Clark earns second US Open title after defeating Burns by one stroke

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clark-wyndham/x4NXN7qb/"]Clark[/a], whose other major crown came at the 2023 US Open, fired a three-over par 73 to finish 72 holes on four-under 276 and defeat fellow American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/burns-sam/Ya8WURp6/"]Burns[/a] by one stroke.[/p][p]Clark began the day with a six-shot lead, saw it shrink to a single stroke as he struggled early, then grinded through the back nine. He did not secure victory until a tap-in par at the last hole, celebrating on Father's Day with a hug from his dad, Randall, who flew in to surprise him after the win.[/p][embed guid="2a214cff-a490-44cb-88e3-1eb01af24b5b" url="https://x.com/usopengolf/status/2068829615297094045?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Clark captured the record top prize of $4.5 million from a $22.5 million purse, but the effort had greater meaning as well.[/p][p]The 32-year-old American said it was a way to help him erase the bad feelings over smashing a locker at Oakmont after missing the cut in last year's US Open.[/p][p]Clark also became only the ninth wire-to-wire US Open winner and the first since Germany's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kaymer-martin/zD8IqMQr/"]Martin Kaymer[/a] at Pinehurst in 2014.[/p][embed guid="6108f572-ffdc-48b0-8f3c-7e0137f000c4" url="https://x.com/usopengolf/status/2068833730039362028?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Burns was second on 277 after a closing 67, with South Korean [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kim-joohyung/G28Un9r8/"]Tom Kim[/a] third on 279 after a 70.[/p][p]Top-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scheffler-scottie/bXfIuBYu/"]Scottie Scheffler[/a] fired a 71 to share fourth on 280 with fellow Americans [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-keith/6RR4FL9F/"]Keith Mitchell[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/poston-jt/0vz9vvgQ/"]JT Poston[/a].[/p][p]Scheffler, a four-time major winner, would have completed a career Grand Slam with a victory on his 30th birthday.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norman-greg/4CGFujzr/"]Greg Norman[/a] at the 1996 Masters was the only golfer to ever lose a major after leading by six or more through 54 holes, but Clark made things tense for a while.[/p][p]Clark, who won his fourth PGA Tour title last month in Texas, made bogey at the par-three second hole while Burns birdied three of the first five holes.[/p][p]His approach at one landed inches from the hole to set up a tap-in birdie. Burns added a birdie putt from just inside eight feet at the third and sank a 26-foot birdie putt at the fifth.[/p][p]Clark sank a 15-foot putt to save par at the fourth, but Burns responded by sinking a birdie putt from just inside 50 feet at the eighth.[/p][embed guid="34f73f36-115d-4f43-af3a-871f1ea76dae" url="https://x.com/usopengolf/status/2068772429854376079?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]When Clark missed a 24-foot par putt at the par-five fifth, his bogey trimmed the lead to one shot.[/p][p]Burns missed the green on his approach and made bogey at nine, but Clark missed a four-foot par putt at the par-three seventh, and the lead was again one.[/p][p]A 78-foot chip to within inches of the hole saved par at nine to keep Clark ahead, and he followed with a four-foot par putt at 10 to boost his lead.[/p][embed guid="28b4a306-c0f7-470f-8cc3-cec24d70e039" url="https://x.com/usopengolf/status/2068797159198110173?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Burns fell three adrift with a three-putt bogey at 15, but Clark missed an eight-foot par putt to bogey 13, and Burns sank a 17-foot birdie putt at the par-five 16th to pull within one again.[/p][p]Tension built with the outcome on a knife's edge as Burns barely missed a 16-foot birdie putt at 18, the result bringing him to his knees.[/p][p]Clark found deep left rough off the 16th tee but blasted into the fairway and sank a dramatic 24-foot birdie putt for a two-stroke lead.[/p][embed guid="c87b580b-7b21-4329-b0e9-36421f323b06" url="https://x.com/usopengolf/status/2068821577685221519?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Clark, however, missed a six-foot par putt at the par-three 17th, and his lead was again one.[/p][p]At 18, Clark needed to two-putt from 52 feet for the victory. His first stopped inches from the hole, and he tapped in for victory.[/p][embed guid="65bde86d-d5b8-44da-ac64-8e30880a9de9" url="https://x.com/usopengolf/status/2068828786603254063?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Burns, 29, failed to grab a first major title and first victory in more than three years.[/p][p]The US Golf Association said several spectators were ejected from the course for what was called unacceptable conduct.[/p]