2 hours ago
Everyone was chasing 1 man connected a windswept Friday successful nan Hamptons arsenic Wyndham Clark continued his bonzer revival, posting nan lowest 36-hole people ever recorded successful a US Open astatine Shinnecock and carrying a four-shot lead into nan weekend.
The 2023 champion backed up his opening-round 64 pinch a one-under 69 to scope 7 nether par, breaking nan erstwhile halfway grounds of six nether group by Phil Mickelson and Shigeki Maruyama successful 2004. Clark’s full near him 4 strokes clear of Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Sam Stevens and Tom Kim astatine 3 under, while Collin Morikawa hurled himself into contention pinch nan day’s debased people of 65 to beryllium unsocial astatine 2 nether connected a sun-splashed but blustery day successful Southampton.
Clark’s overnight advantage, built successful a flash during unexpectedly benign conditions connected Thursday evening earlier play was suspended for darkness, looked acold little unafraid early connected Friday morning. After returning to complete nan last 2 holes of his opening round, nan 32-year-old American saw his four-shot lead halved earlier reasserting himself. He survived a acold spell connected nan greens, missing a makeable par connected nan ninth and birdie chances astatine nan 10th and 11th, but responded pinch a 29-foot birdie astatine nan 13th earlier curling successful different from 33 feet down nan slope astatine nan past to reconstruct nan cushion.
Only 4 players person carried a larger 36-hole lead astatine America’s nationalist title – Willie Anderson successful 1903, Tiger Woods successful 2000, Rory McIlroy successful 2011 and Martin Kaymer successful 2014 – and each 4 went connected to assistance nan trophy.
“I really felt for illustration I could beryllium successful double digits,” Clark said. “I turned not my champion play into a bully day.”
Clark said he did not get to furniture until astir 11pm aft Thursday’s precocious decorativeness and was awake again astatine 4am to complete his first information earlier almost instantly going retired for his second. By 1.20pm connected Friday his activity was done for nan day, leaving him pinch an unusually agelong hold earlier Saturday’s scheduled 3.45pm tee time. On nan agenda: “watching nan USA win” against Australia astatine nan World Cup, followed by meal and a fewer rounds of gin rummy pinch longtime caddie John Ellis.
Twelve months agone Clark near Oakmont engulfed successful contention after damaging a locker pursuing a missed cut, an incident that later resulted successful nan nine banning him from its spot unless he fulfilled a bid of conditions that included paying for repairs and completing counselling aliases anger-management sessions. The section came only weeks aft Clark damaged signage by throwing a nine during nan PGA Championship.
“I’ve gotten a batch of condolences since past year, rightfully so,” Clark said. “The point that’s unfortunate is that’s not who I am, what happened past year. I’m hoping I tin triumph backmost nan fans that I had aliases immoderate caller fans because it was a unspeakable incident. I really consciousness for illustration I tin show group that I’m nosy and outgoing, I’m fierce, competitive, emotion nan game, respect nan game, and I conscionable had a bad moment.”
His shape and assurance had besides deteriorated. After emerging arsenic 1 of nan game’s astir promising stars pinch victories astatine nan US Open and Wells Fargo Championship successful 2023 and different triumph astatine Pebble Beach nan pursuing year, nan Denver autochthonal arrived astatine Shinnecock successful hunt of consistency and desperately needing a consequence to revive his Ryder Cup hopes. Now he is 36 holes distant from a 2nd US Open title and a cleanable redemption arc.
Among Clark’s closest pursuers is Fitzpatrick, nan 2022 champion astatine Brookline, who remained successful nan operation contempt surrendering crushed precocious and carding a second-round 70, while Schauffele surged into contention pinch 5 birdies and 1 bogey for 66. Morikawa’s sparkling 65 was arsenic significant, lifting nan two-time awesome victor to 2 nether aft he began Friday 9 shots adrift of Clark. That matched nan largest first-round shortage ever flooded by a US Open champion, a grounds group by Jack Fleck astatine Olympic Club successful 1955.
McIlroy, nan Masters champion and world No 2, concisely climbed into a stock of 2nd spot pinch birdies astatine nan 5th and eighth. But he gave it each backmost and much instantly aft nan move pinch 3 bogeys successful succession, followed by a double-bogey connected nan 15th that near him astatine even-par for nan title and 7 shots disconnected nan leader.
“The backmost 9 was a spot of a battle,” McIlroy said. “I deliberation [the day starters] will consciousness for illustration they sewage nan unsmooth extremity of nan tie [with nan conditions], but still consciousness for illustration I’m successful nan tourney and successful pinch a decent chance.”
Few players felt Shinnecock’s notorious volatility much brutally than Dustin Johnson. Competing connected nan last twelvemonth of nan exemption he earned by winning nan 2016 US Open astatine Oakmont, nan 41-year-old American was 4 nether done 28 holes and 1 disconnected nan lead earlier a double bogey, 2 consecutive bogeys and a quadruple-bogey 8 astatine nan 15th – equalling his highest people connected a azygous spread successful a awesome title – sent him crashing retired of nan picture.
Also retired was Bryson DeChambeau, nan 2020 and 2024 champion, aft rounds of 70 and 75 near him extracurricular nan trim statement of four-over, marking nan first clip successful his profession that he has grounded to scope nan play successful 3 consecutive majors. JJ Spaun’s 2nd ragged information successful arsenic galore days near him 8 complete for nan week, ensuring nan tournament’s 2 astir caller winners were some gone by Friday evening.
Joaquin Niemann sprang possibly nan day’s astir improbable turnaround. The Chilean incurred a two-shot unsportsmanlike-conduct punishment for throwing a nine during an opening-round 11 connected nan sixth hole, a calamity that included 2 mislaid balls and threatened to derail his championship. He answered pinch a second-round 65 featuring 5 birdies successful six holes to scope nan play astatine 3 over, becoming nan first subordinate successful 97 years to make a US Open trim aft signaling a people of 10 aliases worse successful 1 of nan opening 2 rounds.
Meanwhile, McIlroy was joined astatine moreover par by world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who pieced together a resilient two-under 68 to enactment connected nan periphery of contention. The game’s 2 biggest names arrived astatine Shinnecock among nan pre-tournament favorites and some are keenly alert that protecting a lead present tin beryllium each spot arsenic difficult arsenic building one. That history besides suggests Clark’s activity is acold from done.
“If there’s a people wherever you consciousness for illustration you still person a chance if you’re 7 backmost going into nan play for illustration I am, it’s decidedly this one,” McIlroy said.
Only 10 players reached nan halfway people nether par, but nan grudging reprieve from Shinnecock’s harsher tendencies whitethorn beryllium temporary. The course’s poa annua greens are expected to patient up and go progressively capricious complete nan weekend, while winds exceeding 30mph could further complicate proceedings connected nan treeless Long Island layout. The USGA spent overmuch of nan opening 2 rounds cautiously managing conditions, watering and misting surfaces to guarantee nan setup remained a adjacent test. Over nan last 36 holes, Shinnecock whitethorn statesman managing nan players instead.
