The China Mail - Clark begins with bogey as McIlroy charges at US Open

Clark, the 2023 US Open winner, was on seven-under par 133 and ahead by four after 36 holes but a three-putt bogey from 35 feet dropped his lead to two strokes.

American Sam Stevens, in only his eighth major start, sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the first hole to seize second alone at four-under, one stroke ahead of countryman Xander Schauffele, who opened with a par.

Wyndham, 32, is coming off a PGA Tour triumph four weeks ago in Texas and looking for a second US Open triumph to wipe away the memory of his locker-smashing outburst after he missed the cut at Oakmont last year.

He and those chasing faced whipping winds that changed direction to add Shinnecock's challenge, combining with dense rough and tricky pin positions to test the world's top golfers, who backed off time and again for gusts.

England's Matthew Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, opened with a bogey to stand four off the pace.

Second-ranked McIlroy, who won his sixth major at April's Masters, made bogey at the third after finding the left rough off the tee.

The six-time major winner from Northern Ireland answered with three consecutive birdies -- sinking a three-foot birdie putt at the par-five fifth, holing out from the fairway from 66 feet for birdie at six and rolling in a putt from just inside 17 feet at seven to reach two-under and share fourth.

Not since Lee Janzen in 1998 has a US Open winner been more than four strokes off the lead after 54 holes.

Players are chasing a record $4.5 million top prize from a purse matching the highest in major golf at $22.5 million.

World number one Scottie Scheffler began the day seven strokes adrift and opened with two bogeys for only the fourth time in 105 major rounds.

Scheffler, an American who would complete a career Grand Slam with a victory Sunday on his 30th birthday, lipped out on a six-foot par putt at the par-three second hole after finding the left rough twice and a greenside bunker before saving bogey at the first and was two-over through seven.

- Grillo's birdie binge -

Argentina's Emiliano Grillo reeled off four consecutive birdie putts to close the front nine, the last and longest from just inside 25 feet, on his way to firing a three-under par 67 to grab the clubhouse lead at level par 210.

England's Tommy Fleetwood sank a 20-foot eagle putt at the par-five fifth to stand on par overall.

There were only 10 players under par through the first two rounds.

Fitzpatrick, 31, has won three times on the PGA Tour this year, the Valspar Championship in March, Heritage tournament in April and the tour pairs event in New Orleans with brother Alex.

Schauffele, 32, won the 2024 British Open and PGA Championship and has seven top-10 finishes in nine prior US Open starts, never finishing worse than 14th. His best result was a share of third in 2019.

Kim, who turns 24 on Sunday, has not won in nearly three years. He suffered a right ankle ligament injury in July 2023 but fought through it to finish second in the British Open.

Stevens, 29, has never won a PGA Tour title.

J.Thompson--ThChM