U.S. Open Showdown
Wyndham Clark Leads 2026 U.S. Open Final Round; Scottie Scheffler Eyes Grand Slam
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Wyndham Clark enters the final round of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills with a commanding six-shot lead, sitting at seven-under par through 54 holes. Sports Illustrated reports the last group — Clark paired with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler — tees off at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, with NBC and Peacock carrying coverage from noon.
Only five players remain under par for the tournament, according to NBC Sports. Clark's 36-hole total of 133 set a Shinnecock Hills U.S. Open record. The 2023 champion is chasing his second major title — and history shows the odds are heavily in his favor.
Clark's Six-Shot Lead and the Record Books
Clark opened with a stunning six-under 64 on Thursday — a Shinnecock Hills record — then added a 69 and an even-par 70 on a "wickedly windy" Saturday, per Golf Channel. He has led wire-to-wire and never trailed. His lead heading into Sunday is six strokes, the largest 54-hole cushion in this field.
The historical math is brutal for chasers. According to Golf Monthly, 21 players in major championship history have held a six-stroke-or-greater lead heading into the final round. Twenty of them won. The only exception: Greg Norman's famous 1996 Masters collapse. Clark said he plans to stick to "conservative targets and disciplined iron play" — the same formula that built his lead.
Scheffler Chases History on His 30th Birthday
Scottie Scheffler sits in a tie for second at one-under par, six shots back. Sunday is also his 30th birthday. If he wins, he becomes only the seventh golfer in history to complete the Career Grand Slam — joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy, per Sports Illustrated.
Scheffler already owns the Masters (2022, 2024), the PGA Championship (2025), and The Open (2025). Only the U.S. Open remains. He was honest about the task ahead. "I'll need a really nice round tomorrow if I'm going to try and catch Wyndham," he said, per the PGA Tour. Sahith Theegala, Tom Kim, and Sam Stevens are also tied at one-under — all six shots behind Clark.
Final Round Tee Times and Broadcast Details
The first group — Dylan Wu and James Nicholas — tees off at 7:45 a.m. ET, per Sports Illustrated. The marquee final pairing of Clark (-7) and Scheffler (-1) goes off at 2:30 p.m. ET. NBC and Peacock pick up live coverage at noon.
The field is playing Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York. Sunday's forecast calls for 64°F temperatures with moderate winds, per the PGA Tour. The winds at Shinnecock are a key part of the course's defense — along with firm, fast greens that the USGA has carefully managed with light watering this week to avoid the controversies of 2004 and 2018, according to Sports Illustrated.
Record Prize Money and a Historic Week for Young Players
The 2026 U.S. Open carries a record $22.5 million purse. The winner takes home $4.5 million, per Golf Channel. The runner-up earns $2.43 million. With only 67 players making the cut and just five under par through three rounds, Shinnecock has played every bit as tough as its reputation demands.
One of the week's other stories is 17-year-old amateur Miles Russell, who made the cut and became the second-youngest player to do so at a U.S. Open since World War II, per NBC Sports. The tournament has drawn more than 150,000 attendees across the week, giving a major economic boost to the Southampton area.
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