A U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills is arguably the toughest challenge we see in men's professional golf.
Just don't tell that to Wyndham Clark.
The Week of Wyndham continued Saturday, as the 2023 champion stretched his four-shot lead to six with an even-par 70 that was the third-lowest score from the entire field on a challenging day.
The six-shot advantage is the fourth-largest 54-hole edge in the history of the event, and marks just the sixth time someone has led by multiple shots after each of the first three rounds of a U.S. Open, according to Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group.
Clark was unfazed by faster greens and firmer conditions, making countless up-and-downs to save par and avoid dropping shots. That scrambling performance was enough to see him stay well clear of Scottie Scheffler, Sahith Theegala, Tom Kim, and Sam Stevens.
| Place | Player | Total to par | Round 3 score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyndham Clark | -7 | 70 |
| T-2 | Scottie Scheffler | -1 | 68 |
| T-2 | Sahith Theegala | -1 | 70 |
| T-2 | Sam Stevens | -1 | 72 |
| T-2 | Tom Kim | -1 | 72 |
| T-6 | Xander Schauffele | Even | 73 |
| T-6 | Sam Burns | Even | 71 |
| T-6 | Emiliano Grillo | Even | 67 |
| T-6 | Keith Mitchell | Even | 70 |
| T-10 | Tommy Fleetwood | +1 | 70 |
| T-10 | Collin Morikawa | +1 | 73 |
| T-10 | Matt Fitzpatrick | +1 | 74 |
While the leaderboard doesn't show it, Clark did experience a few brief moments of distress Saturday as he attempted to maintain his lead. His ball-striking wasn't at the same level we saw during the opening two rounds, but an incredible scrambling performance kept any stumble to a momentary wobble.
Clark made 55 feet of par putts alone - none bigger than three straight saves of at least five feet on holes 9-11 - to avoid bogeys on numerous occasions. That certainly made things difficult on the chasers, with Scheffler the only one to make a serious run from deep to get under par.
"That's what you have to make to win U.S. Opens," Clark said. "You're not going to have too, too many birdie putts, and when you do miss, it's really hard to hit a gimme, so you've got to make those kind of 5-to-12-footers."
The World No. 1 was one of only two men to shoot under par on the back nine, with Scheffler's 3-under 32 enough to see him fly up the leaderboard into a tie for second. That ended up being significant, as he will now play alongside Clark in the final group - perhaps the worst-case scenario for anybody trying to close out a major championship.
"Scottie is the best player in the world, and he's going to play probably really good," Clark said. "He always does, but it's nice to have a six-shot lead on him. But really I'm just going to keep approaching it the same way. If I go out and execute and go through my process and hit the shots I know I can hit, I like my chances."
"We want to be in these positions," Scheffler said after his round. "This is why we practice and play, to have the opportunity to win golf tournaments, and that's what tomorrow is. I have an opportunity to go out there and have a great round and give myself a chance to win the tournament."
If Scheffler is able to pull off a stunner, he wouldn't just win the U.S. Open, he would become only the seventh man ever to complete the career grand slam.
However, it will take an all-time collapse for Clark to not claim a second U.S. Open title, regardless of who is chasing him. There have been 13 instances where someone has taken a six-shot lead or more into the final round of a major since 1934, with 12 resulting in a win for the leader.
