The home fans were cruelly and bizarrely railing against the American and so, too, was the momentum. Twice in the final round of the 126th US Open, Wyndham Clark’s six-shot overnight advantage was reduced to a single stroke and Greg Norman was beckoning the 32-year-old into his one-man club of major capitulation.

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Yet somehow Clark stayed strong, and with apologies to Sam Burns, who is surely a major-champion-in-waiting, he deservedly picked up his second US Open title, at the same time as blessedly shutting up those despicable Long Island boo boys with a wire-to-wire win.

Nine months before, these same New York idiots, just an hour up the road at Bethpage, went completely out of bounds when delivering perhaps the most vile heckling ever heard in the sport at the Ryder Cup. No, that did not work either, as Europe strode to victory. That particular three-day chorus of partisan abuse was anticipated in Trump’s United States – but nobody expected this. Clark is one of their own, as American as apple pie. So why did they turn up on the Denver man as he scraped home by a shot on four under after a 73?

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Clark is not the most popular on the PGA Tour, sometimes coming across as brash and is certainly not humble. At last year’s US Open, the 2023 champion reacted to a missed cut by storming into the Oakmont locker room and destroying a couple of lockers that were more than a century old. It was very disrespectful to the club and the game. But looking at some of these drunken louts who decided that a great way to spend Father’s Day was to abuse a countryman, they did not seem rabid golfing traditionalists.

In truth, they just wanted drama, did not fancy an individual masterclass and so tried to influence the result. It was not golf and it was pathetic.

There were imbeciles ejected. One for shouting at Clark “don’t choke, Wyndham”, a couple more for yelling “get in the bunker”, a bellow that seemed to follow each and every shot he hit. But this was unmanageable, because loud cheering erupted every time he made an error.

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“New York didn’t really like me,” Clark said. “But I love you guys. And I get it. Some of it is deserved. I did some unfortunate things last year that I really regret and I’ve been sorry multiple times.

“Man, they definitely didn’t want me to win. It’s pretty rare in a [US] Open Championship or a major to have fans boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots.

“I’m proud of myself that I battled through. Things really could have gotten away from me. I stood tough.”

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And so those mistakes totted up and at a few stages, the prats and the fates appeared to be prevailing. Only Norman had ever conceded such a large 54-hole lead after a major before – to Sir Nick Faldo at the 1996 Masters – and here it was like watching its yet more gory sequel.

Credit to Burns for bursting out of the pack with his 67. After birdieing four of the first eight, Burns will rue not being able to keep the pedal down and bogey two of the next seven, before birdieing the 16th. But Shinnecock is severe and it verges on the impossible to attack without paying the price at some stage. Burns was unlucky not to win this event 12 months ago – he received a terrible ruling from the referees over what was clearly casual water – but will be back.

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It is much more agreeable to think that Burns, more than the hecklers, turned a procession into a nail-biter.

We had all thought that Burn’s best friend, Scottie Scheffler, would be the challenger. The world No 1 was in the final group with Clark, but never raised much of a battle. It was his 30th birthday and Scheffler was attempting to become just the seventh player to complete the career grand slam, but this daft game rarely likes to fashion such neat scripts.

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Instead, this turned into Clark hanging on to his one-shot lead with three to go. He was three over for the day on the par-five 16th and the galleries were still behaving reprehensibly. Clark pulled his drive and was forced to lay up. No cushion. Very little support. But from 30 feet at the back of the green, Clark holed the birdie putt and was two clear. A huge punch of the fist followed. Surely that was the title?

Clark shows his emotion after holing a putt for birdie on the 16th - Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Clark three-putted the 17th and down the 18th he went with a one-shot lead. He pushed his drive, but from the first cut of rough, forced it out to 60 feet. The two-putt from 60 feet led to emotional scenes as Clark hugged his family, and wouldn’t you know it, the fans all roared their approval. Shameless.

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The Korean Tom Kim (69) made a pleasing return to form by finishing in third, with Scheffler (71) in the group on fourth. Meanwhile, after Rory McIlroy winning the Masters and Aaron Rai winning the US PGA Championship, the hopes of a “UK slam” this year ended, but England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who was fourth in 2025, will be satisfied with a tie for seventh courtesy of a 67 for a one-over total.

That was the same mark as fellow LIV golfer, Joaquin Niemann, who launched a remarkable recovery from making the entirely wrong sort of history on the opening day. The Chilean threw a club in fury on his way to a nine at the par-four sixth and this was upgraded to an 11 when he was hit with a two-shot penalty by officials.

The 27-year-old had fallen foul of the new major conduct policy and so became the first player to be sanctioned in this manner for such a misdemeanour. Niemann commendably held up his hands and responded to that 78 in the correct manner by first shooting a 65 to make the cut and then finishing with a 66.

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For the onlookers, it was irresistible not to consider where he would be on the leaderboard if he had made a par and not a septuple-bogey. But Niemann had a funny line about this pointless mathematics. “If my grandmother had tires, she’d be a car,” he said.

12:20am

12:20am

Wyndham Clark did just enough to win by a shot having gone into the final round with a six-shot lead - Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

Clark knows the feeling well having won the US Open in 2023 - David J. Phillip/AP

12:15am

On his short game and final round...

“I played some ugly golf the last two days but my putter and short game kept me in it. To make all the putts I did with my Ping putter that I love so much has been amazing. It comes down to believing that good things are going to happen and you’re going to make the putt, it’s been a grind. I haven’t played the prettiest golf,  to make birdie [on 16] was the pivotal moment.”

On the crowd not backing him...

“Yeah, New York really didn’t like me, but I love you guys. But I get it some of it is self-deserved, I did some unfortunate things last year that I really regret. I’ve been sorry multiple times and I’m still sorry, hopefully I can win you guys over eventually, but I get it, they’re rooting for Scottie! Grand slams only happen a few times , he’s gonna get it, he’s the best player in the world, but today is my day!”

11:59pm

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11:51pm

The winner wasn’t aware he was there. They embrace on Father’s Day with father telling son: “That’s the toughest round you’ve played.”

He cannot be far wrong.

Here’s the scorecard of the gutsy 18 holes.

11:48pm

The American taps in the par putt and after an up-and-down round in which he shot a three-over 73, he ends on four under and is a deserved champion.

11:46pm

From 52 feet he sends the ball to within three inches. He’ll be US Open champion for a second time in the next couple of minutes.

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11:41pm

He’s got 192 yards and as soon as he hits it he yelps out as if to say ‘it’s not great’ BUT it makes the green, some 52 feet from the pin, and a two putt wins him the US Open.

11:34pm

It’s not great but it could be worse.

11:31pm

...pulling the par attempt. He’s back to four under and the lead is back to one with one hole to play.

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This is definitely squeaky-bum time for the American.

11:29pm

Clark has a tricky seven footer for par to stay two clear.

11:26pm

It however leaves him with not the easiest two putt, a good right-left lag putt will be the order of the day for his second shot on the par three. Nail this and the title is his, I reckon.

11:21pm

It’s some 20 feet from the pin and a two putt, having been in deep trouble off the tee, would be a welcome eventuality. But he decides it’s time for a one putt and drains the attempt.

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He’s now at five under, a lead of two and has some breathing space with two holes left.

11:14pm

And it leaves himself with 141 to the hole. It carried the bunker and that shot may well settle a few nerves...

11:09pm

It’s a wild drive and he’s still got some 313 yards to the hole.

Meanwhile, up on the green Tom Kim sinks a birdie putt to move to two under. He’s fired up and is only two shots behind the leader. It’s his birthday today and a US Open win would be some present.

11:03pm

He closes with a level par 70 to go with his three 70s from the opening three rounds. He becomes the first man to shot level par in all four rounds at a US Open.

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11:02pm

He gave it a go go but missed on the low side.

He end at three under, the clubhouse lead and one back of Clark’s four under.

11:00pm

Nerves getting to him? He’s usually very aggressive with the putter. He stays on four under.

Over to Sam Burns on the 18th...

10:58pm

He fires it at the flag and it spins back to below the hole, some 15 feet away.

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Meanwhile, at the 18th Burns plays a lovely approach from 200 yards to 10 feet, he’ll have that to join Clark on four under.

10:53pm

After a one over 71. His round got under way in great fashion, two under through three but he was unable to keep going and ends just outside the top 10.

10:49pm

The world No 1 has just bogeyed the 14th, he was on the green in two but somehow managed to three putt from 30 feet. Scottie is back to level par.

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Clark pars and stays at four under a lead of one because Burns was unable to birdie the 17th after his peach of a tee shot.

10:40pm

Burns has birdied the par-five 16th, he was able to get up and down from 120 yards and he’s at three under.

He’s back that up with a brilliant tee shot at the par-three 17th, firing the shot to nine feet.

10:38pm

Which, considering only three have ever finished a US Open under par at five editions at Shinnecock Hills, is impressive.

10:32pm

Clark was unable to get up and down at the 13th and he is back to four under.

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Meanwhile, Scheffler has a decent look at birdie on the same hole but his putt misses on the low side, he stays at one under and is running out of holes.

10:28pm

No sooner did I write that he was looking calm than the leader fires his approach to the par four over the back, he landed it on the green but the false ‘back’ takes the ball long, much to the delight of the crowd who are increasingly making their dislike of Clark known.

10:25pm

That’s because Burns has bogeyed the 15th thanks to a dreaded three putt. The par putt was from four feet and he’s back to two under. Clark has steadied the ship and now looks calm after the mini storm a few holes ago. Both he and Scheffler walked off the 12th with pars.

10:18pm

But since then he’s been seven under for the following 57 holes. The American has just missed a long birdie putt at the 15th but he stays at one under and is very much in the mix.

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Keith Mitchell is lurking with intent at Shinnecock Hills - David Cannon /Getty Images

10:15pm

...Scottie Scheffler, he had 146 to the pin and he lands it short of the 12th green knowing it will kick on. The ball ends 18 feet from the hole.

Over to Clark who is more than up to the challenge as he fires his approach inside the world No 1’s.

10:10pm

10:10pm

The American ended on level par after a three-under 67. I reckon it won’t be enough but leval par around Shinnecock Hills this week is impressive.

10:06pm

It was from 20 feet and finished an inch shy. He stays at three under two back off the leader.

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Meanwhile, both Scheffler and Clark walk off the par-three 11th green with pars.

10:00pm

Scottie went first and received a cheer, Clark’s shot was, again, met with silence. The New Yorkers are not backing the leader.

09:57pm

The world No 1 has a tricky downhill putt from 16 feet which he sinks. That gets the crowd going, will it launch as challenge to Clark? The leader then, more predicably, drains his four footer and he’s back to five under, and the lead is back to two.

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One noticable thing was that having cheered on Scheffler, the crowd were mute when Clark’s ball dropped into the cup...

09:53pm

He’s 61 yards from the hole and he fires it over the pin and spins it back to within three feet. He’ll have that to restore his lead to two shot.

09:48pm

It’s come at the 13th after his birdie putt left him some seven feet for the four. The American remains Clark’s nearest challenger on three under, one back of the leader.

09:45pm

...Fleetwood’s round has fallen apart somewhat. He’s just bogeyed the 14th, his approach shortsided himself in the bunker and he was unable to get up and down. He was two under for the day after three, but since then has registered three bogeys and he’s now at two over.

09:43pm

Clarks approach to the ninth left him in deep rough shy of the green. He is however able to show off a velvety touch, chipping to within a foot, he’ll stay at four under. What could have been another dropped shot is a solid, confidence-boosting par. Playing partner Scheffler also walks off with a four and he stays at level par.

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09:36pm

His weekend scores of 73 and 73 were his undoing and a challenge never materialised.

Rory McIlroy shot six over for the weekend - Warren Little/Getty Images

09:30pm

No dramas at the par four, but Scheffler, who stay at level par, left his birdie putt short - ouch.

09:28pm

09:25pm

The Englishman shot a three-under 67 and he’s in the top 10, a good end to a soild four days.

09:17pm

No shock that the world No 1 walked off with bogey after his bunker horror show, but Clark’s par putt looked nervy and he’s back to four under, three over for his round.

The lead is now one.

09:15pm

Having shortsided himself at the par-three seventh the leader escapes the bunker beautifully, leaving himself with a four footer for par.

Scheffler was also in sand trap and went first and he saw his chip roll back into the bunker. His second attempt to escape the sand managed to stay on the green, but only just...

09:09pm

He’s shortsided himself to boot and will have a devilishly tough up and down to stay at five under.

09:07pm

09:06pm

Great putt from the leader never looks like flirting with staying above ground. He stays at five under. Playing partner Scheffler also pars and he’s on one under, four back.

09:04pm

His chip at the sixth leaves him with a 10 footer for par.

09:00pm

The lead is back to to. The blemish has come at the ninth and came about because his approach at the par four was short of the green. He cannot get up and down, but that cannot hide the fact he’s had a good front nine, three under and the pressure is still on Clark.

08:54pm

He’s five off the pace having shot one under for the opening nine, he’s at level par.

08:48pm

The leader isn’t able to drain the 24-footer and the lead is back to one. The six-shot lead is all but disappeared in a heartbeat with the round not even a third of the way through.

08:47pm

His approach to the green (his second at the par five) is in the left rough. His chip from under the green doesn’t make it and the ball rolls back to him. His four then leaves him with a 24-foot putt for par.

Meanwhile, Scheffler has an eagle putt. He doesn’t drain that but has a tap in for birdie and he moves to one under.

08:44pm

And that mean he’s cut the lead to two. The American has just birdied the par-four eighth thanks to a monster 49-foot putt. He’s at four under for the tournament and the momentum is with him right now. We have a contest...

08:40pm

Having gone out in four over the Masters champion is two under for the back nine, three birdies and one bogey. He’s just birdied the 15th and he’s back to five over.

08:37pm

His drive found the bunker and he was forced to lay up at the par four. That left him with a 48 yard up and down, and he executed it to perfection. The Englishman stays at level par.

08:28pm

He drains the 15-foot putt at the fourth to stay at six under. What could have been six is a four. That could be a huge moment.

08:25pm

It’s come at the seventh and is because his approach left him shortsided in a bunker. He is unable to get up and down and is back to level par.

08:24pm

The lie after that horror shot from the bunker is good, it’s where the crowd has been standing. He has to go over a bunker but the wind is with him and the leader fires his third to about 12 feet.

08:21pm

08:20pm

His drive finds the bunker and from there he mishits the ball. It was a poor strike and the ball finds the car path. He’ll have a devilishly tough up and down to stay at six under.

08:16pm

Wild swing from the deep cabbage by Theegala sees the American lose his club.

08:15pm

Let’s see how Wyndham Clark copes with Sam Burns reducing the lead to three shots. The pacesetter has not done too much wrong yet but sees his six-shot average slashed in half after just 40 minutes of his round. The Long Island crowd cheered when Clark missed the green on second. Whether that is because of wide dislike to Clark or the fact they want to see some drama is not yet clear. But it must be off-putting for an American in his national championship.

08:14pm

Things are getting interesting as Sam Burns birdies the par-five fifth to move to three under. His drive found the right rough, he laid up and got up and down from 67 yards.

08:11pm

Clark finds the green in two and two putts at the third, he stays at six under. Scheffler’s drive found the left rough and his approach ended up in the bunker, but he gets up and down from there to stay at level par.

08:08pm

He fires over the bunker and has a 15-footer for birdie. He’s two under for the round and blemish free. Drain that putt and he’ll only be four shot behind Clark.

08:03pm

Scheffler finds the left rough and the leader by four looks as though he’s reset himself after that bogey.

08:01pm

That’s thanks to the penultimate pairing both birdieing the par-four third. They’re five back of Clark.

07:59pm

Showing that a low score is out there. The Chilean finishes his tournament on one over, but for an 11 at the sixth on Thursday he’d have been well in the mix.

07:57pm

His chip from the left rough leaves him with a lengthy putt which he cannot sink. He’s back to six under and the lead is now four, still large but things are getting mildly interesting.

Scheffler pars and stays at level par.

07:50pm

And one of them is on seven under - remarkable 55 holes from Wyndham Clark, who as I type that hooks his tee shot at the par-three second into some deep-looking rough...Scheffler finds the green. Interesting.

07:45pm

The task for the world No 1 has just got tougher. His chip from off the back of the green leaves him with a nine footer for par, and his attempt is poor, it never looked like going in. He’s back to level par and seven back of Clark’s lead with his playing partner walking off the same green with par.

07:39pm

Both Kim and Theegala bogeyed the first, two three putts, ouch. They’re both back to level par.

07:37pm

He initially finds the green but it hits a down slope and kicks on down off the dancefloor. That’s left him with a tough up and down for par.

Clark then fires his approach pin high leaving him with a 15 footer for birdie.

07:34pm

07:33pm

And the American is now sole second on two under. The gap now is five.

07:32pm

Scottie Scheffler drive first and his shot finds the fairway. Wyndham Clark, the man with the HUGE (big enough to be written in capital letters) lead of six shots, then follows suit.

Does Clark defend his lead, or try and attack when opportunities present themselves, which is what has got him into this dominant position?

07:29pm

I type that because Fleetwood is now at one under thanks to birdie at the third. He made no mistake with the four footer and he’s tied for second.

07:28pm

From which to attack the left-back pin, his approach, from 122 yards, however, is short of a ridge and he’s left with a 36-foot putt for birdie.

07:24pm

The Englishman is zooming up the leaderboard, the latest birdie has come at the 13th and he’s now at one over tied for 11th. Can he move into the top 10?

07:21pm

Kim’s drive finds the fairway, as does Theegala’s. Someone needs to get off to a fast start to put some pressure on Clark, will it be one of this penultimate pair?

07:19pm

He has a chance for back-to-back birdies after firing his approach at the par-four third from 145 yards to four feet. Sink the putt and he’ll be tied for second at one under.

07:18pm

The English fires his tee shot at the par-three second onto the green, he has a 32-foot putt for birdie but that doesn’t bother him as he drains the shot with the flatstick from downtown, as they say in the US. He’s now at level par.

07:10pm

And the American is now at one under.

Justin Rose has birdied the 11th and 12th and is two under for his round (another round to keep those chasing Clark interested...) he’s back at two over for the tournament.

07:06pm

Even the best in the world suffer from the same emotions weekend hackers know only too well.

07:03pm

At the the first, he stays at one over.

Ahead on the second Matt Fitzpatrick walks off with a par having bogeyed the first. He’s now on two over.

06:59pm

He fires is 103-yard approach at the first to the centre of the green. He couldn’t go right at the left-located flag and he’ll have a long putt for an unlikely birdie. The Englishman is at one over.

06:55pm

At the par-three seventh and stays at six over.

06:48pm

His chip from the bunker is decent, though, and he’ll have a four-footer for par, to stay at six over.

06:43pm

...Niemann fires in another birdie, this latest one coming at the par-four 13th. He’s now four under for the round.

What ifs are annoying but...had he not had an 11 (yep, your eyes are not deceiving you, he had an 11) at the par-four sixth in the opening round he’d very much be in with a chance of victory. Oh, what might have been...

06:40pm

The Chilean is three-under through 12 for his final round and if Scheffler et al can post a number like that then you never know...

Here’s Niemann’s velvety-soft short game on display. He currently at two over for the tournament.

06:31pm

He’s just bogeyed the par-five fifth, his par putt from nine feet never really flirting with dropping in the hole. The trouble started when his drive found the deep rough on the left and he was forced to lay up from there. His approach missed the green and he was unable to get up and down from there. He’s now at six over, three over for the day.

Rory McIlroy isn’t enjoying his final round - Christian Petersen/Getty Images

06:21pm

If he can then maybe he’ll be the man to pressure Clark?

He’s certainly a birdie machine at the US Open.

06:00pm

6:08 Alex Fitzpatrick (Eng), Ryder Cowan (US)
6:19 Keegan Bradley (US), Corey Conners (Can)
6:35 Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng), Collin Morikawa (US)
6:46 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Xander Schauffele (US)
6:57 Sam Burns (US), Keith Mitchell (US)
7:08 Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Sam Stevens (US)
7:19 Tom Kim (Kor), Sahith Theegala (US)
7:30 Wyndham Clark (US), Scottie Scheffler (US)

05:56pm

He is unable to get up and down from the bunker and he’s now at five over. A penny/dime/centime for his thoughts (I reckon they’re not too pretty going on what he said after hitting his approach...).

Rory McIlroy’s final round isn’t going according to plan - Christian Petersen/Getty Images

05:50pm

Those are the words of McIlroy after he hit his approach at the third into the greenside bunker, shortsiding himself in the process. He’s at four over right now having started with two fours, the second of which came at the par-three second. He’ll have a tricky up and down to stay at four over.

05:44pm

A lot of the chat here on the range this morning was about the sparse crowds around the 18th that greeted Wyndham Clark as the pacesetter finished off his third round. There were maybe a couple of hundred at most.

The reasons being presented are that Clark had such a big lead and that the World Cup dragged the galleries away. But one factor stands out.

To satisfy TV, the US Golf Association put the leaders out at 3.45pm and the light was fading when Clark and Matt Fitzpatrick were putting out at approximately 8.15pm. The last train back to New York had long since left and the fans were likely tired and hungry.

“It was a little unfortunate,” Clark said. “I don’t know if it’s because we finished so late or what, but it’s okay. I love the energy. I love making a big putt and feeling that or hitting a good shot and getting the claps. So it was unfortunate it got a little flat.

“Also, because of that, sometimes it made it tough to stay really focused because it seemed like everyone was leaving, and it was like the tournament was over, and I had to keep myself really focused and in the present.”

The USGA must learn a lesson from this and not bow to every TV request.

As the sun set on Long Island Wyndham Clark putted on the 18th in front of sparse crowds - Gerald Herbert/AP

05:32pm

Twenty-one golfers have held a six-shot lead heading into the final round of a major and 20 of them have gone on to win. So the odds are very much stacked in Wyndham Clark’s favour as he stands on seven-under with 18 holes of this US Open to play.

The one man who didn’t land the major having been leading by six shots? Why, it’s Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters, the Great White Shark shooting 78 losing to Nick Faldo in one of golf’s most memorable collapses. And as long as golf is played that meltdown will always serve as a warning as to what can go wrong.

Clark, however, didn’t seem too worried after firing a level-par 70 to go along with his first-round 64 and second-round 69. He will play today alongside Scottie Scheffler and if anyone can reel in the American leader, it’s the world No 1.

“Scottie is the best player in the world, and he’s going to play probably really good. He always does,” Clark said. “But it’s nice to have a six-shot lead on him.” He added: “I’m not necessarily thinking about my lead or anything. If I go out and execute and go through my process and hit the shots I know I can hit, I like my chances.”

Scheffler has added incentive today, knowing that the unlikely win would mean he completes the career grand slam. He’d be only the seventh man to win all four majors.

When asked about the possibility of completing the career grand slam Scheffler, who turns 30 today, replied: “I mean, I’d rather be leading. I’ll need a really, really nice round to challenge Wyndham.

“But yeah, I think it’s appropriate to understand what’s at stake. I’ve worked really hard for a long time to have a chance to win majors. And I think understanding the moment and giving it your best shot is all part of the process. So yeah, it’s Father’s Day, my birthday… I kind of lost a day there. You only get one day to celebrate.”

Stay here to see whether Scheffler, or anyone else for that matter, can play Faldo to Clark’s Norman, or whether Clark can keep doing what he’s been doing since Thursday at Shinnecock Hills, namely stay way out in front and make one of golf’s toughest tests look easy.