GOLF: Wyndham Clark takes first-day lead at suspended US Open

Wyndham Clark delivered a strong opening statement at the U.S. Open on Thursday, posting 6-under par through 16 holes to take the early lead in a first round disrupted by multiple weather delays and fading light at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, surged ahead by four strokes before play was suspended due to darkness, capping a stop-start day that also featured a morning weather interruption. He is set to return Friday morning to complete his opening round before beginning his second round later in the day.

“Eat as fast as possible, sleep as hard as possible, and get out here and hopefully keep playing good,” Clark said after his round was halted.

His momentum peaked with a birdie-birdie-eagle stretch across three holes after the turn, helping him separate from a crowded field still battling difficult conditions.

Behind Clark, a group of players sits at 2-under 68, including Sam Stevens, Max McGreevy, and amateur standout Ryder Cowan. Several big names remain in contention but have unfinished rounds, including Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Gary Woodland, all at 2-under with holes remaining.

Early clubhouse leader Stevens briefly set the pace after the morning wave, overcoming a double bogey on his opening hole to card a 68. His strong mid-round stretch helped stabilize his position in challenging, wind-affected conditions.

“I got off to kind of a weird start with the double on 10,” Stevens said. “We had the delay. Teed off and didn’t get to hit my second shot for 2 1/2 hours or whatever it was.”

Amateur Ryder Cowan also featured prominently on the leaderboard for much of the day, reaching 2-under through 10 holes before slipping back with his first bogey. The 21-year-old from Edmond, Oklahoma, remained encouraged by his performance.

“I hit it good all day, put myself in good positions throughout the day,” Cowan said. “But overall, I was proud of how I played, how I came back after bogeys.”

At one point, Cowan even found himself near the top of the leaderboard, a moment he acknowledged while still focused on execution rather than standings.

“I definitely looked at that leaderboard, and I saw it up there,” he said.

In the marquee group, Rory McIlroy briefly held a share of the lead during the afternoon after an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole, but late bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9 dropped him back. He finished the day reflecting on the importance of staying patient in brutal conditions.

“Anything under par or anything around even par is a good score,” McIlroy said. “It was a day to really just keep yourself in the tournament and not shoot yourself out of it.”

McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, ended his round at 1-under.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler posted a 72, hampered by a double bogey on the front nine, while Australia’s Adam Scott finished at 73 in his 100th consecutive major championship appearance.

“Any time you get conditions like this, I think the scores are going to be high,” Scheffler said. “It’s an interesting golf course. Part of the challenge so far is judging the conditions as well.”

Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg carded a 69, while Graeme McDowell also battled through testing winds and fog. Play was ultimately suspended with several groups still on the course as visibility deteriorated, leaving the opening round incomplete for much of the field.

Clark, however, remains firmly in control heading into Friday, where he will aim to finish what he started and continue his push for another U.S. Open title. -Field Level Media/Reuters