Clark sets 36-hole U.S. Open record at Shinnecock
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- Wyndham Clark broke the 36-hole scoring record at Shinnecock Hills, following an opening 6-under 64 with a 1-under 69 to reach 7-under through two rounds of the U.S. Open.
- Clark said he told himself even par for four days would give him a strong shot at a second U.S. Open title, and he's seven shots better than that mark after Friday, adding: "I didn't feel like I had my best, and I still am leading."
- The 2023 champion at Los Angeles Country Club tied his 2023 winning pattern of not leading until Saturday, while his approach play and putting both rank in the top five of the field through two rounds.
- Clark recalled his failed 2024 title defense at Oakmont, where he shot 8-over through two days, missed the cut by a stroke after a final-hole bogey, damaged the locker room and was subsequently banned from the property.
- Acknowledging he has received "a lot of grief" since that incident, Clark said it "was not who I am" and expressed hope he can "win back the fans" with his play this weekend.
- Clark credited his Byron Nelson victory last month and two prior top-10 finishes this season to improved putting, and said he now leans on mental coach Julie Elion after openly discussing his mental health struggles.
- Comparing his career arc to climbing Everest, Clark said "sometimes you go up, sometimes you have to go back down to go back up" and that he is "trending back up" both on and off the course.
Why it matters: Clark's record-setting start puts him in pole position to become the first repeat U.S. Open winner since Brooks Koepka in 2018, but his weekend scorecard may matter as much as his golf: a high finish would partially rehabilitate a reputation damaged by the Oakmont locker-room outburst and the PGA Championship driver throw that earned him a one-event ban from Oakmont's property.
