Several golfers are encouraged after the first two rounds of the U.S. Open, but Wyndham Clark should be feeling the best.
Clark picked up pretty much where he left off, shooting 1-under-par 69 in the second round Friday at Southampton, N.Y.
That allowed Clark, who earlier in the day completed the first round, to move to 7-under 133 and hold a four-stroke lead midway through the tournament on the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club course, where winds posed challenges for many of the golfers.
“Momentum is a huge thing in golf, and I feel like I have it right now,” Clark said. “Just keep it going. Keep pushing that momentum ball down the hill.”
Xander Schauffele (66), Sam Stevens (69), South Korea’s Tom Kim (67) and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (70) share second place at 3 under. Collin Morikawa (65) is at 2 under.
“Pretty pumped to come out and shoot something low,” Schauffele said.
Clark and Stevens are the only two golfers with two sub-70 rounds.
“The great thing about that is I didn’t feel like I had my best, and I still am leading as of right now,” Clark said. “Hopefully, I can bring my A-game on the weekend.”
Clark said he functioned without much sleep, so he’s glad he’ll have extra time prior to the third round. He posted a birdie on the final hole Friday, with his other birdies also coming on the backside (Nos. 12 and 13).
“It was a great way to finish the round,” he said. “I really didn’t putt my best on the green, so it’s nice to have that momentum going into (Saturday).”
Earlier, Clark had two pars to finish the first round, which was suspended Thursday night due to darkness. Clark had a quick turnaround, finishing the first round and beginning the second before 8 a.m.
As conditions appear to be worsening with the greens slick, that could benefit some of the contenders.
“Generally, a lot of my good finishes on tour have been at tougher setups,” Stevens said.
The morning’s big movers were Morikawa and Schauffele.
“It’s once a year you get to see some carnage, and it’s at a U.S. Open,” Schauffele said. “Try to embrace it as much as you can. On days like (Friday) and even (Thursday) night, you know, take what the course can give you.”
Morikawa has gained confidence over the past few days, fostering a positive mindset for the weekend.
“I love this golf course,” Morikawa said. “I think it’s grown on me throughout the week. I think when I showed up, you know, it was nice, and everyone had high remarks for it. I just looked at it as this is the next test for me, but I think it’s grown on me.”
Sam Burns (68), who was in an afternoon group, was 4 under through 11 holes before bogeys on Nos. 13 and 18. He’s at 1 under for the tournament along with Justin Thomas (68), Harry Higgs (68) and Sahith Theegala (67).
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot 68 to join Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (71) among 11 golfers at even par.
Clark’s first-round lead was by two strokes on Dustin Johnson, while Gary Woodland and Fitzpatrick posted first-round 67s. The group with first-round 68s included Stevens, Max McGreevy, Spencer Tibbits, amateur Ryder Cowan and Spain’s Jon Rahm.
Johnson plummeted in the second round with 77, falling to 3 over and out of the top 45. He had two birdies on the backside, but also recorded two double-bogeys and two bogeys across his last eight holes.
Among early finishers for the second round, Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune posted 69 to reach even-par for the tournament and England’s Aaron Rai shot 67 to move to 1 over through two rounds.
–Field Level Media
