2026 U.S. Open Final Round Predictions: Will Someone Shock Wyndham Clark?

The 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is down to Sunday’s final round, with Wyndham Clark leading the field, including Scottie Scheffler, by a whopping six shots.

While it feels like Clark should be able to hold on and win his second U.S. Open, anything can happen on the final day of a major championship, especially if the winds act up at Shinnecock.

Before play begins on Sunday, here are our predictions on how the final round of the 2026 U.S. Open could go.

Who will win the 2026 U.S. Open and what will be their final score?

Andy Nesbitt: Wyndham Clark, -7. The 2023 U.S. Open champ has been on top of his game all week long and that should continue Sunday. He’ll probably shoot a ho-hum even-par 70 and breeze to a win over Scottie Scheffler. Clark has rarely been in trouble at Shinnecock and it doesn’t feel like that’s going to change in the final round. Everything about his game has been ridiculously sharp, especially his putter as he’s made a number of tricky par putts that have helped him build his lead. Expect that putter to stay hot on Sunday and for him to raise the U.S. Open trophy for a second time.

Tom Dierberger: Scottie Scheffler, -3, in a playoff. I’m predicting a 30th birthday miracle for Scheffler. At first glance at the leaderboard, Clark’s six-stroke lead feels insurmountable. But look at it this way: Scheffler shooting a two-under 68 and Clark coming back to earth with a four-over 74 and losing in a two-hole playoff is certainly not unfathomable. Shinnecock happens.

Brian Giuffra: Wyndham Clark, -5. Three players in majors history have had a six-or-more stroke lead heading into the final round. All three won. Could Scottie mount a comeback? Sure. There should be some drama on Sunday at least. But in the end, Wyndham will win, though I do think he comes back to the field a bit.

NEXT: Winners and Losers From Third Round of the 2026 U.S. Open: Shinnecock Punches Back

Which golfer in the top 10 will fall out of contention?

Andy Nesbitt: Sam Stevens (T2, -1). What the 29-year-old Stevens has done this week has been incredibly impressive. After his first-round 68 it felt like he would be one of those lesser-known guys who has one good round at the U.S. Open and then isn’t heard from again over the weekend. But that hasn’t been the case for Stevens, who’s tied for second at one-under. He stumbled a bit down the stretch on Saturday and he’ll probably stumble again on Sunday, but he should be really proud of how he’s played at Shinnecock.

Tom Dierberger: Keith Mitchell (T6, E). The 34-year-old has been Mr. Consistent at Shinnecock, shooting three straight 70s and entering Sunday at even par. Mitchell has been playing in majors since 2019 and hasn’t ever placed higher than 34th. He’s a candidate for a good old fashioned Sunday free fall.

Brian Giuffra: Tom Kim (T2, -1). Kim has shown signs of returning to the form that helped him win three times on the PGA Tour a few years ago. But he’s also still volatile, and that could be an issue on a tougher course with a lot on the line. Emiliano Grillo will also likely fall back tomorrow, too.

Which golfer will make a surprise Sunday run into contention?

Andy Nesbitt: Alex Fitzpatrick (T13, +2). The other Fitzpatrick goes into Sunday tied for 13th place at two-over par, just one shot behind his brother, Matt. He’s been playing great golf the last two months and it feels like he’s going to be freed up in the final round and will just go for it. He’s not going to win this thing, but he should be able to move up the leaderboard and have a strong finish. Maybe even a top 5, which would be awesome for him.

Tom Dierberger: Corey Conners (T13, +2). Approach shots will be at a premium on Sunday as Shinnecock once again will dare golfers The Canadian tallied the third-best strokes gained approach (SG:APP) among the 72 golfers on Saturday, and he ranks fifth overall in that category throughout the tournament. Conners does have a T9 finish at the U.S. Open on his résumé back in 2024.

Brian Giuffra: Xander Schauffele (T6, E). X has never finished outside the Top 15 at the U.S. Open. He’s played in it nine times. After double bogeys on 10 and 12, he clawed back to even par with two birdies. I could see him shooting under par on Sunday.

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