Wyndham Clark riding momentum, holds commanding lead after making U.S. Open scoring history

Wyndham Clark made U.S. Open scoring history at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Friday and will hold a commanding four stroke lead over the field after adding a second round 69 to his opening 64.

The 2023 U.S. Open champion began the day with a four‑shot overnight lead, returning early Friday morning to complete the final two holes of his opening 64 after play was suspended due to darkness. He then headed straight into the early wave for round two.

While players around him battled the conditions, Clark stayed steady through his front nine, posting eight consecutive pars before a three‑putt bogey at the ninth dropped him back to five under for the tournament.

He quickly recovered, following a birdie at the 12th with another from just inside 30 feet at the 13th to reach seven under. Clark gave a shot back at the 16th, but two holes later he closed his round in style, rolling in a 33‑footer to set the clubhouse target for the second straight day and establish the lowest 36‑hole score (133) in U.S. Open history at this venue.

The American, who had hoped to reach ten or even eleven under, admitted he felt his score could have been even lower given the tough conditions over the past two days.

“Today and yesterday, yeah,” he replied when asked if he could have been lower.

“My goal is to try to get to 10 or 11. You know, unfortunately some missed putts, short one on 9, and didn't birdie 7, and unfortunate bogey on 6.

“I really felt like I could be in double digits, but you know, the great thing about that is I didn't feel like I had my best, and I still am leading as of right now. Hopefully I can bring my A-game on the weekend.

“Yesterday, I really drove it great, and then I was just really conservative into the greens.

“These greens are obviously the challenge of this golf course. Then today I kind of did the same thing. Wasn't as sharp, but the consistency of hitting it to kind of conservative targets really paid off.”

That final putt was a moment that almost didn't happen, as Clark's caddie had advised him to use a different club heading into that green.

"My caddie, he had the right club," Clark said afterwards. "I chose the wrong club. I just was worried about spinning it off, so I took too much club, didn't spin back.

"The nice thing on that green is everything kind of funnels towards the hole as long as you kind of match the speed a little bit. I hit a good putt, and it was tracking. I almost early called it. I felt like it was center cup, and it barely lipped in.

"It was a great way to finish the round. I really didn't putt my best on the green, so it's nice to have that momentum going into tomorrow."

That idea of momentum, and the natural ebb and flow of players at the top of the professional game, was a prevalent talking point during Clark's press conference.

“I was on top of the world in my game when I won the U.S. Open and then had some good years,” Clark said. "Then next thing you know, I’m apologizing for breaking a locker the year later.

"I just think with the mental game there's ebbs and flows. If you think of it as climbing Everest, sometimes you go up, sometimes you have to go down to go back up.

"I think that's kind of what happens both on the golf course and off the golf course. Right now I'm trending back up, which is nice."

Since last year, Clark has begun working with a new swing coach, and recently made his return to the winner's circle on the PGA Tour at THE CJ Cup Byron Nelson last month. He followed it with a third place finish at The Memorial and a tied 11th in Canada last week.

Now back to 34th on the Official World Golf Ranking, and leading the third Major of the year by four shots heading into the weekend, Clark is hopeful he can just keep riding the wave of momentum he's on.

"There was definitely a lot of uncertainty last year, even if I played good going into the weekend, just because I didn't really believe I could keep playing good just because I hadn't seen it, versus now regardless of where my game is at, I feel like good things are going to happen, and I can continue to play good.

"It's definitely -- you know, momentum is a huge thing in golf, and I feel like I have it right now. Just keep it going. Keep pushing that momentum ball down the hill."

Clark will now go in search of a second Major title over the next few days, but will have to battle a chasing pack of Major champions that includes Matt Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele.

They sit alongside Sam Stevens and Tom Kim on three-under, while Collin Morikawa posted the best round on day two with a five-under 67 to sit in the pack one adrift.

Behind them, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala and Harry Higgs round out the top ten on one-under-par, fking just ten players under par heading into a weekend of golf already expected to be more challenging due to weather conditions.

World Number One Scottie Scheffler and World Number Two Rory McIlroy sit in the pack behind level par.