Clark extends lead at Shinnecock Hills – Fox safely makes weekend
Wyndham Clark surveying a putt today – image Dustin Satlof USGA
2023 Champion, Wyndham Clark, has control of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, returning to the course early this morning to complete his opening round of 64 and then adding a second round of 69 to be at 7 under and ahead by four.
Clark was up at 4.00 am to complete his round after play had been called late in his opening round at 8.30pm on Thursday.
He finished off his opening round with pars to finish with his round of 64 to lead by three over Mathew Fitzpatrick and Gary Woodland, and then, after a slow start to his second round, put together a second round of 69, including a 25-foot birdie putt at the last, to lead by four over Matthew Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele when he walked off the course.
Later, Sam Stevens and Tom Kim joined the group at 3 under and four off the lead, with Collin Morikawa another shot back.
Only eleven players are under par at the halfway stage, but a massive 34 players are within just four shots of the lead, and so, subject to Clark’s performance over the weekend, so many of that group must still feel they are very much in the hunt.
Included in that large group are Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy at even par, both no doubt feeling that, although seven from the lead, they are very much in contention for a second US Open in the case of McIlroy and the chance to complete the Grand Slam for Scheffler.
Ryan Fox – in action during today’s second round – image Dustin Satloff USGA
Of the six Australasians who teed it up on Thursday, only one, Ryan Fox, has made it to the weekend, the New Zealander adding one late birdie on his return to the course this morning to finish his opening round and then completing a second round of 73 to be at 3 over and tied for 46th and safely inside the cutline of 4 over par.
An agonising four-putt double bogey at his 7th hole on day two put paid to an otherwise impressive effort, but he is still well enough placed given the congestion amongst the field, Clark aside.
Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert are at 6 over, Min Woo Lee at 7 over, and Adam Scott at 8 over. Jason Day was forced to withdraw halfway through his opening round with back issues.
Clark is steadily rebuilding his reputation after one or two temper tantrums on the golf course, including at last year’s US Open, when he missed the cut by one and took his anger out on the locker room at Oakmont.
“Yeah, I’ve gotten a lot of grief since last year, rightfully so,” said the leader. “The unfortunate thing is that’s not who I am, what happened last year.
“I’m hoping I can win back the fans that I had or some new fans because it was a terrible incident. You know, I really feel like I can show people that I’m fun and outgoing, I’m fierce, competitive, love the game, respect the game, and I just had a bad moment. Hopefully, I can win those people back.
“Yeah, I definitely feel like I’m in a better place. Hopefully a great weekend and a great rest of the year, maybe I’ll gain all those fans back.
“I was on top of the world in my game at least when I won the U.S. Open and then had some good years. Then the next thing you know, I’m apologizing for breaking a locker the year later.
“I just think with the mental game there’s ebbs and flows. If you think of it as climbing Everest, sometimes you go up, sometimes you have to go down to go back up.
“I think that’s kind of what happens both on the golf course and off the golf course. Right now I’m trending back up, which is nice. So, yeah, I kind of look at it that way.
Clark seemingly lost his way after his major championship breakthrough at the Los Angeles Golf Club but pays a lot of credit to his improved play of late to meeting his coach, Patrick Coyner, earlier this year.
His most recent results, which have included a win at the Byron Nelson and a 3rd place at the Memorial, tell the story of his game getting back to where it was.
“Well, Pat, it’s pretty crazy,” added Clark. “I’ve been on my own for three years with my golf swing, and I just got a membership at Cherry Hills. Pat just started working there as an instructor. I didn’t really know him. I kind of knew a lot of people — kind of knew of him.
“I was hitting balls one day and just asked him, like, hey, what do you think? He goes, honestly, I mean, I look at a few things that how you’re swinging in ’23 and ’22, and you’re way longer, you’re kind of cupped, your wrist isn’t flat, X, Y, and Z. He goes, if we could just get you back to ’23 by the start of January 1, like some of those moves, and then continue to get better as the year goes on, and he’s done that.
“I mean, I’ve gained so much control with my irons. Now I think of myself as a good iron player. Now I’m starting to hit driver a lot straighter.
“So if I can hit it in the fairway, I feel like I’m pretty deadly.”
