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As the final round approached, Clark completed 54 holes at 7-under par. He held a commanding six-shot lead over a group tied for second at 1-under. That group included Scottie Scheffler, Sahith Theegala, Tom Kim, and Sam Stevens. The large margin highlighted how difficult Shinnecock Hills played throughout the day. Early in the round, conditions challenged nearly every player. Clark opened with a bogey. Fitzpatrick struggled even more, making bogeys on each of his first three holes. In fact, every player in the final four groups recorded at least one bogey during the opening three holes. The course quickly showed why Shinnecock Hills remains one of golf’s toughest major venues. Despite the difficult start, Clark stayed composed. His mental approach played a major role in his success. Before teeing off, he received encouragement from mental coach Julie Elion.
Throughout the round, Clark managed both the pressure of the lead and the demanding course conditions. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler fought through an uneven start. The world No. 1 opened with two bogeys during his first three holes. As a result, he briefly dropped outside the top 25 and fell nine shots behind Clark. However, Scheffler responded impressively during the middle portion of his round. Later, Scheffler produced one of the tournament’s best shots on the par-5 16th hole. He struck an approach from 274 yards to within 15 feet of the hole. Although he missed the eagle putt, he secured a birdie and moved to 2-under. That score placed him four shots behind Clark at the time. Additionally, Scheffler completed a 14-hole stretch without a bogey, establishing a new personal best at the U.S. Open.
Rory McIlroy also attempted a charge. The 2011 U.S. Open champion battled through difficult conditions and briefly gained momentum. He recorded three consecutive birdies on holes five through seven. However, missed opportunities eventually slowed his progress. McIlroy missed a short par putt on the 14th hole. That mistake marked his second short miss within three holes. Earlier, he launched a 354-yard drive on the 13th hole that nearly reached the green. Nevertheless, he failed to convert the birdie chance. Consequently, McIlroy fell to 1-over for both the round and tournament. He finished the day eight shots behind Clark. Emiliano Grillo delivered one of Saturday’s strongest rounds. The Argentine began the day at 3-over and ten shots off the lead.
However, he caught fire on the front nine. Grillo made four consecutive birdies on holes six through nine, becoming only the second player all week to accomplish that feat. Although Grillo bogeyed the 10th hole, he bounced back with another birdie on the 16th. His strong play moved him under par for the tournament and into the top ten. Eventually, Grillo finished tied for sixth at even par. Michael Kim also impressed during the early wave. He shot 3-under 32 on his opening nine holes. Furthermore, he hit all eight fairways and eight of his first ten greens in regulation. His accuracy allowed him to climb back to even par overall. The weather played a major role throughout the round. Morning winds gusted near 40 mph, creating extremely difficult scoring conditions. Dylan Wu experienced the worst of those conditions. His opening drive traveled only 224 yards into the wind.
He later recorded a five-putt on the first green and made quadruple bogey. Wu eventually struggled to an 82. The demanding conditions also delayed birdies. Caleb Surratt recorded the first birdie of the day at the par-5 fifth hole. That moment arrived after 108 minutes of play and 68 completed holes.Heading into Sunday, Clark stands alone at 7-under par. Scheffler, Theegala, Tom Kim, and Stevens share second place at 1-under. Emiliano Grillo, Keith Mitchell, Sam Burns, and Schauffele sit tied for sixth at even par. Tommy Fleetwood, Morikawa, and Matt Fitzpatrick share 10th place at 1-over.Clark now holds a six-shot advantage entering the final round. Nevertheless, Shinnecock Hills has punished mistakes all week. Therefore, the final 18 holes still promise drama. Even so, Clark remains the clear favorite as he pursues his second U.S. Open title and another major championship victory.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker serves as the Director of Operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a co-host on the P&W Sports Report and hosting The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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