U.S. Open: The only real opponent left for Wyndham Clark is Wyndham Clark

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — The signs started popping up around Shinnecock Hills early Saturday, and so too did the hopes for tournament carnage: “HIGH WINDS EXPECTED / PLEASE TAKE PRECAUTIONS.” Wyndham Clark had ridden some exceptionally benign conditions to a four-stroke lead at the U.S. Open’s halfway mark; could he hang on through more chaotic ones? 

He did a hell of a lot more than that. On a day that started windy and turned calm, Clark started hot and turned nuclear, increasing his already formidable lead on the field from four strokes to six. 

At the same time, the rest of the field, overwhelmed by either the moment, the course, the wind, the leader, or all four, sputtered and floundered. Only two players could even manage under-par rounds. And now Clark is six shots clear of the field and 18 holes away from a second U.S. Open victory in four years. 

The wind picked off player after player on Saturday. Nine players were under par after Friday’s round; by the end of Saturday, five were — and all but Clark were at -1. Carnage was everywhere: Matt Fitzpatrick bogeyed his first three holes …. Xander Schauffele double-bogeyed the 10th … Rory McIlroy blew up with five bogeys on the back nine. 

So with the final pairings now set for U.S. Open Sunday, we ask … can anyone catch Wyndham Clark? Let’s run down the possibilities:

Scottie Scheffler (-1)

Stumbled out of the gate with two straight bogeys. Fired himself and the gallery up with some second-nine birdies:

Can he catch Clark? I mean, maybe, if Clark boots it. Strange as it sounds to say this about the No. 1 player in the world, but … he’s got to play better. A four-bogey round like he had Saturday ain’t going to get it done, and he doesn’t have the mojo he’s brought to previous majors. 

“I’d rather be leading,” Scheffler joked when asked about chasing Clark. “I’ll need a really nice round tomorrow if I’m going to try and catch Wyndham.”

Tom Kim (-1)

Gave back three strokes in the first six holes, but stayed focused in a way he hasn’t been lately on Tour. 

Can he catch Clark? Going to be tough. He’s struggled mightily in majors since two top-8 performances in 2023, and this will be a huge task for a guy not known for coming through in big moments. 

Sahith Theegala (-1)

Like Kim, he’s struggled to even make the field for majors lately. Had a spectacular afternoon of chipping on Saturday … but still ended up in the exact same position he started. 

Can he catch Clark? Never say never, but … 

“The first, I don’t know, 9 to 12 holes, I can’t even worry about what Wyndham is doing. It just requires so much mental energy to play each and every hole out there,” Theegala said of his Sunday plans. “The goal is to put yourself in position come back nine on Sunday, and then that’s when you can start leaderboard watching and kind of see what the lead is at.”

Sam Stevens (-1)

Played his way to within two shots of Clark, then played his way right back away from him on the back nine. 

Can he win? Look. He hasn’t even won a PGA Tour event yet. We’re not saying he can’t, but this would be a tall ask. 

Emiliano Grillo (E)

From deep in the field, Grillo offered up some hope to the leaders with a three-under round, but that proved an elusive mark later in the day. 

“I’ve been in contention a few majors here and there, but it’s just hard golf courses, hard setups. You have to be patient. You have to be on top of your game. Then you have to get lucky,” Grillo said after his round. “I don’t think I’m that bad, but I feel like I need to play really good to compete with these guys out here.”

Well, one of them, anyway. 

Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sam Burns, Keith Mitchell (all E)

They all had their chances. They all fumbled their chances. 

Can they catch Clark? Maybe if they do a best-ball scramble. Is that allowed?

Rory McIlroy (+3)

Melted down. 

Can he catch Clark? Uh, no. But he could get one of his classic mid-2010s backdoor top 10s. 

Clark will go out on Sunday in the final group with Scheffler, holding one of the largest Sunday leads in major history. Obviously he’ll need to play every hole right to the 72nd, but we’d express some cautious optimism for him right now.