinnecock. His game has looked rock-solid throughout the bag this season and, hopefully gaining some confidence after a top-10 in Canada, he has every chance of topping this wide-open Rest of the World market.

Twelve PGA Tour outings have yielded six top-25 finishes for Fox this year, recording a best of 7^th at the Genesis Invitational. He did suffer a narrow missed cut at The Masters, though he was much better in our second major of the season when 35^th at the PGA Championship. Arriving after an 8^th-place finish in Canada, he can carry that momentum into this week.

The New Zealander ranked 8^th in SG: Ball Striking at TPC Toronto, highlighting the strength of his long game. He’s thrived with the driver this year, ranking 34^th in SG: OTT, though he is gaining strokes in every area and also sits an encouraging 10^th in par-4 scoring.

Fox was 41^st here back in 2018 and while many of the players in this market also teed it up there, only Hideki Matsuyama finished above him in 26^th place. He’s now a far more accomplished player, and with results of 1^st and 2^nd at the Dunhill Links, 4^th and 6^th at the Scottish Open, and two top-25s at The Open Championship representing top-class links form, this looks the ideal spot for him to build on last year’s 19^th-place finish at Oakmont.