2026 US Open: Top DraftKings Showdown Plays & Live Bets Ahead of Round 3

We’ve reached the halfway point at the 2026 US Open, where Wyndham Clark has extended his lead to four strokes. At -7 through the first two rounds, Clark is off to a record-setting pace by the US Open’s standards, but Shinnecock Hills may be the most difficult venue in the world to protect a lead. With bogeys lurking on every hole, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tom Kim, and Sam Stevens remain firmly in the mix, each sitting four strokes behind at -3.

Looking ahead, we have new data at our disposal to adjust our approach in DFS formats before Round 3 gets underway on Saturday. Conditions were perfectly sunny, yet windy on Friday, and the weekend calls for more of the same, with winds forecasted in a similar 15-20 MPH range as Friday. Ahead, we’ll look to identify the players who have shown they are most due for a Round 3 breakout.

Take a look at some of the best pillar players for the US Open DFS contests and live betting opportunities.

DraftKings Showdown Golf Strategy

DraftKings Golf Showdown Golf is a one-round Daily Fantasy format in which players aim to construct the best-scoring one-round lineup while staying within the allotted salary cap. To identify value in Golf Showdown, it’s typically best to focus on buy-low opportunities on players who’ve shown uncharacteristically poor putting in the prior round. There is also an opportunity to find leverage by identifying favorable weather splits and players who are more likely to card birdies-or-better.

Round 3 US Open Showdown Pillar Plays

It hasn’t quite been the war of attrition we’ve seen historically at Shinnecock Hills. The wind has been a constant challenge for the field, but a concerted effort to keep the greens soft and slow has made this an appropriate and fair US Open. Just 10 players remain under par at the halfway point, and a continued formula of elite iron play and consistent short game will be the key to scoring over the weekend.

Identifying value players who check each of these boxes can provide valuable bonus points in the DraftKings Showdown format. The three players below will be foundational plays in my Round 3 Showdown lineups for these reasons.

Matt Fitzpatrick ($9,600)

The 2026 heater continues for Fitzpatrick, who has put himself in a great position to chase his second career US Open victory. Fresh off a runner-up finish at last week’s RBC Canadian Open, Fitzpatrick is T2 at 3-under-par heading into the weekend. I was bullish on Fitzpatrick leading into this week, considering his track record of scrambling in difficult conditions and elevated iron game this 2026 season.

He’s had to lean on his short game a bit more than he’d probably like to so far, but his approach at Shinnecock Hills thus far has been textbook to how most analysts expected it would play: A second-shot course where approach play and short game are necessary to separate. Looking ahead to Saturday, Fitzpatrick has room to stack birdies if he can turn things around with his driver. He ranks 128th in the field in SG: OTT, despite ranking top-10 in the category leading into this week. If more fairways are in his future in Round 3, he’s proven the rest of his game is tailor-made to attack Shinnecock Hills.

Akshay Bhatia ($7,100)

On the surface, Shinnecock Hills should have been an ideal fit for Bhatia’s game. He has proven himself one of the most adept wind players on the PGA Tour, withstanding difficult, windy conditions in his wins at the Valero Texas Open and Arnold Palmer Invitational. That prowess in the wind has been on full display in Southampton thus far, as Bhatia ranks 2nd in SG: APP leading into the week.

Beyond the surface, however, Bhatia’s form has been shaky in his four previous starts leading in, but a consistent putter has helped keep him afloat. Bhatia is currently T11 at even par, despite ranking outside the top-100 in SG: Putting. Assuming he finds some positive regression on the greens soon, the rest of his tee-to-green game has looked up to the test at the 2026 US Open.

Sahith Theegala ($7,100)

Theegala has a game made for links golf, with imaginative shot-making being his true calling card. As evidence, he currently ranks No. 1 in SG: T2G, and charged up the leaderboard to T7 after a Friday round of 67. It’s been an up-and-down season for Theegala so far, who has more often than not been plagued by a cold putter. We’ve seen some signs of life at Shinnecock, however, as he rebounded from a bottom-10 putting performance in round 1 to a top-40 showing on the greens in round 2.

Theegala is a very promising young talent on the PGA Tour who came into this week under the radar with a streak of nine consecutive made cuts. He’s brought that streak up to 10 now, and if he truly has found something with the putter, he’s proven the rest of his tee-to-green game is good enough to handle Shinnecock Hills’ worst.

Live Bets To Consider Entering Round 3

Outright Winner: Sam Burns

Best Available odds: +2600

If you’re looking to reload on a new championship contender halfway through the 2026 US Open, Sam Burns appears to me like the best value on the board. Burns is currently T7 and six strokes off of Wyndham Clark’s lead. Six strokes is far from insurmountable in a major championship, and I prefer Burns in a chasing role, as he is one of the most lethal birdie-makers in this field.

I had my reservations about Burns’ ability to close on the biggest stage leading in, but the numbers don’t lie. He’s been a factor in each of the last two US Opens, finishing top-10 in both, and ranks top-15 in total strokes gained in major championships since 2024. Burns is in red-hot form at the moment, coming in off of back-to-back top-20 finishes, and has displayed great all-around form at Shinnecock Hills thus far, ranking above-average in all four strokes gained categories.

Top 5 Finish: Scottie Scheffler

Best Available odds: +116

The boogie man is back folks, and just like New York’s Knicks, Scheffler is most dangerous in the final three quarters of the championship. After yet another disappointing opening round, Scheffler looked like his World No. 1 self yet again on Friday, finishing with a round of 68 to put himself back to even par and T11 for the championship.

What’s most frightening for the field is that Scheffler has not even gotten going with his irons yet. The #1 player on the PGA Tour in SG: APP this season ranks just 72nd in the category through the first two rounds. Wins have been a deficiency for Scheffler by his standards in 2026, but top-5 finishes have not; he’s placed top-5 in 13 of his last 18 starts, and will be plenty motivated over these next two days in search of completing the career grand slam.

Best of luck with your US Open DFS lineups and bets!

Photo Credit: AP/Sue Ogrocki