NEW YORK: Wyndham Clark finished his darkness-halted first round of the 126th US Open with two pars on Friday morning, completing a six-under par 64 to hold a two-stroke lead at windy Shinnecock.
The 2023 champions was among 50 players who did not conclude their first rounds Thursday due to a two-hour morning fog delay, but Friday skies were clear at the restart.
Clark owned a four-stroke overnight lead through 16 holes but compatriot Dustin Johnson, a two-time major winner, birdied the par-three seventh and par-four ninth to trim his playing partner’s edge in half.
Johnson sank a three-foot birdie putt at the seventh and a 10-footer for birdie at the ninth to complete a 66 and grab second.
Sharing third were past US Open winners Matt Fitzpatrick of England and American Gary Woodland on 67.
Fitzpatrick opened Friday with an 11-foot birdie putt at the eighth and parred the ninth while Woodland birdied the eighth from just inside 15 feet and parred the ninth.
A pack four adrift that completed two-under 68s on Thursday included amateur Ryder Cowan and fellow Americans Max McGreevy and Sam Stevens.
Two-time major winner Jon Rahm of Spain was two-under with three holes remaining.
Six-time major winner Rory McIlroy was in a pack on 69 that included American Brian Harman and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg among others.
Clark, a back-nine starter, shared the lead with Johnson on Thursday but birdied the third and fourth holes, the latter from 22 feet, and dropped his second shot three feet from the hole at the par-five fifth then sank his eagle putt to seize command.
He parred the sixth after chipping 61 feet to within inches of the hole and parred the seventh just before play was suspended.
Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2026