Wyndham Clark builds four-shot lead before US Open first round suspended
Defending champion Wyndham Clark led the US Open at six under par after 16 holes, establishing a four-stroke advantage before play was halted due to darkness. A fog delay and later low visibility also affected the opening round at Shinnecock Hills.
Defending champion Wyndham Clark opened the US Open with a six-under-par score through 16 holes, creating a four-stroke lead over the nearest competitors before play was suspended at 8:25 p.m. due to darkness. The clubhouse leader, Sam Stevens, was at two under, joined by six other players sharing the same score, while nine more, including Masters champion Rory McIlroy, were one under.
Two 21-year-old amateurs from Oklahoma, Ryder Cowan and Preston Stout, were also near the top of the leaderboard after the restart, with Cowan finishing at two under and Stout at two over. Clark capitalised on calm conditions during the late afternoon, carding birdies on the third and fourth holes and an eagle on the fifth, a performance not seen since Tommy Armour’s five-stroke opening-round lead in 1933.
"Everything was kind of clicking," Clark said, adding that the wind had been favourable.
The round was disrupted early by a dense coastal fog that reduced visibility shortly after the first tee shot at 6:35 a.m., prompting officials to suspend play for more than two hours. After play resumed, McIlroy quickly moved into the lead with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, later posting an eagle on the fifth before two late bogeys left him one under.
Scottie Scheffler, seeking a career Grand Slam, struggled early and finished two over par, while tournament officials watered and misted the greens to mitigate the impact of anticipated 30-mph winds on the fast putting surfaces.
"Overall it was a really challenging day," Scheffler said. "If you told me when I was staring at my par putt on nine that I would post two-over today, I would definitely have taken it at the time."
The USGA’s decision to soften the greens was supported by players, with Scheffler noting the greens were softer than expected but necessary given the forecast.
"I think the last thing that they wanted was having balls blowing off greens," he added.
The first round is set to continue on Friday as conditions improve.
