Check in to GOLF’s Tour Confidential every Sunday night for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport. This week, with the U.S. Open at Shinnecock, we’ll hit one key topic each night.
After Day 2 of the U.S. Open, Wyndham Clark remains atop the leaderboard, racing out to a four-stroke lead through 36 holes, while major winners like Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas are firmly in the hunt. At the opposite end of the leaderboard, stars such as Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka all failed to survive the four-over cut. As we head into the weekend, what has surprised you most at Shinnecock thus far?
Jessica Marksbury, senior editor (@jess_marksbury): I’ll take the low-hanging fruit here. I did not expect Wyndham Clark to hold a four-shot lead at the 36-hole mark. But maybe I should have given him more credit! He is, after all, a recent champion, after winning the 2023 edition in Los Angeles. And he’s been trending of late, with a win, a solo third and a T11 in his last three starts. So given those stats, his lead really shouldn’t be all that surprising — but Wyndham doesn’t strike me as a player who will consistently contend on the biggest stages. If he notches another U.S. Open win this weekend though, that will make a huge statement.
Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): Harry Higgs, but not so much for his play, though it is surprising considering his recent form (six PGA Tour starts this season and six missed cuts, and four missed cuts in nine starts on the Korn Ferry Tour). I’m not sure I’ve heard a more honest and open press conference afterward. He talked about being confident. He talked about quitting. He talked about forgetting his pants. Do yourself a favor and listen to it.
Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): Watching someone take it that deep into red at Shinnecock – where only three players have ever finished under par in a U.S. Open — was unexpected for sure. But maybe more surprising was watching Jon Rahm implode on Friday. I did not have him ballooning to a 78 on my bingo card, especially after he played his opening round a full 10 shots better.
Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): This may sound silly to say about someone who is leading a tournament by four at the halfway point, but I think Wyndham’s score is slightly better than his actual play has been. He got a couple of good breaks with some wayward drives (it seems the bigger misses are less penalized than the thick rough right off the fairway) and he drained some long putts. That said, you gotta put the ball in the hole. And he’s done it the best so far. Another surprise? Besides Tom Kim having his best week of his season out of nowhere (he’s T2) it has to be Jon Rahm missing the cut. I heard lots of buzz surrounding him this week and now he’s leaving early after shooting 10 shots higher on Friday.
Zephyr Melton, associate game-improvement editor (@zephyrmelton): How about the fact that 10(!) players are under par through two rounds? In the four previous U.S. Opens at Shinnecock, only three players total broke par. I expect the course to firm up and play tougher over the weekend, but I don’t know that anyone thought we’d see this much red on the board at the halfway point.
