Wyndham Clark holds the lead heading into the second round of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, where the course has shown no mercy and the scoring has defied expectations.
Clark will return to the course alongside Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland, the same three-ball that dominated day one. The trio of former US Open champions combined for 13-under par in the opening round, an eye-catching result on a course playing at peak difficulty. All three tee off at hole one for round two.
Johnson sits alone in second place after his first-round performance, while Woodland is tied for third. Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2021 Brookline winner, shares third place and is already on the course one group ahead of the Clark group. Fitzpatrick has Viktor Hovland and Bryson DeChambeau alongside him.
DeChambeau, a two-time US Open champion, carded an even-par 70 in round one and remains in contention. Hovland, however, struggled through his opening round. The Norwegian posted a 6-over 76, burdened by six bogeys and failing to record a single birdie. The result marked a sharp decline from Hovland's recent form, having finished third last week in Canada for his best showing of the season.
Shinnecock Hills continues to present an unforgiving test. The greens are lightning-quick and the rough punishing, making birdies a rare commodity. Yet the leaderboard tells a different story, with multiple players already deep in the red and the leaders showing no signs of faltering.
Fitzpatrick showed his own resilience on day one, nearly converting a 19-foot birdie putt at the opening hole early in round two before the miss. The Englishman's experience at major championships has served him well so far.
Author James Rodriguez: "Three former US Open winners combining for 13-under on a track this tough is the kind of performance that separates majors champions from the rest, but Hovland's collapse is a brutal reminder that one bad day at Shinnecock can bury you."
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