Halfway through the 2026 U.S. Open and on thing is clear: Wyndham Clark is one a heater.
The 32-year-old has had just one top-10 finish in a major since his 2023 U.S. Open victory. But Clark won in Dallas a few weeks ago at the Byron Nelson and is clearly on top of his game.
His 1-under 69 was good enough to leave him at 7 under for the tournament, four shots clear of the field through 36 holes. The question now is whether Clark will be able to extend his lead or if anyone like, like fellow major champions Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzgerald or even Justin Thomas, can make a move on the leader.
We will see how the day unfolds here in Round 3 of the U.S. Open, where you can follow along with us on all the action.
Watch U.S. Open live on Sling
US Open leaderboard
Round 3 leaders:
1. Wyndham Clark: -7 (F)
T2. Scottie Scheffler: -1 (F)
T2. Sahith Theegala: -1 (F)
T2. Tom Kim: -1 (F)
T2. Sam Stevens: -1 (F)
T6. Emiliano Grillo: E (F)
T6. Keith Mitchell: E (F)
T6. Sam Burns: E (F)
T6. Xander Schauffele: E (F)
Keep up with all the latest scores on the official PGA Tour leaderboard.
An eagle for Wyndham Clark gives him a 7-shot lead
Wyndham Clark is running away, but can he hide? His second shot on the par-5 15th was some 275 yards away, but his fairway wood got him to get a nice kick up the green and settle about 5 feet from the hole. From there, he needed more nerves than skill to knock in the eagle putt to take a seven-shot lead with 20 holes remaining for the tournament.
Clark finished with a bogey on the 18th, but will take a six-shot lead to bed with him.
Wyndham Clark extends lead with birdie on 14
If Wyndham Clark does indeed win his second U.S. Open, this shot on the par-4 14th might be the one to remember. His iron shot from 181 yards out landed about 5 feet from the hole to get Clark to 7 under for the tournament, six shots clear of the pack.
Scottie Scheffler misses birdie putt on 18, still under par for US Open
Scottie Scheffler seemed to really have things dialed, but again seemed one or two putts away from really being in the discussion for winning. He had to take a bogey on 17, but had a spectacular second shot on the par-4 18th to get to within 4 feet of the hole for birdie. Yet again, Scheffler was unable to convert. Still his par gave him a 32 on the back nine (his best nine-hole stretch of the tournament) and put him at 1 under for the championship.
Wyndham Clark saves par on 10, maintains a ‘comfortable’ lead
It seemed like everyone was hitting their approach shots to the 10th green not just behind the hole, but rolling off onto a huge landing area. The question is how well can you get up-and-down after it? For Wyndham Clark, the answer is very well. His par save on the 10th, coupled with a Sam Stevens bogey on 11, gave Clark a four shot lead more than halfway through Clark’s round.
Scottie Scheffler wakes up, goes back-to-back birdie to shoot up leaderboard
So many times this season, it has felt like Scottie Scheffler has been a few putts short of breaking through in one of these majors. Perhaps the breakthrough has come in the third round of the U.S. Open. His chip shot from close to 65 feet for birdie on the 14th was followed by a birdie putt on 15 to get Scheffler to 1 under for the tournament.
Sam Stevens back in solo second place at US Open
A birdie on the first was followed by a bogey 5 on the third hole. But on the par-5 fifth, Sam Stevens sank a slippery putt to get back to 4 under par, two shots behind Wyndham Clark in the third round of the 2026 U.S. Open.
Wyndham Clark takes bogey to open US Open third round
So about that help we talked about. Wyndham Clark’s Round 3 did not open the way he would have liked. His approach to the green left him with a very tricky birdie attempt from 30 feet away. That putt went only about 15 feet, and his par chance slipped past the hole for the first gaffe of the round. Clark, and Matt Fitzpatrick, both took bogey on the par-4 first to each drop a shot.
A few minutes earlier, Sam Stevens birdied the first to get to 4 under for the tournament and, after Clark’s bogey, two shots off the pace.
Rory McIlroy tried to make a stand at US Open
Wyndham Clark has just teed off on the first, and the way things are going, he’s going to need to come back to the pack to make things interesting. But Rory McIlroy is trying to get in position to take advantage if Clark does stumble. The reigning Masters champion has reeled off three straight birdies, on 5, 6 and 7, to get to 2 under on the day and for the tournament, five shots back of the lead.
Miles Russell continues strong effort in first US Open
People may look back at Miles Russell’s first U.S. Open and wonder what all the fuss is about. But as a 17-year-old, to turn in a 4-over 74 after making the cut in his first major championship, it’s hard to be nothing but impressed with the Jacksonville Beach amateur.
In Russell’s third round, he was paired with another amateur, Jackson Koivun, who also shot a 74. Russell did have five bogeys but finished his round with a birdie on 14, followed by four pars.
Emiliano Grillo turning in best early round at US Open
Though the top contenders have yet to tee off, the best performance so far in Round 3 of the 2026 U.S. Open belongs to Emiliano Grillo. He caught fire on the front nine with four birdies in a row to get to as low as 1 under for the championship. He has since given a shot back on the back nine but at 3 under, he remains the lowest scorer today through 13 holes.
Where to watch US Open: TV schedule, streaming info
Round 3 of the 2026 U.S. Open will broadcast nationally on USA starting at 10 a.m. before switching to NBC at noon. The main broadcast is available to stream via Sling, which carries the NBC networks. Featured group and hole streaming is available on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s subscription streaming service, or for free at USOpen.com when play begins.
Who missed the cut at US Open?
Among the group of players who missed the cut at the 2026 U.S. Open, the defending champion J.J. Spaun stands out most. His XxX was not enough to get within the top 60 plus ties. Florida amateur Guiseppe Puebla also missed the cut, along other former major champions Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Graeme McDowell.
US Open favorites and odds
Latest odds according to BetMGM:
US Open tee times
All times Eastern:
9 a.m.: Dylan Wu, Jacob Bridgeman
9:11 a.m.: Chris Gotterup, Eric Lee (a)
9:22 a.m.: Peter Uilhein, Peter Surratt
9:33 a.m.: Marek Flemming (a), Robert MacIntyre
9:44 a.m.: Nico Echavarria, Hideki Matsuyama
9:55 a.m.: Bud Cauley, Neal Shipley
10:06 a.m.: Laurie Canter, Michael Kim
10:17 a.m.: Jackson Koivun (a), Miles Russell (a)
10:33 a.m.: Patrick Rodgers, Emiliano Grillo
10:44 a.m.: James Nicholas, Angel Hildago
10:55 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Joaquin Niemann
11:06 a.m.: Russell Henley, Dustin Johnson
11:17 a.m.: Ryan Fox, Michael Brennan
11:28 a.m.: Pierceson Coody, Max Greyserman
11:39 a.m.: Kurt Kitayama, Tyrrell Hatton
11:50 a.m.: Cameron Young, Sungjae Im
12:06 p.m.: Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Spencer Tibbits
12:17 p.m.: J.T. Poston, Ben Griffin
12:28 p.m.: Andrew Putnam, John Parry
12:39 p.m.: Jackson Van Paris, Ben James
12:50 p.m.: Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Åberg
1:01 p.m.: Keegan Bradley, Johnny Keefer
1:12 p.m.: Ben Kohles, Justin Rose
1:28 p.m.: Corey Conners, Aaron Rai
1:39 p.m.: Zac Blair, Max McGreevy
1:50 p.m.: Niklas Nørgaard, Alex Fitzpatrick
2:01 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Brian Harman
2:12 p.m.: Maverick McNealy, Rory McIlroy
2:23 p.m.: Keith Mitchell, Akshay Bhatia
2:34 p.m.: Gary Woodland, Ryo Hisatsune
2:50 p.m.: Ryder Cowan (a), William Mouw
3:01 p.m.: Sahith Theegala, Sam Burns
3:12 p.m.: Harry Higgs, Justin Thomas
3:23 p.m.: Collin Morikawa, Tom Kim
3:34 p.m.: Sam Stevens, Xander Schauffele
3:45 p.m.: Matt Fitzpatrick, Wyndham Clark
US Open purse: What is the winner’s prize money?
The overall purse for the 2026 U.S. Open is a record $22.5 million, an increase of $1 million from the 2025 purse. The winner’s share will be another record — $4.5 million.
Where is the US Open being played?
The U.S. Open site rotates every year, and this year’s host is Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island in Southampton, New York. The course opened in 1891 and has hosted five previous U.S. Opens, most recently in 2018. Shinnecock Hills plays at par-70 over 7,440 yards.
US Open winners: Who won last year?
J.J. Spaun picked up his first career major title when he was the only player to finish under par at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. His 65-foot birdie putt on the final hole capped a two-stroke victory over Robert MacIntyre.
US Open weather update: Shinnecock forecast for Saturday
AccuWeather predicts a high of 79 degrees with partly cloudy skies in the forecast today in Southampton, New York. Winds are expected to blow out of the west-southwest at 20 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph. There is a 3% chance of rain.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: US Open leaderboard, recap, highlights for Round 3: Wyndham Clark stars
Reporting by Kirkland Crawford, Samantha Guillotte and Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kirkland Crawford, Samantha Guillotte and Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
