Wyndham Clark's 6-Under Lead At The US Open Was All About The Wind, And The Numbers Don't Lie
Alright, Emerald City, can we talk about what just went down at the U.S. Open?! Wyndham Clark is sitting pretty with a four-shot lead at 6 under par, but let me tell you, that number isn't telling the whole story. The wind, or the shocking lack thereof for half the field, basically rewrote the script on Thursday, and it’s got everyone buzzing about whether this was even a fair fight!
The Wind Whiplash: Morning vs. Afternoon
The USGA prepped Shinnecock Hills for a hurricane, setting softer greens and "easier" pin locations, bracing for those infamous Peconic Bay wind gusts. And man, did those gusts deliver for the morning crew! Their average score? A brutal 73.87 on this par-70 monster. Rory McIlroy, who still posted a solid 1-under 69, said anything "under par or anything around even par is a good score" battling those elements, noting he carried a pitching wedge 190 yards on the par-5 fifth due to the strong wind. Seriously, that’s how violently it was whipping out there!
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But then, BAM! Mother Nature threw a curveball. A two-hour fog delay early Thursday pushed back tee times, and by the afternoon, the wind just... vanished. Poof! Gone! Wyndham Clark, our leader, called that fog delay "very helpful" and the wind laying down "really nice," helping his crucial final six or seven holes. The late wave's collective average ended up nearly a full stroke lower at 72.88! A whole stroke difference in a U.S. Open just because of your tee time? That's wild!
Keith Mitchell's Wild Two-Face Round
Want proof? Look no further than Keith Mitchell. His 11:20 a.m. tee time gave him both sides of the coin. Starting on the back nine, he got clocked by morning winds, opened with a double bogey, and finished his first nine 6-over 41. Nightmare! But as the winds fizzled, he unleashed a ridiculous 6-under 29 on Shinnecock's front nine, including an eagle at the par-5 fifth. He clawed back to an even-par 70! Mitchell hit "really, really good shots on the back nine" when conditions eased. Keegan Bradley, who also posted an even-par 70, admitted the USGA's setup was key: if the greens were "any faster or firmer, we might not be playing right now." But seriously, what about the guys hosed by those morning gusts?!
So, yeah, Wyndham Clark's got this juicy four-shot lead heading into Friday, but it feels like he got a little more than just good play working for him. Will the USGA make adjustments? Will those notorious Long Island winds come roaring back with a vengeance for Round Two, leveling the playing field? We'll be glued to every shot, Emerald City, hoping for some true U.S. Open grit and fair conditions. This tournament just cranked up the drama! Let's GOOOO, Friday!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.