Wyndham Clark reminded us Sunday at Shinnecock Hills there is no such thing as a safe lead in major championship golf.
The 54-hole U.S. Open leader narrowly avoided becoming just the second man since 1934 to blow a six-shot lead in a major championship, outlasting a charging Sam Burns to prevail by one stroke.
After Burns narrowly missed chances to tie Clark on 17 and 18, the 2023 champion pulled off an unlikely birdie from the fescue on No. 16 to move two clear. While he would bogey the 17th, a two-putt par from 52 feet on 18 delivered the victory and saw Clark become just the 24th man ever to win two U.S. Open trophies.
| Position | Player | Total to par | Round 4 score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyndham Clark | -4 | 73 |
| 2 | Sam Burns | -3 | 67 |
| 3 | Tom Kim | -1 | 70 |
| T-4 | Scottie Scheffler | Even | 71 |
| T-4 | J.T. Poston | Even | 67 |
| T-4 | Keith Mitchell | Even | 70 |
| T-7 | Joaquin Niemann | +1 | 66 |
| T-7 | Tyrrell Hatton | +1 | 67 |
| T-7 | Gary Woodland | +1 | 68 |
| T-7 | Sam Stevens | +1 | 72 |
While most assumed Clark's biggest challenge would come from Scottie Scheffler playing in his group, it was Burns who injected some much-needed drama into the championship.
Burns nearly holed his approach on the 1st and made four birdies in his first eight holes to install him as the fan favorite in a crowd largely rooting against Clark. The noise only amplified as Clark posted a 3-over 38 on the front nine and headed to the 10th clinging to a one-shot lead.
"Sometimes being the underdog is nice," Clark said. "Yeah, it was tough, but I'm proud of myself that I battled through. I mean, things really could have gotten away from me. I stood tough. Yeah, I would have liked to have won by more, but as long as you win, it doesn't matter."
He appeared to regain his footing - and more comfortable lead - following a birdie on the 10th, but the relentless Burns was not done. The 29-year-old rolled in a birdie on 16 and gave himself looks at both 17 and 18 to post 4-under, but narrowly missed both putts.
"On 18, I honestly thought I made it," Burns said on NBC. "Got a good read off of Keith (Mitchell), played it inside left, and it was maybe inside right with maybe three feet to go. I thought it was just going to kind of straighten and go in. Went right over the right edge of the hole. I'm sure when I close my eyes tonight, I might see that putt again."
Clark added a birdie of his own on the 16th, executing a masterful recovery from the fescue to give him a two-shot cushion and allow for a bogey coming in. He did that on No. 17 to add some excitement to the final hole, but his excellent lag putting was once again on display to ensure he had just a tap-in for the win after leaving his approach 52 feet short of the pin.
The 32-year-old is just the ninth U.S. Open champion to win wire-to-wire after holding the lead through each round of the event.
