GOLF: Wyndham Clark keeps command at US Open, carries 4-shot lead into weekend

Wyndham Clark picked up pretty much where he left off, shooting 1-under-par 69 in the U.S. Open's second round Friday at Southampton, N.Y.

That allowed Clark, who earlier in the day completed the first round, to move to 7-under 133 and hold a four-stroke lead midway through the tournament on the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club course, where winds posed challenges for many of the golfers.

Xander Schauffele (66), Sam Stevens (69), South Korea's Tom Kim (67) and England's Matt Fitzpatrick (70) share second place at 3 under. Collin Morikawa (65) is at 2 under.

Clark and Stevens are the only two golfers with two sub-70 rounds.

Clark posted a birdie on the final hole, with his other birdies also coming on the backside (Nos. 12 and 13). Earlier, he had two pars to finish the first round, which was suspended Thursday night due to darkness.

Clark had a quick turnaround, finishing the first round and beginning the second before 8 a.m.

The morning's big movers were Morikawa and Schauffele.

Sam Burns (68), who was in an afternoon group, was 4 under through 11 holes before bogeys on Nos. 13 and 18. He's at 1 under for the tournament along with Justin Thomas (68), Harry Higgs (68) and Sahith Theegala (67).

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot 68 to join Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (71) among 11 golfers at even par.

Clark's first-round lead was by two strokes on Dustin Johnson, while Gary Woodland and Fitzpatrick posted first-round 67s. The group with first-round 68s included Sam Stevens, Max McGreevy, Spencer Tibbits, amateur Ryder Cowan and Spain's Jon Rahm.

Johnson plummeted in the second round with 77, falling to 3 over and out of the top 45. He had two birdies on the backside, but also recorded two double-bogeys and two bogeys across his last eight holes.

Among early finishers for the second round, Japan's Ryo Hisatsune posted 69 to reach even-par for the tournament and England's Aaron Rai shot 67 to move to 1 over through two rounds.

-Field Level Media/Reuters