Wyndham Clark holds a six-shot lead at the U.S. Open after a demanding third round at Shinnecock Hills, which saw only two players finish under par. Emiliano Grillo posted the lowest score of the day with a three-under 67, navigating a course that demonstrated increased difficulty.
The USGA’s decision to prepare the course for firmer, faster conditions, with a target green speed of 11.0 on the stimpmeter, dramatically altered play. This led to a significant shift from the first two rounds, which saw 36 players in red figures. Saturday’s setup, combined with strong, gusty winds, caused greens to dry rapidly, making approach shots and putting highly challenging. Players struggled with ball control, often seeing shots roll off greens.
Emiliano Grillo’s round was notable for a stretch of four consecutive birdies from holes 6-9, a run that helped him mitigate the course’s later challenges. Other top players faced immediate difficulties; Dylan Wu five-putted the first hole for an 8, while Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas also started with early bogeys. The firmness of the course meant players like Keith Mitchell found it difficult to even stick a tee into the greens, indicating the hard-baked conditions. Scottie Scheffler, six shots behind Clark, managed a 69, the only other under-par round of the day.
The course conditions drew direct commentary from players. Keith Mitchell observed, “There’s a few spots out there that are extremely firm already. It changed all day. Depending on what they do tonight, tomorrow is going to be wild.” This followed the USGA’s earlier communication: “The course will be prepared to play progressively firmer and the target green speed will be 11.0 on the USGA stimpmeter.” Clark holds a strong lead, but the U.S. Open’s concluding round demands continued precision, a challenge Emiliano Grillo summarized succinctly: “I mean, it’s _hard_, man.”
