History is against Wyndham Clark breaking through to capture a second US Open Championship crown.
The American takes a four-shot into golf’s moving day, having posted rounds of 64 and 69 on the host Shinnecock Hills course on New York’s Long Island.
The 2023 US Open champ is at seven-under with fellow US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick and also double major winning Xander Schauffler at three under.
Only 10 players have managed to break par over the opening two rounds and with Rory McIlroy amoung a big group sitting at level par while 72 players made the four-over halfway cut.
HISTORY @usopengolf NOT ON HIS SIDE …
With Wyndham Clark also having to fight history if he’s to become a first @ShinnecockHills after leading after 36 holes
✅ @TOURMISS pic.twitter.com/dz8nfKsFiS
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) June 20, 2026
As mentioned, history does work against Clark: no 36-hole leader at the last four Shinnecock Opens has won the championship.
Also, only one player among three who has held a 36-hole lead of exactly four strokes in the U.S. Open and gone on to be handed the gleaming US Open trophy:
- Tom McNamara, 1909 at Englewood GC, finished 2nd
- Jim Barnes, 1921 at Columbia CC, won
- Dustin Johnson, 2018 at Shinnecock Hills GC, finished 3rd
US Open front-runner Wyndham Clark . Image Getty
Clark, and the reigning CJ Cup Byron Nelson champion, ended his second round admitting he was tied saying: “I really drove it great, and then I was just really conservative into the greens. These greens are obviously the challenge of this golf course.
“Then today I kind of did the same thing. Wasn’t as sharp, but the consistency of hitting it to kind of conservative targets really paid off.
“Yeah, I’m tired. Didn’t get to bed until 10:30. Had to wake up at 4:00. So not much sleep.
“I’m going to really be looking forward to a nap and watching USA hopefully win a game.”
Yes, the USA team humbled Australia winning 2 nil but whether Clark can make it an American victory sporting double this weekend remains to be seen.
