Wyndham Clark has gone wire-to-wire to win the 2026 US Open — but only after a day of high drama that saw the unpopular star almost suffer a Greg Norman-like fate.
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Runaway leader Wyndham Clark is still wobbling in the final round of the US Open, with his massive 54-hole lead whittled down to just one after 17 holes at Shinnecock Hills.
Clark, the 2023 champion, started the day with a six-shot lead – a margin that only Australia’s Greg Norman has surrendered in a major championship when he infamously collapsed at the 1996 Masters – at seven-under par.
Fellow American Sam Burns is in the clubhouse at three-under par after shooting a final round 67.
Clark edged two clear of Burns after a miraculous recovery on the par 5 16th.
His wayward tee shot left him in an awful spot in Shinnecock’s notorious fescue, but Clark somehow made it back to the fairway before sinking a massive birdie putt from the back edge of the green.
He then followed it up with a three-putt bogey at the par 3 17th to set up a nervy finish.
Clark played the front nine in three-over par but steadied with his first birdie of the day at the 10th. His missed putts have received larger cheers than any of his good shots, however.
The New York crowd have turned against the 32-year-old, who made himself an enemy last year at Oakmont after he destroyed a locker following missing the cut.
Some patrons have been removed from the venue by local police after calls of ‘crash and burn Wyndham’, ‘get in the bunker’ and ‘don’t choke Wyndham’ could be heard among other digs at the former US Ryder Cup representative.
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The crowd are on the side of Clark’s playing partner, world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, who is staying within striking distance as he attempts to complete a career Grand Slam on his 30th birthday.
The fans made their allegiance clear on the first tee when they sung happy birthday to Scheffler.
Clark was not the only one to bare the brunt of the brash crowd with Rory McIlroy once again being targeted – just as he was at last year’s Ryder Cup, which was also played in New York.
McIlroy gestured back at a spectator after they relentlessly yelled ‘get in the bunker’ immediately after one of the Masters champion’s tee shots.
McIlroy’s frustrations were also with himself as after he dumped his approach in a greenside bunker on the third hole, he could be heard saying: “f***ing hell, just go home Rory”.
The Northern Irishman shot a second straight 73 to finish six-over par for the tournament.
“I think it won the battle over me at this point,” McIlroy said of Shinnecock.
“Looking back on the entire week, I’ll obviously rue the back nine yesterday,” the world No.2 added. “I got myself to two-under par for the tournament after nine.
“Then the wheels came off and played a really bad back nine. I sort of shot myself out of the tournament then. Obviously was really disappointed coming away from the course last night.”
McIlroy’s chance of a Sunday charge then disappeared with three bogeys in his opening five holes.
“You try to come out here today positive and you try to muster up the energy to put a good one in there, but a couple of bogeys on the front nine, I was just trying to race my way to the 18th green,” he said.
McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammate Bob MacIntyre finished runner-up at Oakmont last year, but was off the pace this year, ending seven-over par for the tournament.
The Scot was so frustrated with the course conditions that he confronted an official on the 11th hole during his final round.
“I said to him look, at The Open Championship, they tell you how much firmer the golf course has got,” MacIntyre said. “Here, they told us they were going to syringe the greens the first two days.
“I mean, most weeks you don’t know how firm it is, but these golf courses can change in an absolute heartbeat. For instance, I hit an 8-iron into the 17th hole, coming down out the left, and it stopped within two yards. I’ve hit a 9-iron into 11 and it’s bounced twice on the green and went over the green. I mean, it’s only getting firmer on that 11th green.
“Yeah, I was pissed off and thought I am going to go and ask the question. I don’t normally do that, but I just thought ‘you know what, I am going to ask him why’. He just gave me the answer I thought I was going to get, to be honest. But I was kind of venting a little bit.
“I mean, the minute this goes out I am going to get bad rep for it, but they’ve put different amounts of water on each green. They have different softness. I mean, Chris [Gotterup, his playing partner] has hit a beautiful shot right behind me into 11 and it’s taken one hop and run off the green.
“I’ve watched mine from the tee and it’s taken two bounces then gone over the green. Four holes prior, I’m standing on the seventh tee and I’m watching Joaquin Niemann hit into the second hole and he’s pitched it round about the pin and spun it off the front of the green. Come on.”