Wyndham Clark
Former champion Wyndham Clark leads the US Open golf championships on 6-under with two holes to play. The 2023 champion leads the pack with 50 players yet to complete their rounds.
The championship got off to an unsteady start. Heavy fog brought play to an early halt and suspended play for two hours. When that cleared, everything ramped up quickly. The wind tormented the entire early wave but slowed in the afternoon, leaving the course susceptible to scoring.
Of the 12 past U.S. Open champions in the field, seven are currently T9 or better with Clark leading the charge. Matt Fitzpatrick
(T2), Dustin Johnson (T2), Gary Woodland (T2), Jon Rahm (T2), Rory McIlroy (T9), Bryson DeChambeau (T9) are the other champions on the prowl.
Despite not completing his round, this is Clark’s first under-par round at the U.S. Open since his win three years ago.
He finished T11 last week at the Canadian Open and is seeking to become the fourth multiple winner of the season – Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup.
McIlroy opened his campaign with a one-under 69 that marks an 11-stroke improvement over the first-round 80 he shot in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills.
The six-time major champion is seeking to become the seventh player to win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year, achieved by Jordan Spieth in 2015.
With a 2-under 68, Sam Stevens (T2/-2) posted the best round of the morning wave.
Ryder Cowan (T2/-2) is seeking to become the first amateur inside the top five on a U.S. Open leaderboard after any round since Brian Campbell in 2015.
Meanwhile, Keith Mitchell (T18/Even) closed his round with a 6-under 29 on Nos. 1-9, equaling his best 9-hole score and joins Neal Lancaster (1995/R4/back nine) as the only players to post a 29 in a U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hiills.
It was however, a disaster for J.J. Spaun who is T133 after posting a 7-over 77, the highest opening round by a defending U.S. Open champion since McIlroy opened with the same score in 2012 at Olympic Club.
FedExCup leader Fitzpatrick is -2 thru 16 holes while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler hit a 72 as he chases a Career Grand Slam.
