Advantage: Wyndham Clark.
But how much of an advantage? That remains to be seen.
The 2023 U.S. Open champion has a six-shot lead heading into Sunday at this Shinnecock Hills-hosted U.S. Open, which is some nice breathing room when you’ll be playing with the world No. 1.
“I’d say in ’23 there was still doubts,” Clark said. “Not necessarily doubts, but I hadn’t done it, so there was a lot of unknown. Now that I have done it, I know I can do it, and I can do it again.”
Scottie Scheffler has carded a 72-68-69 to end up in the final pairing at 1 under. He shares that spot on the leaderboard with Sahith Theegala, Tom Kim and Sam Stevens, but who better to go out last than the man chasing a dominant, wire-to-wire victory and the man chasing the career Grand Slam.
First, Scheffler will start his Sunday chasing around his 2-year-old son, Bennett, and celebrating his first Father’s Day as a dad of two (son Remy was born in March). One of his closest friends, Sam Burns, will come over for breakfast and the two will watch the morning wave, getting a feel for how the course is playing before their tee times.
Maybe there will be a rendition of “Happy Birthday” snuck in there too. After all, you only turn 30 once — even if that day coincides with possibly the biggest day of your career.
Or maybe the singing and cake will wait until business is taken care of.
“I think it’s appropriate to understand what’s at stake,” Scheffler said of the opportunity to become the seventh man to win the Grand Slam. “I’ve worked really hard for a long time to have a chance to win golf tournaments and to win major championships. I think understanding the moment and giving it your best shot is all part of the process.”
For Clark, this is a chance to reassert himself as one of the best players on Tour after a challenging few years since his lone major win.
Last year, at the U.S. Open at Oakmont, Clark missed the cut and damaged one of the club’s locker rooms in the aftermath. Oakmont subsequently banned him from the property until he compensated the club for damages, made a charity donation and enrolled in counseling. He is still facing backlash from that incident, but he’s hoping to win those fans back.
“I’ve gotten a lot of grief since last year — rightfully so,” Clark said on Friday. “The thing that’s unfortunate is that’s not who I am, what happened last year.”
On the course, Clark has been rising once again. Shortly after Oakmont last summer, Clark finished T-4 at the Open for his first top 20 at a major since that 2023 win at LACC. After parting ways with long-time caddie John Ellis in March, he won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May — his first win on Tour in over two years.
For Scheffler, already a four-time major winner, this is his opportunity to win the Grand Slam on the first try, etching his name into an even more exclusive club. Only Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen were successful in their first attempt at the slam.
Although Scheffler would probably tell you the title itself is relatively meaningless — he just wants to win.
Seasoned golf fans know: Scheffler’s quiet nature does not a pushover make. He puts faith and family first and, at the same time, is described by those closest to him as one of the most competitive players in the game.
“If you’re in the final group, that’s less people you’ve got to chase,” Scheffler said Saturday. “If you’re in the final group, you’re one of the top two people on the leaderboard.”
One story of redemption. One story of an all-time great.
Mix them together with a fast and firm Shinnecock, and the result could be fireworks to the finish.
