Wyndham Clark holds off Rory McIlroy to win 123rd U.S. Open at L.A. Country Club
LOS ANGELES, Ca. (KDKA) -- Wyndham Clark is a major champion having won the U.S. Open. He won golf's toughest test by holding off one of the titans in the game of the golf, beating Rory McIlroy by one shot on Sunday at L.A. Country Club.
Clark revealed earlier in the week that while his late mother was battling cancer nearly a decade ago, she told him to "Play big." It's fair to say that Clark took that motto to heart this week at the U.S. Open and particularly did so during his final round of the tournament with McIlroy breathing down his neck.
Clark would indeed play big down the stretch of his final round, making a birdie on the 14th hole and went into the final four holes with a three-shot lead.
Rory's close call
While Rory McIlroy's game has left a lot to be desired from some, or perhaps felt incomplete having not won a major championship since 2014, it felt like there was a chance on Sunday for that streak to end.
McIlroy was hanging right behind Clark down the stretch and even heading into the final two holes, a birdie from one side and a bogey from the other could have flipped the whole competition on its head.
While Rory ended up falling one stroke short, it's hard not to think about the whiff he had from the rough on the 18th during the opening round on Thursday.
So many things happened and so much golf was played from that point on in the final three rounds, but it's hard not to wonder what would've happened in the long run if he had that one stroke back.
Sunday's big name leaderboard
Rory McIlroy was just one big name at the top of the leaderboard going into Sunday's final round.
Names like Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Dustin Johnson were among the top ten on Sunday afternoon and as a whole, the big names delivered at the U.S. Open.
Rickie's back?
In the case of Rickie Fowler, who sat at the top of the leaderboard and tied for first going into Sunday's round after three exhilarating rounds of his own, it felt like a blast from the past. In 2014, Fowler finished 2nd, 3rd, and 5th in all four major championships, but was never able to win any of them.
Now, nearly a decade later, Fowler seems to have found his game again and was back on the top of the board after three rounds at the U.S. Open.
His final round of +5 would ultimately cost him a chance at his first major, finishing in 5th place.
In spite of his disappointing final round, Fowler was praised for his class and dignity while sharing the 18th green with Clark.
Records set during the first round
Fowler's opening round was one for the ages, shooting a record score of 62, the best to ever be recorded at the U.S. Open. A short time later, that record would be matched and tied by Xander Schauffele.
The course conditions on Thursday played nicely for those with early tee times for the opening round with the marine layer not burning off until later in the day, making for softer fairways and greens allowing players to attack more with the course being a bit less fiery.
Rickie's rollercoaster ride second round
Fowler would stay in the headlines into Friday. While he would shoot a score of -2 in his second round, it was how he went about it that was a bit of a wild ride.
In his 18 holes, he made just four pars.
It was a round of eight birdies and five bogeys for Fowler, who set a new U.S. Open record for the lowest score through 36 holes.
L.A. Country Club's 'fun' course design
While much was talked from both the public and players alike regarding the spectator experience at L.A. Country Club, the course's design itself was the topic of a lot of discussion, with some of the holes making things a lot of 'fun.'
For viewers, there was fun. The players, however might have seen things differently.
From the drivable Par 4 6th hole, it was great to watch players bomb drives and try and reach the skinny green, often ended up short in the bunker or very thick fescue.
With a shorter than usual hole one end of the spectrum, the Par 3 11th hole was pushed to the limits at almost 300 yards. While it did play downhill, it is wild to see a Par 3 hole and Par 4 hole play at nearly similar distances.
While the 11th hole was quite long, the 15th wasn't the case, at least on Saturday for the third round.
The Par 3 hole for Saturday was shortened to 81 yards -- which would turn out to be the shortest hole in the history of the U.S. Open.
U.S. Amateur success at the U.S. Open
When reigning U.S. Amateur champion and runner-up Ben Carr qualified for the U.S. Open with their performances at Ridgewood Country Club last summer, it wasn't expected that both would fare well in golf's toughest test.
Bennett, since turned professional, had a good showing at the Masters (while still an amateur) and kept it rolling at the U.S. Open, making the cut and finishing +5.
Carr also made the cut, finishing +13, but the bigger story is the joint success.
During the NBC broadcast, it was mentioned that it was the first time both the winner and runner-up from the U.S. Amateur would make the cut in the following U.S. Open that they received exemptions for.
Mickelson's quest for the grand slam continues
For Phil Mickelson, it was another missed cut at the U.S. Open, but the bigger picture for 'Lefty' is that it's another year without completing the career grand slam.
Mickelson needs just the U.S. Open to complete the feat, finishing as a runner-up a record six times, doing so last in 2013.
The hometown kid misses the cut
Max Homa was near the top of the leaderboard for parts of Thursday's opening round and seemed to be feeling good about his play headed into Friday -- and that's where it all fell apart.
Homa, born and raised a short distance from L.A. Country Club and having performed well at the course during his time at the University of California, shooting a 78 on Friday with double bogeys on both the 17th and 18th hole.
The California Club
With the U.S. Open win at L.A. Country Club, Wyndham Clark joins the California Club of those to win golf's toughest test in The Golden State.
Fellow California U.S. Open winners include Jon Rahm, Gary Woodland, Webb Simpson, Graeme McDowell, Tiger Woods, Lee Janzen, Tom Kite, Scott Simpson, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Billy Watson, and Ben Hogan.
Amateurs at the U.S. Open
Four amateur players made the cut at L.A. Country Club with Vanderbilt's Gordon Sargent recording the low amateur score of +4.
Sargent wasn't cost the low amateur score, but he did lose one stroke on the 18th green on account of some form of sorcery, it appeared.
Despite losing the one stroke and finishing an additional five spots back on the leaderboard, Sargent has a bright future ahead of him after winning the NCAA Division 1 Championship as a freshman, a recent winner of the Arnold Palmer Cup for Team U.S.A. and now making the cut at the U.S. Open.
Looking ahead to 2024
The U.S. Open will head back to the East Coast for next year's tournament as golf's toughest test will return to Pinehurst, where the competition was last held in 2014.
Martin Kaymer's win there in 2014 by 8 strokes is tied for the second largest margin of victory at the U.S. Open in the past 25 years, falling short of only Tiger Woods' epic performance in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach where he won by a record 15 shots.
The following year, the U.S. Open comes back to Western Pennsylvania and Oakmont Country Club, which will host the tournament for a record 10th time.
