GOLF.com: Who Will Survive Shinnecock? U.S. Open Round 1 Contender Watch
Round 1 Snapshot at Shinnecock
Wyndham Clark leads the U.S. Open at six-under through 16 holes at Shinnecock Hills, with Matt Fitzpatrick, Dustin Johnson, Gary Woodland, and Jon Rahm sitting at two-under. Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Åberg are a shot further back. With 50-plus players still on the course, the leaderboard remains fluid.
Who Stays: Fitzpatrick and Clark as Favorites
GOLF.com editors are largely aligned that Fitzpatrick is built for U.S. Open conditions — he's hit 12 of 16 greens and is rolling the ball well. His ball-striking precision and composure in difficult setups make him a consistent contender at this type of event.
Clark's momentum is hard to ignore. His recent run — a win at the Byron Nelson, a top-3 at the Memorial, and a top-15 at the Canadian Open — mirrors the form that carried him to the 2023 U.S. Open title at Los Angeles Country Club. The question is whether his putter stays hot as greens firm up through the weekend.
Who Fades: DJ Under Scrutiny
Multiple editors flagged Dustin Johnson as the most likely to fall back. A double bogey on his final hole before the suspension didn't help, and his results since joining LIV Golf suggest sustained major contention may be beyond his current level.
Strokeslab Perspective
As Shinnecock's greens tighten over the weekend, the combination of SG: Approach and SG: Putting will separate contenders from pretenders. Fitzpatrick's profile fits this template well — his iron play keeps him in the right spots, and his putting has been underrated in recent majors.
Shinnecock's greens traditionally tighten significantly by Sunday, making SG: Putting stability as critical as iron precision. Fitzpatrick's GIR rate suggests he's creating high-quality birdie looks — a data profile that tends to hold up under U.S. Open pressure.