This U.S. Open Is Over, and Wyndham Clark Is to Blame

Wyndham Clark leads by six shots. Sunday at Shinnecock should be a victory lap.

Wyndham Clark has a six-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round of the U.S. Open. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

The 2026 U.S. Open will indeed have a final round on Sunday but every shot that will be attempted will feel like a formality because this highly anticipated week at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club really came to an end on Saturday.

And there’s only one man to blame for that—Wyndham Robert Clark, who owns a six-shot lead over four other golfers, including Scottie Scheffler, after firing an even-par 70 on Saturday.

MORE: Winners and Losers From Third Round of the 2026 U.S. Open

Clark led after the first round. He then led after the second. And now he carries an even bigger lead into Sunday. All that’s left for the 32-year-old from Colorado to do is put the finishing touches on what has been a masterful week at one of the toughest courses in the world.

Saturday at Shinnecock had all the makings of a classic U.S. Open set up. It started with a text message from the USGA to players telling them the course was going to play a lot tougher. Then the wind really starting really blowing and almost all of the scores started falling. While most players in contention hovered around even par and it finally started feeling like a real U.S. Open, there was Clark, refusing to give anyone else hope until he finally missed a short par putt on 18. A six-shot lead heading into Sunday is massive in any tournament, but it feels even bigger at the U.S. Open.

Clark was on top of his game all day long. He made huge par putt after huge par putt when he needed to, which kept the rest of the field chasing him. He made birdies (and an eagle!) when he needed to bounce back from a bogey. And, more importantly, he never got himself into trouble that could have led to a big score.

Since the 6th hole today, Wyndham Clark has made par putts of

7'3"
4'11"
6'9"
5'4"
5'9"

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) June 20, 2026

Clark had the signature moment of this championship on the par-5 16th hole on Saturday when he hit a 3-wood from 275 yards to four feet and then rolled in the eagle putt.

WYNDHAM CLARK YOU ARE RIDICULOUS!

A huge fade to a few feet from 275!

That left for eagle. pic.twitter.com/0RilsBicgr

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 20, 2026

Imagine being one of the many guys looking way up at Clark on the leaderboard and seeing him do that? Holy deflating.

He followed that up with yet another all-world par save on the 17th hole after his tee shot on the difficult par-3 went way left. Luckily for Clark, he got a free drop before his second shot because of a TV camera platform being in the way and he was able to get up-and-down for a three.

Clark knows what it takes to win a U.S. Open, as he did just that at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023 when he beat Rory McIlroy by a shot. Clark finished that championship at 10-under par and considering his form this week, that’s a score he could win with again at Shinnecock.

RELATED: Wyndham Clark Is Not the Villain You Want Him to Be

He does have one really big name chasing him, as Scheffler made a move on the back nine on Saturday. The No. 1 player in the world made four birdies down the stretch and just missed a fifth one on the 18th hole. Scheffler finished with a one-under 69 and is in red numbers for the tournament at one-under. He’s chasing the career grand slam on Sunday, which is also his 30th birthday and Father’s Day, so don’t expect him to go out without a fight. The only problem is, well, he’s six shots behind the leader.

Rory McIlroy looked like he was going to make a run after making three straight birdies on the front nine, but then he fell apart on the back nine with five bogeys and is well back at three-over.

This tournament is now Clark’s to lose. All he likely has to do on Sunday is shoot three-over or better and he’ll become a two-time champion. Heck, he could even shoot four-over and win this thing. Or even five-over.

But it doesn’t feel like he’ll stumble to the finish line. Every part of his game has been working this week. When he hasn’t hit a fairway, he’s found a way to still get on the green in regulation and make par. When he has overshot greens, he has figured out ways to chip it relatively close and make putts. Every time it looked like he might let the field get back in it, he found a way to dash their hopes.

It’s been a dominant showing for a golfer who came into this week playing really well. Late last month he picked up his fourth PGA Tour victory at the CJ Cup. He followed that up with third-place finish at the Memorial. And then last week he finished tied for 11th at the Canadian Open.

That he’s now leading the U.S. Open isn’t a surprise. But how he’s doing it sure is. Shinnecock is a course that was supposed to bring everyone to their knees. Instead, Clark has made it look like a pitch-and-putt.

Now he’s just 18 holes away from winning it. But really, Sunday’s walk should be one long victory lap.

---