ESPN Golf: Wyndham Clark Rewrites Shinnecock 36-Hole Record, Leads U.S. Open Halfway

Clark Makes History at Shinnecock

Wyndham Clark turned in rounds of 64 and 69 at Shinnecock Hills to post a 133 (-7) total, breaking the 36-hole scoring record for a U.S. Open at the historic venue. The 2023 champion had privately set even par as his winning benchmark entering the week — he's already exceeded that by seven shots.

Approach and Putter Doing the Heavy Lifting

Clark ranks inside the top five in the field for both approach play and putting through 36 holes. His driving remains inconsistent, but the precision of his iron game and short putting have compensated for any tee-box struggles. He also won the Byron Nelson last month, signaling a strong run of form heading into this major.

Confronting a Difficult Year

Clark was candid about the fallout from 2025, when he missed the cut at Oakmont and subsequently damaged a locker room, then later threw his driver during the PGA Championship. He has since apologized publicly and acknowledged these incidents were out of character. His work with mental coach Julie Elion is a central part of the narrative heading into the weekend.

Strokeslab Perspective

From a Strokes Gained standpoint, Clark's SG: APP and SG: Putting combination is the story of this tournament so far. Whether those metrics hold up under major-weekend pressure — especially given how Shinnecock typically tightens its grip on Saturdays and Sundays — will determine if the 2023 champion can secure a second U.S. Open title.