The 125th US Open heads to one of the most iconic and demanding venues in golf history: Oakmont Country Club. Set just outside of Pittsburgh, this Par 70 stretch of land will host the national championship for a record 10th time. Designed in 1903 by Henry Fownes, Oakmont is golf’s ultimate stress test – featuring deep bunkers, brutal rough, tilted fairways, and some of the fastest greens players will see all year. No trees. No water. No mercy. Let’s dive into my PGA DFS picks and core plays for the US Open.
Course Preview
While Augusta offers tradition and beauty, the US Open prides itself on difficulty – and Oakmont delivers it in spades.
It’s a course where driving accuracy and smart iron play are non-negotiable. With fairways tilted and greens rolling at terrifying speeds, finding the short grass and avoiding three-putts will be everything.
In building lineups and identifying win equity, I emphasized Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Approach, Ball Striking, Driving Accuracy and Distance, as well as 3-Putt and Bogey Avoidance. Players who survive and thrive here tend to be elite total drivers with a complete tee-to-green skill set – and that’s exactly where we’re focusing this week.
I ran the data through Stokastic’s PGA Sims Tool – which simulates every hole and builds thousands of lineups using our in-house projections. It highlights the golfers showing up most often in top-performing lineups, making it easy to identify strong core plays and sneaky value. If you’re aiming to build sharp, +EV DFS lineups, this tool gives you a serious edge.
Let’s dive into my US Open picks that I’ll be building lineups around this week on DraftKings.
PGA DFS Picks: US Open DFS Picks & Core Plays
PGA DFS Picks: US Open DFS Picks & Core Plays: Patrick Cantlay – $9,300
Could this finally be the week Cantlay breaks through?
His best finishes this season include a T-4 at the Truist Championship and a pair of T-5s at both The Genesis Invitational and The American Express. But when it comes to the Majors, he’s been underwhelming—finishing T-36 at The Masters and missing the cut at the PGA Championship.
That said, Oakmont could be the perfect fit. With how sharp his irons have been, this might be the Major where he finally separates himself.
Over his last 40 rounds, Cantlay ranks 5th in SG: Approach, 16th in SG: Tee-to-Green, and 26th in Driving Distance. On the season, he’s also 16th in Ball Striking and 47th in Total Driving.
According to Stokastic’s PGA Sims Tool, he’s popping up in 21% of our Top-300 simulated lineups with a +12.6% leverage over the field.
At this price, you’re getting a complete player with the upside to contend on one of golf’s most demanding tracks.
Viktor Hovland – $8,500
Hovland is still searching for his first Major title – could this U.S. Open be the one?
He’s already notched a win this season, but the Major breakthrough has eluded him throughout his career. Based on his recent form and the current price tag, this feels like a spot to buy in.
Over his last 40 rounds, Hovland ranks 8th in SG: Approach, 41st in SG: Tee-to-Green, and 40th in SG: Total. He also sits 35th in Total Driving and 55th in Ball Striking for the season – not elite, but more than capable.
His putting remains the biggest question mark, but his ability to dominate off the tee and stick greens in regulation gives him a real path to contend.
With sub-6% ownership, he’s flying under the radar and we’re significantly overweight in our Sims, showing a +14.2% leverage mark.
PGA DFS Picks; US Open DFS Picks & Core Plays: Sepp Straka – $7,700
Straka is showing up in 23.3% of our Top-300 simulated lineups, although our tools are slightly underweight on him relative to the field (-2.3%).
Even so, I still see him as a strong addition to your lineups. His stats over his past 40 rounds are just too good to overlook, especially at a track like Oakmont. Straka ranks 2nd in SG: Approach, 5th in SG: Total, and 12th in both SG: Putting and SG: Tee-to-Green. He’s also 11th in Driving Accuracy and 17th in Ball Striking.
He’s been on a tear this season with two wins and three other top-10 finishes. While he’s struggled in the Majors – missing the cut at both Augusta and Quail Hollow – it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him flip the script at the U.S. Open.
GPP Flier: Daniel Berger – $6,800
After diving into Berger’s arsenal, I’m honestly surprised we’re getting him at this price. It’s no wonder our Sims have him pegged with one of the highest value scores on the slate (7.14).
Over the full season, he’s been dialed in off the tee and with his irons – ranking 14th in Total Driving, 15th in Ball Striking, and 26th in Scrambling.
Narrowing down to his last 40 rounds, Berger ranks 11th in SG: Tee-to-Green, 15th in SG: Total, and 16th in SG: Approach.
His putting game will need to excel, but every other facet of his game should lead him toward consistent and quality scoring opportunities at Oakmont.
