73.87 vs. 72.88: The Wild Swing in US Open Scoring That Handed Wyndham Clark a Huge Lead

Holy smokes, Emerald City! You gotta see what just went down at the US Open. Wyndham Clark is sitting pretty with a shocking 6-under par, four shots clear of the pack, and it’s all thanks to Mother Nature pulling a fast one on Shinnecock Hills. While some pros were fighting hurricane-force winds, others basically got a practice round. The wind? It vanished for the afternoon wave, completely flipping the script and setting up an insane weekend of golf!

The Wind Just Quit, and Some Pros Cashed In

Talk about a tale of two courses! Players who teed off in the morning wave on Thursday faced an absolute beast, with whipping winds off Long Island’s Peconic Bay making the U.S. Open’s already tough reputation even gnarlier. Rory McIlroy, who carded a solid 1-under 69, said anything around even par was a good score with those conditions. But then came the afternoon. A two-hour fog delay early in the day pushed tee times back, and by the time the later groups hit the course, that notorious wind decided to take a nap. Wyndham Clark, our clubhouse leader, confirmed it. He felt like he had a "tough draw" when he got his tee time, but that fog delay was "very helpful," and he loved that the wind "laid down" for his final six or seven holes. The USGA had set up the course expecting those brutal winds, making the greens softer than usual and tucking a few easier pin locations. Without the wind, that setup became a gift, turning a monster into something far more manageable. Th

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e numbers don't lie: the scoring average for morning players was a brutal 73.87 on the par-70 course, while the late wave collective average was nearly a full stroke lower at 72.88! McIlroy and Keegan Bradley both praised the USGA for their "prudent" setup, admitting if the greens were any faster or firmer, they might not have finished.

Keith Mitchell's Rollercoaster Proves Everything

If you want absolute proof that the conditions changed dramatically, look no further than Keith Mitchell. He finished his round at an even-par 70, which sounds good, but his journey there was wild. Mitchell’s tee time was delayed to around 11:20 a.m., so he caught some of that early wind. Starting on the back nine, he opened with a double bogey and posted a crushing 6-over-par 41. Brutal, right? But then, the wind died down, and he made the turn. On Shinnecock's front nine, he absolutely went off, firing a 6-under 29, including an eagle on the par-5 fifth after an approach shot settled softly to 13 feet. What a comeback! McIlroy also eagled the par-5 fifth, saying he carried a pitching wedge 190 yards, just showing how strong that wind was *before* it vanished. Mitchell basically played two different courses in one round. So, as play was suspended due to darkness, Wyndham Clark sits alone atop the leaderboard with a four-shot cushion. Will the early starters on Friday get a similar break from the wind, or will this advantage for the afternoon wave hold? It's going to be a battle, and we'll be watching every shot, hoping for some Emerald City magic to shake things up even more!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.