Register at GOLF TOURNAMENT CONFIDENTIAL every Sunday night for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in sports. This week, with the US Open at Shinnecock, we’ll touch on a major topic each night.
After the second day of the US Open, Wyndham Clark remains at the top of the leaderboardracing to a four-shot lead through 36 holes as major winners like Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas are firmly in the hunt. On the opposite side of the leaderboard, stars such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka all failed to survive the four-money cut. As we head into the weekend, what has surprised you the most at Shinnecock so far?
Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@jess_marksbury): I’ll take the low-hanging fruit here. I didn’t expect Wyndham Clark to hold a four-shot lead at the 36-hole mark. But maybe I should have given him more credit! After all, he is a recent champion, having won the 2023 edition in Los Angeles. And he’s been on a roll lately, with a win, a solo third and a T11 in his last three starts. So given those stats, his run shouldn’t be all that surprising – but Wyndham doesn’t strike me as a player who will consistently struggle on the biggest stages. However, if he scores another US Open win this weekend, it will make a huge statement.
Nick Piastowski, Senior Editor (@nickpia): Harry Higgs, but not so much for his game, though it’s surprising given his recent form (six PGA Tour starts this season and six missed cuts and four missed cuts in nine starts on the Korn Ferry Tour). I’m not sure I’ve heard a more honest and open press conference since. He spoke to be sure. He talked about resignation. He said he forgot his pants. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen.
Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): To see someone take it so deep into the red at Shinnecock — where only three players have ever finished under par in a US Open — was certainly unexpected. But perhaps more surprising was watching Jon Rahm explode on Friday. I didn’t have him ballooning to 78 on my bingo card, especially since he played his opening round a full 10 strokes better.
Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): That might sound silly to say for someone leading a tournament by four points at the halfway point, but I think Wyndham’s score is a bit better than his current game has been. He got some good breaks with a few foul moves (it seems the bigger mistakes are less penalized than the rough ones off the fairway) and he finished some long shots. That said, you have to put the ball in the hole. And he has done it best so far. Another surprise? Besides Tom Kim having his best week of his season out of nowhere (he’s T2), it has to be Jon Rahm missing the cut. Heard a lot of buzz about him this week and now he’s leaving early after shooting 10 shots higher on Friday.
Zephyr Melton, Associate Game Improvement Editor (@zephyrmelton): What about the fact that 10(!) players are under par in two rounds? In the four previous US Opens at Shinnecock, only three players total break par. I expect the course to firm up and play tougher over the weekend, but I don’t know that anyone thought we’d see so much red on the board halfway through.
