What a first round of golf we witnessed from Eastern Long Island.
With a scoring average well over par, Shinnecock Hills once again reminded the golf world why it is considered one of the toughest tests in championship golf. Players of every skill level struggled throughout the day, and there were very few moments where anyone looked completely comfortable navigating the combination of firm conditions, difficult green complexes, and relentless wind.
U.S. Open Round 2 Bets
The golf course was every bit as demanding as expected.
Fortunately for the field, conditions appear set to ease slightly on Friday. The wind is still expected to be a factor tomorrow. It should not nearly to the extent that it was during the opening round. Relative to what players faced on Thursday, the second round should offer a few more scoring opportunities.
That doesn’t mean Shinnecock is suddenly going to become easy.
Far from it.
However, I do think the golfers heading out early on Friday have an opportunity to make up some ground before conditions begin to firm up later in the day. In a championship where every stroke matters, an even-par round could go a very long way toward positioning a player for a weekend run.
With that in mind, here are two players I am targeting heading into Round 2.
Jordan Spieth Top 20 (+300)
Jordan Spieth’s opening round was solid, even if the scorecard doesn’t fully reflect it.
The encouraging part of his performance was that many of the things we expected to translate well to Shinnecock did exactly that. At this stage of his career, Spieth’s two greatest strengths are his driving distance and his elite short game. Both of those skill sets are incredibly valuable around this golf course.
Shinnecock demands creativity around the greens, and few players in the world are more comfortable scrambling and manufacturing pars than Spieth.
The frustrating part of Thursday’s round was the putter.
Jordan left several opportunities on the course and could have easily posted a better number with just a few more putts falling. The encouraging takeaway is that the overall game looks healthy, and there is plenty of room for improvement if the putter cooperates.
If he can simply convert a few more of his chances on Friday, I believe Spieth can work himself back into the tournament and comfortably move inside the top 20 heading into the weekend.
Matt Fitzpatrick Top 5 (+126)
Matt Fitzpatrick continues to put together an excellent 2026 season, and Shinnecock Hills feels like a venue that suits his game perfectly.
Much like Spieth, Fitzpatrick’s ability around the greens should prove extremely valuable over the final 54 holes. His scrambling and touch have long been strengths, and those skills become increasingly important when players inevitably miss greens at a venue this difficult.
What stands out most, however, is his driving profile.
Fitzpatrick has built much of his career around a penetrating, low-apex driver ball flight that performs exceptionally well in windy conditions. On a golf course where controlling trajectory is critical, that skill should continue to pay dividends.
I expect Fitzpatrick to find plenty of fairways on Friday, putting himself in position to either create birdie opportunities or take stress-free pars when conditions demand patience.
With his current form and the way this course fits his strengths, I expect Fitzpatrick to be one of the better performers in Round 2 and put himself firmly in the mix heading into the weekend.
