The opening round of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills was disrupted by a two-hour fog delay and later suspended due to darkness, leaving overnight leader Wyndham Clark unable to complete his round.
Play Suspended Twice on Thursday
Play was halted for the first time just 30 minutes after the opening groups teed off, with fog forcing a two-hour interruption. This pushed back tee times, and the later groups struggled to finish before sunset. At 8.25pm local time, play was suspended again due to lack of light, with 18 groups still on the course. They will resume at 6.35am on Friday, with all remaining tee times delayed by 15 minutes.
Clark's Strong Performance
Wyndham Clark, playing in the 3.36pm group alongside Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland, took advantage of calmer winds later in the day. He birdied the first two holes, then hit a lull before making key par saves. An eagle on the par-5 fifth moved him to six-under par with two holes remaining, giving him a four-shot lead over a seven-man group tied for second, including Johnson and Woodland.
“Obviously getting off to a great start. Birdieing the first two was really nice,” Clark said. “Then I kind of had a little bit of a lull, but made some great par saves. It was great birdieing 18. Then a little mishap, missed a shorty on 1 and then a bogey on 2, but then got into a nice rhythm. Yeah, everything was kind of clicking. We were definitely fortunate with the wind laying down. Overall a good round.”
Favourable Conditions for Late Groups
Among the players at two-under par, only three had completed their rounds, highlighting the scoring potential for those teeing off later. The forecast had predicted stronger winds and possible rain in the afternoon, but instead, fog cleared to sunshine and calmer winds, making conditions ideal for the later starters.
Clark admitted he didn't expect his tee time to be advantageous. “I would say when I got my tee times on Tuesday, I was like, 'oh, could be a tough draw.' That two-hour fog delay was very helpful, and it was really nice it laid down. So it definitely helped those last six, seven holes we played.”
