Wyndham Clark appears to be playing a different golf course than the rest of the field through two rounds of the U.S. Open.
Only 10 players will head to the weekend at Shinnecock Hills under par, but Clark made the iconic layout look pedestrian en route to a 36-hole scoring record of 7-under.
That gives the 2023 champion a four-shot lead through two rounds - the biggest margin at the U.S. Open since 2018, the last time the Long Island course hosted.
Clark didn't have the same form he showed in his sizzling 64 on Thursday and headed to the 12th at 1-over for his round. However, the American's putter got hot, with birdie putts of 28 and 33 feet helping him flip the script and post a 1-under 69. He has a comfortable cushion over the trio of Matthew Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, and Sam Stevens tied for second.
| Position | Player | Total to par | Round 2 score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyndham Clark | -7 | 69 |
| T-2 | Xander Schauffele | -3 | 66 |
| T-2 | Matt Fitzpatrick | -3 | 70 |
| T-2 | Sam Stevens | -3 | 69 |
| T-2 | Tom Kim | -3 | 67 |
| 6 | Collin Morikawa | -2 | 65 |
| T-7 | Sam Burns | -1 | 68 |
| T-7 | Justin Thomas | -1 | 68 |
| T-7 | Harry Higgs | -1 | 68 |
| T-7 | Sahith Theegala | -1 | 67 |
| T-11 | Rory McIlroy | Even | 71 |
| T-11 | Scottie Scheffler | Even | 68 |
| T-11 | Maverick McNealy | Even | 68 |
| T-11 | Gary Woodland | Even | 73 |
| T-11 | Keith Mitchell | Even | 70 |
| T-11 | Akshay Bhatia | Even | 70 |
| T-11 | Ryo Hisatsune | Even | 69 |
| T-11 | Ryder Cowan (a) | Even | 72 |
| T-11 | William Mouw | Even | 70 |
| T-11 | Alex Fitzpatrick | Even | 69 |
| T-11 | Brian Harman | Even | 71 |
Clark's four-shot lead is a significant number that could both deflate the chasers and give them hope: According to Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group, 28 of the last 30 U.S. Open champions have been within three shots of the lead through 36 holes.
But one of the two exceptions was 2018 at Shinnecock Hills, when Brooks Koepka came from five behind to win. Clark is also 1-for-5 in his PGA TOUR career at converting 36-hole leads into wins.
Should Clark falter on the weekend, there's still plenty of firepower around to chase him down. Fitzpatrick, Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Gary Woodland, and Brian Harman are all major champions tied for 11th or better.
Firmer conditions on the notoriously difficult Shinnecock setup this weekend could also help bring the field closer to Clark. While the course is historically one of the hardest on the U.S. Open rotation, this week's setup has yielded plenty of uncharacteristic low scores.
Friday's scoring average of 72.3 was the fifth-lowest scoring second round in U.S. Open history.
