SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Wyndham Clark came close to making history twice Friday morning, but ultimately walked away with something impressive in its own right — the lowest opening round ever recorded at a U.S. Open held at Shinnecock Hills. His 6-under 64 put him two shots clear of the field after a first round that stretched across roughly 26 hours to complete.
Dustin Johnson, playing in what is the final year of his U.S. Open exemption earned by winning at Oakmont back in 2016, bounced back from a late double bogey on Thursday by making birdies on two of his final three holes and a clutch par save to finish at 66, keeping him within striking distance of Clark.
Gary Woodland — who was grouped with both Clark and Johnson — and Matt Fitzpatrick each carded 67s. Jon Rahm sits one further back at 68, despite missing two strong birdie opportunities Friday morning. Rahm’s round was notable for having no bogeys on his scorecard.
The low scoring came as a surprise at Shinnecock Hills, a course where only three players across the previous four U.S. Opens held there had managed to finish under par over the last 40 years. What made the opening even more unusual was a thick fog that rolled in before play could begin, forcing a two-hour delay to start the championship.
That delay actually worked in favor of Clark and Johnson, who had already been out on the course Thursday evening when the wind was far calmer. The USGA had adjusted course conditions to account for gusts that were regularly topping 30 mph, and with those winds absent late in the day, players were able to take full advantage of the setup.
Clark put together a stretch of birdie-birdie-eagle late Thursday to reach 6 under. Johnson, meanwhile, reeled off four consecutive birdies before a costly mistake on the sixth hole, where he three-putted from just 6 feet away and walked off with a double bogey.
When the two returned Friday morning to wrap up the first round alongside 48 other players, Clark faced the eighth and ninth holes with a favorable wind at his back. He narrowly missed an 18-foot birdie attempt on No. 8 and came up short on a 30-foot try on No. 9, leaving his two shots at history unrealized.
The course record at Shinnecock Hills stands at 63, a mark set by Tommy Fleetwood in the final round of the 2018 U.S. Open after the USGA heavily watered the course to correct for conditions that had gotten out of hand in the third round. The overall U.S. Open record of 62 was set by Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023.
Clark expressed satisfaction with his 64. The previous best opening round at Shinnecock had been a 66, accomplished by three players in 2004 and one in 1995.
Rory McIlroy dealt with the worst of Thursday’s wind and felt a 69 was a solid result given the conditions. Scottie Scheffler was caught in the same difficult wave and leaned heavily on his short game to salvage a 72 — his tenth straight U.S. Open round without breaking par. Scheffler is chasing the one major championship that stands between him and a career Grand Slam.
Sam Stevens posted the best score among those who faced the toughest wind Thursday, coming in at 68. He was later joined at that number by Rahm as well as a group that included Ryder Cowan, who just completed his junior year at Oklahoma, and fellow Sooner alum Max McGreevy.
Clark and Johnson had just enough time to hit some warm-up shots on the driving range before heading back out for the second round. Also on the line Friday was the 36-hole cut, with the top 60 players and ties advancing. Scheffler found himself just barely inside that number as the day continued.
