Wind steals the show at US Open as Clark leads

Once again the weather took top billing at Shinnecock Hills as Wyndham Clark built a healthy four-shot halfway lead at the US Open.

Scottie Scheffler called the gusting wind "the biggest challenge", while Rory McIlroy pointed out their "side of the draw played in the windiest conditions and the scores show that" after the world's top two finished the second round on level par for the championship, seven adrift of Clark.

It is, of course, one of the hazards of playing an outdoor sport with start times spread across a day. The scoring average shifted from 73.87 on Thursday morning to 71.97 for Friday's early starters.

Clark, the 2023 champion, was one of those who took advantage of playing his first round in the more benign conditions late on Thursday and second round early on Friday, as he followed his opening six-under 64 with a 69.

England's Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open winner, was also on that side of the draw and is among Clark's nearest challengers on three under after posting a 70. He was joined on that number by two-time major champion Xander Schauffele.

But the wind was not solely to blame given two players on McIlroy and Scheffler's side of the draw are also four back and joint second - South Korea's Tom Kim and American Sam Stevens.

McIlroy also reached three under after picking up two birdies in his opening eight holes and looked the most likely player to eat into Clark's lead, before he was derailed by a combination of poorly executed shots and the strengthening wind on his second nine holes.

The blustery conditions were not as extreme as on Thursday when 40mph gusts of wind buffeted the Long Island course in New York state.

But they were clearly penal enough to trouble Scheffler, who struggled with his putting.

"With the amount of pitch you have on the greens, playing in the wind is extremely difficult, and judging speed on putts when the wind is blowing that hard can be challenging as well," he said.

-BBC