Wyndham Clark takes commanding lead as US Open heads into final round

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clark-wyndham/x4NXN7qb/"]Clark[/a], the 2023 US Open champion, sank a four-foot eagle putt at the par-five 16th on the way to firing a level-par 70 at windy Shinnecock to stand on seven-under 203 after 54 holes.[/p][p]Despite a three-putt bogey at 18, the 32-year-old boosted his lead by two strokes from his 36-hole margin.[/p][embed guid="7bea290c-13b8-448c-87f4-85f4be79ec26" url="https://x.com/usopengolf/status/2068478235311042682?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"It was a tale of two people,"[/b] Clark said.[b] "I'd hit great shots, and then I'd hit one of the worst shots and make dumb mistakes. Then I'd recover and make great putts or chips.[/b][/p][p][b]"The fact that I increased my lead is a huge thing, so overall satisfied."[/b][/p][p]The only golfer to lose a major with a lead of six or more entering the final round was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norman-greg/4CGFujzr/"]Greg Norman[/a] at the 1996 Masters.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scheffler-scottie/bXfIuBYu/"]Scheffler[/a], who would complete a career Grand Slam with a victory Sunday on his 30th birthday, fired a 69 - one of just two sub-par rounds on the day - to claim a share of second on one-under 209.[/p][p][b]"It would be special,"[/b] Scheffler said. [b]"This tournament means so much to me. All I can do is go out there and try and execute."[/b][/p][embed guid="59adb327-963b-4877-9f1d-6115f948fa0a" url="https://x.com/usopengolf/status/2068443464807731326?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Scheffler opened with two bogeys for only the fourth time in 105 major rounds, but birdied four of his first seven holes on the back nine before a bogey at the par-three 17th and a closing par.[/p][p][b]"We've been battling hard for a few days, and I did a good job of keeping myself in the tournament," [/b]Scheffler said.[b] "I'll need a really nice round tomorrow if I'm going to try and catch Wyndham."[/b][/p][p]Not since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/janzen-lee/WMzzPqiI/"]Lee Janzen[/a] in 1998 has a US Open winner been more than four strokes off the lead after 54 holes.[/p][embed guid="92e22586-0fd1-48d6-9670-7a1c065248a7" url="https://x.com/usopengolf/status/2068485677600112850?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Joining Scheffler on 209 were fellow Americans [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stevens-sam/tfTy1Y5U/"]Sam Stevens[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/theegala-sahith/WQd3jNo0/"]Sahith Theegala[/a], whose tap-in at 18 was his lone birdie of the day, plus South Korean [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kim-joohyung/G28Un9r8/"]Tom Kim[/a], who shot 72 after bogeys on three of his first six holes.[/p][p][b]"This was one of the biggest tests of patience I've ever had in a single round in my life,"[/b] Theegala said. [b]"It was a grind."[/b][/p][p]Whipping winds added to Shinnecock's challenge, combining with dense rough and tricky pin positions to test the world's top golfers.[/p][p]Players are chasing a record $4.5 million top prize from a purse matching the highest in major golf at $22.5 million.[/p][embed guid="8a91b8c5-b993-4918-a24f-2a94ffce4ec1" url="https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/2068473361907265933?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Clark opened with a three-putt bogey, tapped in for birdie at the par-five fifth, but made bogey at eight. He sank a five-foot birdie putt at 14 only to bogey 15 on a four-foot putt miss, then answered with a four-foot eagle putt at the par-five 16th.[/p][p]Clark is coming off a PGA Tour triumph four weeks ago in Texas and looking to wipe away the memory of his locker-smashing outburst after he missed the US Open cut at Oakmont last year.[/p][p]After his bogey-bogey start, Scheffler birdied the 10th from just inside eight feet.[/p][p]Scheffler birdied three consecutive holes, his longest run in a US Open, starting with a 65-foot birdie chip at 14 that prompted a fist pump.[/p][p][b]"At that point, over par for the tournament, you can feel like it's slipping away," [/b]Scheffler said. [b]"To steal one there was really nice."[/b][/p][p]Scheffler followed with a 12-foot birdie putt at 15 and a tap-in birdie at the par-five 16th.[/p][p][b]"It has been a battle all week,"[/b] Scheffler said.[b] "Got off to a slow start. It was nice to steal a few on the back nine. I've been fighting to stay in it all week."[/b][/p][p]Second-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcilroy-rory/djwanksN/"]Rory McIlroy[/a], who won his sixth major at April's Masters, fired a 73 to stand 10 adrift on 213.[/p][p]The six-time major winner birdied the fifth, sixth, and seventh holes but had five bogeys in a back-nine collapse.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.com/golf/pga-tour/us-open/"]Follow the US Open leaderboard on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]