Scheffler's US Open Charge
Scottie Scheffler Ties for Second at US Open After Exciting Third Round
Scottie Scheffler staged one of the most electric back-nine charges in recent U.S. Open memory on Saturday, firing a 1-under 69 to tie for second place after three rounds at Shinnecock Hills. But Wyndham Clark still leads by six shots at 7-under par, posting a 54-hole total of 203 — the lowest in U.S. Open history at the course, AP News reported.
Scheffler, ranked No. 1 in the world, sits at 1-under 209 heading into Sunday's final round. He needs a historic comeback — on his 30th birthday and Father's Day — to win his first U.S. Open and complete the career Grand Slam.
Scheffler's 65-Foot Chip-In Ignites a Roaring Comeback
The third round looked bleak for Scheffler early. He bogeyed the first two holes and fell nine shots behind Clark. Then the back nine happened. He drained a 7-foot birdie at the 10th. At the 14th, he chipped in from 65 feet, sending the crowd into a frenzy, PGA TOUR reported. Birdies on 15 and 16 followed — the 16th set up by an approach from 274 yards.
Scheffler's 69 was one of only two sub-par rounds recorded on Saturday, a day when sustained 30-mph winds made Shinnecock nearly unplayable. "We've been battling hard for a few days," Scheffler said. "I did a good job of keeping myself in the tournament. I'll need a really nice round tomorrow if I'm going to try and catch Wyndham," according to PGA TOUR.
Clark's Six-Shot Lead Is Nearly Unprecedented in Majors
Clark's cushion is historically massive. According to data from the Elias Sports Bureau cited by The Globe and Mail, 21 players have held a six-shot lead or more after 54 holes in major championships. Twenty of them went on to win. The only exception: Greg Norman's infamous collapse at the 1996 Masters.
Clark is not taking the lead lightly, but he is confident. "Scottie is the best player in the world," he said. "But it's nice to have a six-shot lead on him. If I go out and execute... I like my chances." A second U.S. Open title would put Clark among an elite group of multiple-major winners.
A Grand Slam, a Birthday, and a Father's Day Showdown
The stakes Sunday could not be higher for Scheffler. A win would make him the sixth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. He already won the 2024 Masters, the 2025 PGA Championship, and the 2025 Open Championship, per The Hour.
The drama comes wrapped in a once-in-a-lifetime setting. Scheffler turns 30 on Sunday. It is also Father's Day — fitting for a player who welcomed his second child in April 2026. He will play in the final pairing directly alongside Clark, the man standing between him and golf history.
Shinnecock's Wind and Setup Could Still Shake Up the Leaderboard
Scheffler is not alone in chasing Clark. Sam Stevens and Sahith Theegala also sit at 1-under par, tied for second with Scheffler. All three face the same six-shot mountain. LMT Online noted that Emiliano Grillo was one of the very few players to go under par on Saturday, showing how brutal the conditions were.
Analysts say Shinnecock's punishing wind and tight green complexes mean no lead is truly safe. The USGA has pushed this course to unplayable extremes before — in 2004 and again in 2018. If Sunday's setup is equally severe, even six shots could evaporate fast. Scheffler, for his part, is not done yet.
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