Wyndham Clark wasn’t just playing against the field on the final day at the US Open. He had to hold his own against a vocal and partisan crowd at Shinnecock Hills that had not just been rooting for his rivals but also cheering against him.
Joaquin Niemann became the first player in major championship history to receive a two-stroke penalty for throwing a club, then responded with rounds of 65 and 66 to nearly pull off an extraordinary comeback at the 2026 US Open.
After two days of grumbling that the setup lacked teeth, Shinnecock Hills and the USGA found their nerve, leaning into everything the course is capable of, and perhaps announcing what the final day intends.
Yet if the first 54 holes were a test of patience and perseverance, the final 18 will be a uniquely challenging task. A six-shot lead would seem to be too difficult to lose, save for the fact that one of the chasers, and the one playing with him in the final pairing, will be Scottie Scheffler.
It’s tempting to view Dustin Johnson as a figure of golf’s past. For moments during the first 36 holes at Shinnecock Hills, however, the laid-back American has shown glimpses of his best.
The same golfer who unloaded on a locker at Oakmont, and weeks earlier hurled his driver in anger at the PGA Championship, can also be the golfer faithful to his work with a leading sports psychologist. It’s no different than a golfer who has worked diligently on their putting, but is still prone to the occasional three-putt.
Joaquin Niemann was assessed a two-stroke penalty in the first round of the US Open for “serious misconduct” at the par-4 sixth hole at Shinnecock Hills.
A two-pronged tangle with Shinnecock Hills’ ferocious fescue left a bruise on Adam Scott’s first-round scorecard as he officially made it 100 consecutive majors at the US Open in New York.
Australian Golf Digest
