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1 hour ago
6
Key events
There were only two rounds under par yesterday. Emiliano Grillo shot 67 in the windiest of the conditions; Scottie Scheffler carded 69 after coming home in 32 strokes. It was tough. And it’s tough again today, of course … just not so tough. There isn’t as much wind, and though the greens are still hard and fast, there’s already been evidence that something is out there for someone. Maybe it’s already been done, because already there have been three sub-70 rounds this morning/afternoon, one more than the whole of Moving Day. Peter Uihlein, who shot 80 yesterday, has finished his week with a 66, a score that’s only been bettered in this tournament so far by Wyndham Clark (64), Collin Morikawa (65) and Joaquin Niemann (65), and matched by Xander Schauffele (66) and Dustin Johnson (66). James Nicholas has followed up yesterday’s 82 with 69. And Ben James has shot 67. So it’s on. Possibly. Another final round of 63 for Tommy Fleetwood? Let’s rule nothing out. An 83 is realistic too.
Preamble
If Wyndham Clark doesn’t turn the 126th US Open into a procession, we’ll have one heck of a story on our hands. After a third round of 70 mainly constructed on a foundation of world-class scrambling, but also featuring one of the great US Open fairway woods to set up eagle at 16, Clark established a six-stroke lead …
-7: Wyndham Clark
-1: Scottie Scheffler, Sahith Theegala, Tom Kim, Sam Stevens
E: Emiliano Grillo, Keith Mitchell, Sam Burns, Xander Schauffele
+1: Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick
Selected others: Aaron Rai (+3), Rory McIlroy (+3), Gary Woodland (+3), Duston Johnson (+4), Justin Rose (+4)
… and nobody has ever given up such a 54-hole advantage in US Open history. The largest lead lost after three rounds is five, by Mike Brady to Walter Hagen in 1919, though Arnold Palmer won from seven back in 1960 and Johnny Miller did it from six behind in 1973. So depending on how you want to look at this, a win for anyone other than Clark today is either without precedent or proven to be possible. History teaches us nothing.
Even so, it’s unlikely that Clark will be doing anything other than lifting up the big old cup. However he’d have surely picked a different player to be the next cab on the rank, and his playing partner today: the world number one Scottie Scheffler, the career slam almost within touching distance. Those players to claw back a big deficit again: Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller. Talent out of the top drawer, where Scheffler also resides. And it’s the US Open, at the notoriously difficult Shinnecock, where you can bet the USGA will have one or two final tricks up their sleeve. If Clark’s nerves start rattling, and someone in the chasing pack goes on a heater, you never know. Or maybe Clark will simply do what he did yesterday: grind, fight, hold firm, then play another majestic fade into the 16th to set up a carpe-diem eagle. We’ll find out soon enough. Here are today’s tee times (all BST). It’s on!
12.45pm: Dylan Wu, James Nicholas
12.56pm: Peter Uihlein, Russell Henley
1.07pm: Patrick Rodgers, Eric Lee (a)
1.18pm: Neal Shipley, Hideki Matsuyama
1.29pm: Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Nico Echavarria
1.40pm: Caleb Surratt, Ben James
1.51pm: Jackson Van Paris, Spencer Tibbits
2.02pm: Kurt Kitayama, Max Greyserman
2.18pm: Marek Fleming (a), Jacob Bridgeman
2.29pm: Johnny Keefer, Ludvig Åberg
2.40pm: Ryan Fox, Angel Hidalgo
2.51pm: Miles Russell (a), Jackson Koivun (a)
3.02pm: Robert MacIntyre, Chris Gotterup
3.13pm: Harry Higgs, Andrew Putnam
3.24pm: Michael Brennan, Jordan Spieth
3.35pm: Bud Cauley, Ben Kohles
3.51pm: Cameron Young, Joaquin Niemann
4.02pm: Laurie Canter, Justin Thomas
4.13pm: William Mouw, Niklas Norgaard
4.24pm: Max McGreevy, Justin Rose
4.35pm: Ben Griffin, Tyrrell Hatton
4.46pm: Pierceson Coody, Dustin Johnson
4.57pm: Ryo Hisatsune, Gary Woodland
5.13pm: Akshay Bhatia, Rory McIlroy
5.24pm: Maverick McNealy, Brian Harman
5.35pm: Zac Blair, Aaron Rai
5.46pm: John Parry, JT Poston
5.57pm: Sungjae Im, Michael Kim
6.08pm: Ryder Cowan (a), Alex Fitzpatrick
6.19pm: Corey Conners, Keegan Bradley
6.35pm: Matt Fitzpatrick, Collin Morikawa
6.46pm: Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele
6.57pm: Sam Burns, Keith Mitchell
7.08pm: Emiliano Grillo, Sam Stevens
7.19pm: Tom Kim, Sahith Theegala
7.30pm: Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark
