Wyndham Clark leads US Open 2026 by six shots at Shinnecock Hills

American golfer Wyndham Clark entered the final round of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills with a six‑shot lead, standing at 7‑under 203 after three rounds. His nearest rivals – world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Sahith Theegala, Tom Kim and Sam Stevens – were tied at 1‑under. Clark’s dominant play included a record‑setting series of low scores and a decisive eagle on the par‑5 16th.

The U.S. Golf Association introduced “Rules AI,” a chatbot‑like tool that answers players’ and fans’ rule questions using a database of 25,000 real inquiries. Interactive screens featuring an AI‑generated rules official were installed in a pavilion for spectators.

Broadcast rights are held by NBC Sports, with coverage on USA Network in the morning and NBC/Peacock in the afternoon. The tournament offers a record $22.5 million purse, the winner’s share $4.5 million, and uses a two‑hole aggregate playoff with sudden‑death if needed.

Crowd attendance was lower than usual, prompting comments from Clark about a “flat” audience and some heckling during the final round. Despite this, he remained confident of defending his 2023 title and attempting to become the first wire‑to‑wire Open champion since 2014.