Wyndham Clark Shows Up, Wind Doesn't Thursday at 2026 U.S. Open

With 40 mph gusting winds and sunny skies in the forecast, the USGA was forced to play defense on the Shinnecock Hills setup for the 2026 U.S. Open. They applied heavy water to the golf course and placed pins in central, accessible locations.

The issue? Those conditions never really emerged.

The morning opened with blustery winds, dense fog, and cloud cover. The fog caused a two-hour delay, and the overcast conditions allowed the greens to retain water and stay receptive.

One issue players encountered throughout the day was controlling spin on the soft greens — something you wouldn't normally expect in the U.S. Open, especially one that hadn't received any rain in the lead-up to the championship. It underscores just how wary the USGA is of "losing" the course, as they have been accused of doing at Shinnecock in the past.

The issue was particularly evident late in the day. The greens never firmed up, and the winds never got wild or even close to the expected 40 mph. With soft greens, accessible hole locations, and a steady but hardly out-of-control wind, 17 players were under par when play was called. They were led by Wyndham Clark, who got it to 6 under through 16 holes before play was called.

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Matt Fitzpatrick, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm are among those four shots back.

Going into the day, it was expected that the afternoon wave would get the worst of the conditions, but it ended up being the opposite. The morning wave actually played more difficult than the afternoon by 1.12 shots, according to Data Golf. Rory McIlroy looked like he was in a great position after an early-morning 69, but found himself trailing Clark by five by dusk.

This prudent, cautious approach has become a hallmark of the John Bodenhamer era. Thursday’s setup was sensible and hard to critique, as it positions the USGA to ratchet up the course's firmness and speed as the weekend approaches. Could you argue they didn't need to water the greens midday? Sure. But by being sensible early in the week, they bought valuable political capital for the next three rounds.