We expected afternoon carnage with intense winds at Shinnecock Hills, but the most violent display late on Day 1 of the U.S. Open was Wyndham Clark attacking a vulnerable golf course.
The 2023 champion was part of the afternoon wave that played in significantly easier conditions at the iconic layout, and he took full advantage with some brilliant shotmaking. Clark made five birdies and an eagle through 16 holes to build a massive four-shot lead at 6-under when play was halted due to darkness.
That gives Clark the chance to put himself in rare company Friday when play resumes. Should he still hold at least a four-shot lead after he finishes his final two holes, he'll become the first man since 1933 to do so after the opening round of the U.S. Open, according to Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group.
| Place | Player | Total to par | Round 1 score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyndham Clark | -6 | Thru 16* |
| T-2 | Matthew Fitzpatrick | -2 | Thru 16* |
| T-2 | Dustin Johnson | -2 | Thru 15* |
| T-2 | Jon Rahm | -2 | Thru 13* |
| T-2 | Sam Stevens | -2 | 68 |
| T-2 | Max McGreevy | -2 | 68 |
| T-2 | Ryder Cowan (a) | -2 | 68 |
| T-2 | Gary Woodland | -2 | Thru 15* |
| T-9 | Rory McIlroy | -1 | 69 |
| T-9 | Ludvig Aberg | -1 | 69 |
| T-9 | Brian Harman | -1 | 69 |
| T-9 | Ben James | -1 | 69 |
| T-9 | Max Greyserman | -1 | 69 |
| T-9 | Bryson DeChambeau | -1 | Thru 16* |
| T-9 | Corey Conners | -1 | Thru 16 |
| T-9 | Angel Hidalgo | -1 | Thru 12* |
| T-9 | Ben Kohles | -1 | Thru 13* |
*denotes 10th tee start
Clark started on the 10th tee and made the turn at 3-under. As the conditions continued to improve, Clark kept heating up, punctuated by a birdie-birdie-eagle stretch on holes 3-5. That helped him stretch a two-shot lead to four after late bogeys by Matt Fitzpatrick and Dustin Johnson.
Jon Rahm and Gary Woodland also find themselves in the pack, sitting four shots back with both among the 18 groups needing to finish their opening round early Friday.
Rahm's round is one of particular interest, as he needs to avoid a bogey on his final five holes to make some U.S. Open history at Shinnecock Hills. The entire 2018 U.S. Open was played at the Long Island venue without a bogey-free round, but the Spaniard ended his day without one on the scorecard through 13 holes.
The late afternoon wind gusts of 60 mph never materialized, and a two-hour fog delay early in the morning actually helped the afternoon wave immensely with easier scoring conditions. Sam Stevens is the only man on the leaderboard inside the top 9 that played in the morning group of players.
That puts an emphasis on the 1-under rounds of names like Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg, who played in the tougher weather early.
The weather forecast is calling for 25 mph wind gusts throughout the day in Round 2. While that's a respite of sorts from early Thursday, the heavy winds are expected to return Saturday.
