Clark takes control before darkness

Wyndham Clark made the most of calmer late conditions at Shinnecock Hills to open a four-shot lead before the first round of the 126th U.S. Open was suspended because of darkness.

The 2023 U.S. Open champion was six under par through 16 holes when play was halted on Thursday evening, June 18. According to The Guardian, Clark pulled away from a congested leaderboard with a birdie-birdie-eagle burst from the third to the fifth holes.

The move left him four clear of a chasing group at two under, with Sam Stevens among those already in the clubhouse.

“Everything was kind of clicking,” Clark said. “We were definitely fortunate with the wind laying down.”

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Clark still has two holes of his opening round to complete on Friday morning, but his finish on Thursday changed the tone of a day that had, for long stretches, looked like a survival test.

McIlroy stays in the hunt

Rory McIlroy also made a strong start, despite giving shots back late in his round.

The Northern Irishman carded a one-under 69, a major improvement on his opening 80 at Shinnecock Hills in 2018. He briefly moved into the lead during the first round and later reached three under after an eagle at the par-five fifth, but bogeys at his final two holes left him five shots behind Clark.

As reported by The Straits Times, McIlroy felt the United States Golf Association had made the right call by slowing the greens in the wind.

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“Greens are pretty slow and quite receptive. I think they need to be at this point,” McIlroy said.

He added that Shinnecock was already difficult enough before the wind became a factor, and said the course set-up had allowed the field to get around without the championship becoming unfair.

Fog and wind shape the first day

The first round began under heavy fog, which forced a delay of just over two hours shortly after play started. When the fog lifted, strong and shifting winds became the central challenge.

According to AP golf writer Doug Ferguson, the USGA slowed the greens to 10.5 on the Stimpmeter and kept water on the putting surfaces to prevent Shinnecock from becoming unplayable in the gusts.

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That decision followed past criticism of U.S. Opens at Shinnecock, where fast, firm greens and high winds had pushed the course close to the edge.

Keegan Bradley, who shot a 70, praised the set-up after his round.

“The USGA did a great job setting the course up because if the greens were any faster or firmer, we might not be playing right now,” Bradley said.

Shinnecock remains wide open

Although Clark holds a commanding early lead, Shinnecock’s history suggests the championship is far from settled.

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The course has a habit of punishing poor decisions and rewarding patience, and several major winners remain within reach. McIlroy is at one under, while Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland were among the players listed at two under when play was halted, though several still had holes to finish.

Scottie Scheffler, seeking the U.S. Open title he needs to complete the career grand slam, opened with a two-over 72 after battling difficult conditions.

The first round will resume on Friday morning before the second round begins, with the USGA again expected to manage the greens carefully as Shinnecock continues to test the field.

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