How Wyndham Clark Took Control of U.S. Open During First Round

The U.S. Open is supposed to force players to submit to the course’s will, not the other way around. Wyndham Clark took control on Thursday at the U.S. Open.

The former Oklahoma State star, one month after winning his fourth PGA Tour event, dominated one of the toughest tracts in the U.S. Open rote with a brilliant first round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton N.Y.

His best shot of the day was an incredible approach at the 597-yard par-5 5th hole, which was his 14th hole of the day. He put his approach shot within five feet of the cup, setting up a rare eagle on the 7,418-yard layout.

He was on track to a 6-under 64 when play was called due to darkness. He will play his final two holes on Friday morning before starting his second round. He enters Friday with a four-shot lead.

Wyndham Clark’s Incredible First Round

This group is absolutely sizzling!

Wyndham Clark leaves himself a KICK IN EAGLE at 5. pic.twitter.com/pIjwRWHNUb
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 18, 2026

Right before Clark hit the course, one Oklahoma State product had a share of the lead. Sam Stevens, who overlapped with Clark in Stillwater, finished his round with a 2-under 68. At the time he was tied with, among others, former U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy. Clark put the pair in his rear-view mirror.

Clark started his round on No. 10 and went right to work, posting birdies on Nos. 10 and 11, the latter of which was a 155-yard par-3. He spun a tee shot about 10 feet from the hole and drained the birdie attempt easily. In two holes he had tied Stevens and McIlroy.

He moved to 3-under on the round with a birdie on No. 18 (his ninth hole). Clark drilled a 204-yard approach with 25 feet of the cup and then guided a downhill, right-to-left putt into the cup.

On the front nine he made his first significant mistake of the day on No. 2. His tee shot at the 251-yard par 3 landed short of an elevated green and dribbled into a front bunker. His bunker shot checked well below the hole, and he missed his long par putt to the left of the cup.

That seemed to spur him on. Clark got the shot back at the par-4 third hole with a birdie, as he drilled an approach shot inside of 10 feet and made the birdie. At the par-4 474-yard fourth hole his approach landed in the center of the green with a far left pin placement and he rammed home a long birdie putt into the right side of the cup.

Then came the fifth, a 597-yard par-5. He slammed a tee shot into the middle of the fairway that left him a mid-iron to the green, which he dropped his approach within four feet. That set up the eagle that broke his tie with Johnson and pushed him to 6-under.

He parred his final two holes, including choosing to finish the par-3 seventh hole after the horn sounded to end play for the day.

Wyndham Clark's lead is currently 4 shots.

Nobody has led the U.S. Open by 4 or more after round 1 since Tommy Armour in 1933 (5 shot lead).
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) June 19, 2026

Other Cowboys After Round One

Ok Rick!

Fowler dialed in at the long par-3 2nd. pic.twitter.com/MNhTMNCU9j
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 18, 2026

There were seven other current or former Cowboys in the field besides Clark and Stevens.

Preston Stout, the current Big 12 champion, Big 12 player of the year and NCAA individual champion, was under-par or even par for much of his round before he finished at 2-over 72.

Former Cowboys star Rickie Fowler also shot a 1-over 71. That put he and Stout within the Top 30 players in the field going into Friday.

Four Cowboys finished with a 4-over 74. That group included former OSU stars Alex Noren and Peter Uihlein, along with current Cowboys Ethan Fang and Eric Lee, both of which are amateurs like Stout.

Viktor Hovland, a former Cowboys star, had the worst round of the nine players. He was 6-over with two holes remaining in his round.

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