US Open 2026: Wyndham Clark stands firm as Scottie Scheffler moves in at Shinnecock Hills

Scheffler’s score was deceptively good on a day when high winds reached 40 mph and made sure the greens became firmer and more dangerous.

Only one other player, Argentine Emiliano Grillo – who moved to par for the tournament after signing a three-under 67 – has broken the 70 record.

It was draining. As is often the case in the US Open. Ten players started the day below par. In the end, there were only five.

The average score for the third round was 73.61, the highest in the tournament.

It took an hour and 50 minutes to score the first birdie, one of only two of the combined 70 holes played by the course during the opening two hours.

Schaeffler’s performance was even more impressive given that he bogeyed the first two holes and reached his all-new appearance on the trickier backstretch.

A birdie on the 10th provided some momentum, but his putt on the 14th followed by an outpouring of emotion signaled a shift in momentum.

More birdies on the 15th and 16th helped him play the final nine holes in 32 shots, equaling his lowest score of the week.

But Clark’s lead was hardly threatened.

The briefly unknown American Stevens managed two shots on four under par but was one of many players whose competition diminished on the back nine.

Rory McIlroy was another. The Northern Irishman had a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth, one of which was a stunning 66-foot putt, to reach two under but five bogeys on his closing nine holes derailed his title hopes.

Fitzpatrick’s hopes of adding to his 2022 US Open victory were dashed by a devastating run of three straight bogeys to start his round.

The normally fickle Yorkshireman, playing in the final group with Clarke, had started four-under at the third but by the final hole his frustration was evident after he holed the ball hard and then hit a chip. That led to the fifth bogey of the round as he finished eight off the pace.

Those at the bottom level know they need to shoot low on Sunday and hope Clarke makes mistakes.

Perhaps they will follow Fleetwood in taking inspiration from the recent US Open on Long Island when the Englishman shot a 63 in the final round of 2018 as he came back from six places down to finish behind champion Brooks Koepka.

“We’ll see what the conditions bring,” said Fleetwood, who will start the race adrift. “It’s nice to have good memories of a place, isn’t it? I’ve got great shots and good feelings, so you know, I can take advantage of that.”

But equally, Clarke knows that if he can emulate the only three players to finish the US Open’s Shinnecock Hills Open under par – Ray Floyd, who won in 1986, champion Retief Goossen and runner-up Phil Mickelson in 2004 – the title is likely his.