US Open is Clark's to lose as Scheffler makes move

US Open, round three leaderboard

Leader: -7 W Clark (US); -1 S Scheffler (US), S Theegala (US), T Kim (Kor), S Stevens (US)

Selected: Level X Schauffele (US); +1 T Fleetwood (Eng), C Morikawa (US), M Fitzpatrick (Eng); +2 A Fitzpatrick (Eng); +3 R McIlroy (NI), J Parry (Eng), A Rai (Eng); +4 J Rose (Eng), T Hatton (Eng); +7 R MacIntyre (Sco)

In a third round that saw challengers rise but ultimately fall away, Wyndham Clark stood firm to position himself as the overwhelming favourite to win a second US Open title.

Not only did the American fail to budge from the top of the pile, the 32-year-old extended his lead from four to six strokes as he looks to become the first wire-to-wire winner of the tournament since Martin Kaymer in 2014.

Clark delivered a masterclass in scrambling at Shinnecock Hills before signing for a level-par 70 that gives him a commanding advantage heading into Sunday’s final round.

Sahith Theegala, Tom Kim and Sam Stevens are among a quartet at one under but ominously for Clark, so too is Scottie Scheffler, who arguably represents the biggest danger to him repeating his triumph at the Los Angeles Country Club, in 2023.

A shot further back and all but out of contention are Americans Sam Burns and Xander Schauffele, while Collin Morikawa and England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick are at one over.

But it is the presence of world number one Scheffler that will concern Clark the most, even if there has only been one occasion since the first Masters in 1934 that a six-shot lead has been overturned in the final round of a major championship – when Greg Norman faded and Nick Faldo claimed his third Masters title in 1996.

“I feel good. I have got more and more comfortable every time I have got in these positions,” said Clark.

“Scottie is the best player in the world, and he’s probably going to play really good. He always does, but it’s nice to have a six-shot lead on him.

“I’m just going to keep approaching it the same way. If I go through my process and hit the shots I know I can hit, I like my chances.”

Scheffler ignites career Grand Slam hopes

At the end of the delayed first round on Friday, Scheffler was joint 49th after opening with a two-over 72.

On Sunday, he will be in the final pairing heading out alongside Clark.

For all of Clark’s heroics on Saturday, and there were plenty, including a magnificent eagle-three at the par-five 16th and several audacious escapes to get up and down for par, it will be another matter entirely to see how his game stands up with the world’s best player, metaphorically breathing down his neck.

A formidable opponent in any circumstances, Scheffler will not lack for motivation.

On the day he celebrates his 30th birthday, he has an outside chance of winning a fifth major title and joining an exclusive club of six other players to have completed a career Grand Slam.

Only Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy have won the full set of major titles but Scheffler put himself back into the conversation with a one-under 69 in the third round.

“It would be special,” said Scheffler.

“This tournament means so much to me. All I can do is go out there and try and execute. I have an opportunity to go out there and have a great round and give myself a chance to win the tournament.

“We’ve been battling hard for a few days and I did a good job of keeping myself in the tournament. I’ll need a really nice round if I’m going to try and catch Wyndham.”

Scheffler’s score was deceptively good on a day when gusting winds reached 40mph and ensured that the greens became firmer and even more perilous.

Only one other player, Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo – who moved to level par for the championship after signing for a three-under 67 – broke the par score of 70.

It took one hour and 50 minutes for the first birdie to be registered in the third round, one of only two in 70 combined holes played by the field over the opening two hours.

Scheffler’s performance was all the more impressive given he bogeyed the first two holes and his resurgence arrived entirely on the harder back nine.

A birdie on the 10th provided some impetus but his chip-in on the 14th followed by an outpouring of emotion signalled a shift in momentum.

Further birdies at the 15th and 16th helped him play the final nine holes in 32 shots, matching the lowest score of the week.

But Clark’s lead was barely threatened.

Unheralded American Stevens briefly got within two shots at four under par but he was one of several players whose challenge faded on the back nine.

Rory McIlroy was another. The Northern Irishman had a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth, one of which was a sensational 66-foot putt, but five bogeys in his closing nine holes derailed his title hopes.

Fitzpatrick’s hopes of adding to his 2022 US Open triumph were all but sunk by a ruinous run of three successive bogeys to start his round.

The normally unflappable Yorkshireman, playing in the final group with Clark, had started four back at three under but by the final hole his frustration was evident after he hacked out of deep rough and then overhit a chip. It led to a fifth bogey of the round as he finished eight off the pace.

But even those at one under know that they will need to shoot low and hope Clark makes mistakes.

Perhaps they will take inspiration from the last US Open held at Shinnecock Hills when England’s Fleetwood shot a 63 in 2018’s final round as he came from six back to finish one behind champion Brooks Koepka.