Michael Kim was chasing a U.S. Open leaderboard that turned hard fast on Friday, and Wyndham Clark ended the day in front. Clark led by four shots after Round 2 at Shinnecock Hills, with 36 more holes still to play.
Matt Fitzpatrick sat four strokes back and joined Clark in the final pairing. Brody, 17, was on the 1:29 p.m. ET tee time and said, “He shook my hand” while watching Miles Russell on the second hole.
Shinnecock Hills and the top 15
The rest of the top 15 still had names that can change a major quickly: Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Colin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Sam Burns and Gary Woodland. That crowded board left Clark with a lead, not a cushion.
Shinnecock Hills kept making even short putts feel fragile. The setup was described this way: if a putt finished 18 inches past the hole on Friday, it could end up 36 inches past by Sunday afternoon.
Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Miles Russell
McIlroy did not make a par until the 16th hole on his back nine Friday. Johnson dropped four strokes within three holes and then gave back another four on one hole alone.
Miles Russell, who had not yet reached college, was playing in his first major appearance and made the weekend. He was the youngest player ever to make a cut on the Korn Ferry Tour and the second-youngest player to make a U.S. Open cut.
Wyndham Clark and 36 holes
Clark’s position is strong because it came after 36 holes on a course that keeps wearing players down. But the lead sits inside a field where several contenders are still close enough to turn one bad stretch into a race, and the final 36 holes leave no room for a slow start.
