Clark leads at US Open with former champions lurking

US Open, first-round leaderboard

-6 W Clark (US); -4 D Johnson (US); -3 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), G Woodland (US); -2 S Stevens (US), R Cowan (US), M McGreevy (US), J Rahm (Spa), S Tibbitts (US)

Selected: -1 R McIlroy (NI), L Aberg (Swe); Level R MacIntyre (Sco), T Fleetwood (Eng), B DeChambeau (US); +1 J Parry (Eng), A Fitzpatrick (Eng); +2 Scheffler (US)

Full leaderboard

* denotes amateur

Wyndham Clark holds a two-shot lead at the US Open after round one as he took advantage of favourable conditions in the later wave at Shinnecock Hills.

After fog delayed the start on Thursday, American Clark was one of 50 players who had to return early on Friday to finish their first round.

He safely navigated his final two holes to finish at six under par, but had his lead trimmed by playing partner Dustin Johnson.

The 2016 US Open champion converted a birdie putt from four feet as he returned to the course and also picked up a shot on the final hole to card a four-under 66.

One further back are fellow former winners Gary Woodland and Matt Fitzpatrick, with the latter sinking an 11-foot birdie on Friday to reach three under par.

All four players returned to the course soon after to play round two, with Clark teeing off alongside Johnson and Woodland at 12:56 BST.

Shinnecock Hills has a fearsome reputation – in three previous US Open tournaments only three players in total have shot under par – and the conditions caused problems for those out early, including world number one and two Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

Unfancied Sam Stevens of the USA was the clubhouse leader at two under and only six of the players in the morning groups finished under par.

It was a different story in the afternoon though as Clark carded five birdies and an eagle on his way to an excellent round of 64.

At last year's event, Clark missed the cut and had to apologise after damaging a locker at Oakmont Country Club.

His form has been patchy since winning his sole major three years ago, but in the past month he has arguably been the form player on the PGA Tour.

Victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May was followed by third place at the signature event at Memorial and a tie for 11th last week at the Canadian Open.

Given the difficulty of this golf course, he has put himself in a fine position already.

Behind him though, a host of former winners are circling.

The 2016 champion Dustin Johnson has barely flickered on a leaderboard since his switch to LIV Golf in 2022 but, playing alongside Clark, showed plenty of his old finesse with four straight birdies to start his back nine.

While a double bogey at his 15th hole briefly halted his momentum, those birdies at the seventh and the ninth (two of his final three holes) narrowed Clark's lead.

England's Fitzpatrick, who was joined in a major championship field by his brother Alex for the first time, showed why he has already won three times on the PGA Tour this season with a gritty 67.

Also lurking is 2021 US Open winner Jon Rahm at two under – the only player in the field to go bogey-free - and who missed tasty birdie opportunities in his final two holes.