Wyndham Clark Is 6-Under and Nobody Saw the Wind Die Down at the US Open
Holy smokes, did you catch the first round of the US Open today? Shinnecock Hills served up a legit curveball, creating a wild split between the morning and afternoon tee times! Wyndham Clark is out there leading the pack at an insane 6 under par, holding a four-shot lead, and it’s all thanks to a totally unexpected shift in the conditions. Seriously, if you teed off in the morning, you got absolutely hammered by wind, but the later guys? It was like a different course. What a turn of events, right?
Morning Mayhem: Wind Whipped and Scores Soared
Talk about a brutal start for half the field! The guys who got out there early at Shinnecock Hills were definitely griping. Rory McIlroy, for example, posted a 1-under-par 69 and felt proud of it, saying anything under or around even par was a good score given the conditions. The USGA actually planned for whipping wind off Long Island's Peconic Bay to ratched up the difficulty, but man, those morning gusts were something else. We even had a two-hour fog delay early on, which sounds like it helped nobody who hit the course after!
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The numbers don't lie, either. The scoring average for players with morning tee times was a tough 73.87 on that par-70 course. Imagine battling that! Keith Mitchell, who ended up with an even-par 70, started his day around 11:20 a.m. and got a real taste of it. He opened on the back nine with a double bogey and went out in a painful 6-over-par 41. McIlroy even talked about eagling the par-5 fifth, having 194 yards to the pin for his second shot, and still needing to club down to a pitching wedge. He actually carried that wedge 190 yards, just showing how strong that wind was blowing!
Afternoon Advantage: Clark Cashes In on Calm Conditions
Then, suddenly, the wind just laid down! For the afternoon wave, the USGA's setup felt way softer than the US Open’s reputation usually calls for. Wyndham Clark himself admitted he thought he had a tough draw when he got his tee time. But that early fog delay? He said it was "very helpful," and he absolutely loved that the wind "laid down" for his last six or seven holes. Clark even saved par from a greenside bunker at the par-3 seventh, his third-to-last hole, showing he was dialed in.
The difference was night and day. The late wave's collective average was nearly a full stroke lower at 72.88 at one point. McIlroy and Keegan Bradley both gave props to the USGA for a "prudent" course setup, saying the greens were pretty slow and receptive. Bradley added that if the greens were any faster or firmer, they might not even be playing right now! And remember Keith Mitchell, who started 6-over? He flipped the script in the afternoon, turning around his round with a scorching 6-under 29 on Shinnecock's front nine, including an eagle, to finish at even par. He won't forget that surge!
So, what now? The US Open continues, but this first round has thrown a huge wrench into things. Will the wind return tomorrow and create another scramble, or will the leaderboard solidify with the afternoon advantage? It's going to be wild to see how this plays out. You gotta tune in, because this major championship just got a whole lot more interesting!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.