2026 US Open: Top DraftKings Showdown Plays & Live Bets Ahead of Round 4

By John Haslbauer | Jun 20, 2026, 7:47pm

We are just one round away from determining the 2026 US Open champion, and it figures to be an exciting finish with a star-studded leaderboard vying for the third major of the season. With bogeys lurking on every hole, anything can happen as we head into championship Sunday.

Looking ahead, we have new data at our disposal to adjust our approach in DFS formats before Round 4 gets underway on Sunday. Conditions were perfectly sunny, yet windy on Saturday, and Sunday calls for more of the same, with winds forecasted in a similar 15-20 MPH range. Ahead, we’ll look to identify the players who have shown they are most due for a Round 4 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 4 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. The number of players below par has dwindled with each passing round, 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 4 Showdown lineups for these reasons.

Tommy Fleetwood ($9,900)

We’ve been in this position before, where Tommy Fleetwood just needs a simple 63 on Sunday to put himself in position to win the US Open at Shinnecock Hills. I’m not penciling him in to repeat his course record-setting performance again tomorrow, but it’s clear this venue brings out the best in his game. Fleetwood is on a short list of players at even par or better, and is well within striking distance to make a Sunday charge.

He ranked top-40 across all four strokes gained categories, and has leaned on the strength of his short game to score thus far. As conditions continue to firm up, it will require elite short game and some long-range makes on the greens to make a Sunday run.

Keegan Bradley ($7,900)

Slowly but surely, the ball striking form has returned for Keegan Bradley, one of the preeminent flushers on the PGA Tour. He ranked top-15 in SG: T2G, SG: Ball Striking, SG: OTT, and SG: APP through the first three rounds. Keegan may be too far back to win at this point, currently 2 over par, but he’s been a mainstay atop major leaderboards of late, finishing top-30 in four of his last five.

This issue has been his putting thus far, ranking outside the top-50 in the field. That can turn quickly at Shinnecock Hills, however, so I’m still optimistic he can make a charge given how strong his ball striking has been all week at this tournament.

Emiliano Grillo ($6,400)

No one was better than Emiliano Grillo on Saturday, who posted a 67 in his third round to charge himself back to even par for the tournament. It was a hot putter that propelled him to his best round of the tournament, but with Shinnecock’s firm greens not allowing players to fire at pins, it’s the players who can comfortably make putts from long range who stand the best opportunity to find birdies here.

It’s encouraging to see any gains on the greens for Grillo, who has long been a talented tee-to-green player known for giving back strokes on the greens. Grillo has looked his vintage self this week, ranking top-15 in SG: APP. If he can continue this combination of elite irons and putting, Grillo has proven his game translates well in coastal, windy conditions.

Live Bets To Consider Entering Round 4

Top 5 Finish: Justin Thomas

Best Available odds: +600

If you’re looking for a longshot to fill the role of Tommy Fleetwood in 2018 and erase a large Sunday deficit, few are as qualified to do so as Thomas. He famously made his charge to undo Mito Pereira’s lead at Southern Hills in the final round of the 2022 PGA Championship. He also lingered around the clubhouse for most of the afternoon at Aronimink after posting one of the lowest rounds of the day on Sunday.

We should always beware of the fearless golfer, and with Thomas’ back against the wall, he’ll be able to play free and aggressively in search of birdies on Sunday. He has the short game class to pull it off, as long as he can avoid any blowup holes along the way.

Top 10 Finish: Emiliano Grillo

Best Available odds: +110

I’m optimistic about Grillo’s chances to make a Sunday charge for DFS purposes, so I see no reason not to back him for a top-10 finish as well. He’s on the good side of the top-10 going into Sunday, and has figured out a formula that works for himself on the greens.

Always a reliable ball-striker in windy, coastal conditions, Shinnecock Hills is a sneaky great course fit for him when the putter is as hot as it is now. He’ll look to improve on his previous career-best US Open finish of T19, which came last year at Oakmont CC.

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

Photo Credit: AP/Gerald Herbert

John Haslbauer

John Haslbauer writes about golf betting and DFS strategy for Lineups. He is a passionate golf fan, golf writer, and (casual) golfer. A graduate of Syracuse University, John works full-time in Social Influencer Marketing Strategy and is based out of Long Island, N.Y. He created thepgatout.com at the start of 2021 and co-hosts the Preferred Lines weekly podcast.