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SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Wyndham Clark had a simple goal on Thursday: focus on the process on every shot.
He did just that, carding five birdies and an eagle to reach 6 under through 16 holes at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club when play was suspended due to darkness at 8:25 p.m. ET.
“Everything was kind of clicking,” said Clark, who stood four shots ahead of anyone in the clubhouse or still on the course during the first round of the 126th U.S. Open. “We were definitely fortunate with the wind laying down. Overall a good round.”
Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, hasn't posted an under-par round at the event since his victory. But he entered this week on a heater. He’s notched his fourth career win at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in late May, finished T-3 at the Memorial and T-11 last week at the RBC Canadian Open.
Starting on the back nine on Thursday, he picked up where he left off with birdies on his first two holes, strung together six straight pars and rolled in a 22-foot birdie putt at the difficult 18th to grab the solo lead at 3 under. Clark made his lone bogey of the day at the long par-3 second but bounced back with birdies at Nos. 3 and 4 before stuffing his second shot from 196 yards at the par-5 second to 3 feet.
He showed off his underrated short game with tidy up-and-downs at Nos. 6 and 7. His best score in 14 prior rounds at the U.S. Open is a 64 in the opening round in 2023 when he went on to win, and he'll have a chance to match it or possibly better it on Friday. The only thing that slowed him down was darkness. He’ll resume his first round on Friday at 6:35 a.m. ET.
Clark spoke recently about being in a better head space. Last year, he flamed out of the Open with a pair of 74s and vented his frustration by destroying a locker at famed Oakmont Country Club.
But he’s madly in love with a new girlfriend, in the honeymoon phase with a new caddie and he’s found a new putter that earned him a sponsorship with Ping. Life is suddenly good. Not to mention, he ended up getting a big break with the two-hour weather delay and played late in the afternoon after the frisky North Atlantic winds calmed down.
“When I got my tee times on Tuesday, I was like, oh, could be a tough draw,” he said. “So, it definitely helped those last six, seven holes we played.”
The continuity in Clark’s game – and his life – has been mental coach Julie Elion, who he has credited with helping her reach his potential in 2023. She has him back on track, telling him to remind himself how good he is every time he hears something negative.
“It’s not what happens to us; it’s how we respond to what happens,” Elion said she told him before the championship began. “This is your rodeo! You create your own inner world of confidence and joy.”
On Thursday, Clark had plenty of joy in his world.
Asked how he planned to keep it going with such a quick turnaround, he said, “Eat as fast as possible, sleep as hard as possible, and get out here and hopefully keep playing well.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: US Open 2026: Wyndham Clark leads after Day 1 with new mental focus
Continue reading...
He did just that, carding five birdies and an eagle to reach 6 under through 16 holes at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club when play was suspended due to darkness at 8:25 p.m. ET.
“Everything was kind of clicking,” said Clark, who stood four shots ahead of anyone in the clubhouse or still on the course during the first round of the 126th U.S. Open. “We were definitely fortunate with the wind laying down. Overall a good round.”
Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champion, hasn't posted an under-par round at the event since his victory. But he entered this week on a heater. He’s notched his fourth career win at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in late May, finished T-3 at the Memorial and T-11 last week at the RBC Canadian Open.
Starting on the back nine on Thursday, he picked up where he left off with birdies on his first two holes, strung together six straight pars and rolled in a 22-foot birdie putt at the difficult 18th to grab the solo lead at 3 under. Clark made his lone bogey of the day at the long par-3 second but bounced back with birdies at Nos. 3 and 4 before stuffing his second shot from 196 yards at the par-5 second to 3 feet.
He showed off his underrated short game with tidy up-and-downs at Nos. 6 and 7. His best score in 14 prior rounds at the U.S. Open is a 64 in the opening round in 2023 when he went on to win, and he'll have a chance to match it or possibly better it on Friday. The only thing that slowed him down was darkness. He’ll resume his first round on Friday at 6:35 a.m. ET.
Clark spoke recently about being in a better head space. Last year, he flamed out of the Open with a pair of 74s and vented his frustration by destroying a locker at famed Oakmont Country Club.
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But he’s madly in love with a new girlfriend, in the honeymoon phase with a new caddie and he’s found a new putter that earned him a sponsorship with Ping. Life is suddenly good. Not to mention, he ended up getting a big break with the two-hour weather delay and played late in the afternoon after the frisky North Atlantic winds calmed down.
“When I got my tee times on Tuesday, I was like, oh, could be a tough draw,” he said. “So, it definitely helped those last six, seven holes we played.”
The continuity in Clark’s game – and his life – has been mental coach Julie Elion, who he has credited with helping her reach his potential in 2023. She has him back on track, telling him to remind himself how good he is every time he hears something negative.
“It’s not what happens to us; it’s how we respond to what happens,” Elion said she told him before the championship began. “This is your rodeo! You create your own inner world of confidence and joy.”
On Thursday, Clark had plenty of joy in his world.
Asked how he planned to keep it going with such a quick turnaround, he said, “Eat as fast as possible, sleep as hard as possible, and get out here and hopefully keep playing well.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: US Open 2026: Wyndham Clark leads after Day 1 with new mental focus
Continue reading...
