Wyndham Clark opens four-shot lead at US Open before darkness suspends first round at Shinnecock Hills
Wyndham Clark, the 2023 champion, birdied and eagled his way to 6 under through 16 holes at Shinnecock Hills before play was called for darkness, leaving a chasing pack of major winners four strokes back.
The late surge
Wyndham Clark found separation on a day when the US Open leaderboard was mostly packed tight. At 2 under, a string of former champions and amateurs had been jostling near the top until Clark strung together birdies at the third and fourth, then added an eagle at the par-5 fifth. He walked off with a four-shot advantage, the largest first-round lead at the US Open since Tommy Armour's five-shot edge in 1933.
Everything was kind of clicking. We were definitely fortunate with the wind laying down.
Clark played 16 holes in 6 under, mixing five birdies, one bogey and the eagle. Only 50 players were still on the course when the horn blew at 8.25 p.m. local time.
Tough morning conditions
Early starters faced winds that kept scoring averages above 73. A thick fog bank arrived shortly after dawn, triggering a two-hour delay, the first fog-related interruption of an opening round at the US Open since Torrey Pines five years ago. The morning wave averaged 73.87 strokes, nearly a full shot higher than the afternoon groups before the round was called.
It was all just very hard.
The wind stayed brisk enough that the USGA had taken precautions to keep the course fair. Shinnecock Hills was hosting its sixth US Open, and the Long Island track once again showed why only three players have finished under par across the four most recent editions held there.
How the day unfolded
A morning fog delay reshaped the schedule, and the afternoon saw a handful of unexpected names at the top before Clark's late dash.
- Two-hour fog delay pushes back start of play
- Wyndham Clark birdies 3rd and 4th, then eagles 5th to reach 6-under
- Play suspended at 8:25 p.m. EDT with Clark holding a four-shot lead
Chasers and clubhouse leaders
Sam Stevens, amateur Ryder Cowan and Max McGreevy share the clubhouse lead at 2 under. Former champions Dustin Johnson, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jon Rahm and Gary Woodland are also at that number, each with holes remaining when play resumes. Johnson will face a 3½-foot birdie putt on the par-3 seventh at 6.35 a.m.
Rory McIlroy sits one stroke further back after a 69. The 2011 champion bounced back from his disastrous 80 at this venue in 2018, though bogeys on the final two holes took some gloss off the round.
I think with the conditions today, anything under par or anything around even par is a good score. It was a day to really just keep yourself in the tournament and not shoot yourself out of it, which is exactly what I did eight years ago here.
Other scores and notes
Keith Mitchell became the first US Open player to record a nine in the 40s and a nine in the 20s in the same round, going 41 on the front and 29 on the back. Pádraig Harrington opened with a 77, Graeme McDowell signed for a 76, and Shane Lowry was 4 over with four holes to play when darkness stopped play. World No. 2 amateur Preston Stout and fellow Oklahoma amateur Ryder Cowan both spent time in a share of the lead before slipping back.
