Wyndham Clark Sets Shinnecock Record With Opening 64 at U.S. Open

Wyndham Clark Sets Shinnecock Record With Opening 64 at U.S. Open The 2026 U.S. Open started with heavy fog and punishing winds, but by the end of Thursday, Wyndham Clark had completely rewritten the script. The 2023 champion shot a 6-under 64, setting the record for the lowest opening round in a U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. For a course known to break players, Shinnecock looked surprisingly scorable for the late wave. Clark took full advantage, riding a birdie-birdie-eagle stretch to build a massive four-shot lead over a packed leaderboard before play was suspended due to darkness. The Board Is Wide Open Behind Clark While Clark sits comfortably at 6-under, the chasing pack is loaded with heavy hitters. Dustin Johnson looked resurgent before a late double bogey dropped him to 3-under, sitting alongside names like Matt Fitzpatrick and Max McGreevy. Rory McIlroy survived the brutal morning winds to post a very respectable 1-under 69. Meanwhile, pre-tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler, who needs this win to complete the career Grand Slam, battled his short game all day to grind out a 2-over 72. Scheffler is still in the mix, but he has a lot of ground to make up. The SBA Takeaway If you are holding a ticket on Clark, you are feeling great right now. But do not count out the rest of the field just yet. Shinnecock Hills is notorious for biting back, and the weekend conditions will test everyone. The live market is heavily tilted toward Clark, but the value might be sitting further down the board with guys like McIlroy who survived the toughest part of the draw. Keep a close eye on the weather and the cut line as Round 2 unfolds. --- Related reading: - 2026 U.S. Open Betting Preview: Scheffler Chases the Career Grand Slam at Shinnecock - MLB Mid-June Market Watch: The Elite Tier Separates Itself