Wyndham Clark denies Rory McIlroy for first main title at US Open
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yndham Clark turned the fifth consecutive first-time main win on the US Open as he held off the problem of Rory McIlroy by a single stroke in Los Angeles.
For McIlroy, the look forward to a fifth main and first since 2014 goes on as he completed runner-up – his sixth top-10 at one in all golf’s huge 4 of the final seven editions.
The Northern Irishman briefly joined Clark within the lead on the opening gap however that may show to be his solely birdie of the day as he carded one bogey and 16 pars.
McIlroy hit 59 greens in regulation over the 4 days of golf – the subsequent finest was 53 – however as soon as extra he was let down by his placing.
And there can be moments he can be left to rue – a missed birdie putt from 12 ft on the fourth and a four-footer to select up a shot on the 14th in addition to a bogey putt on the eighth and one other birdie which eluded him on the ninth.
Clark would have been only a few folks’s choose for the title this week. He had certified for simply six majors beforehand, missed the minimize on 4 events and boasted a finest end of 75th.
But he had loved a breakthrough simply final month in profitable a primary PGA Tour title on the prestigious Wells Fargo. He devoted this, the largest victory of his profession, to his mom Lise, who had died of breast most cancers again in 2013.
“I just felt like my mum was watching over me today and you know she can’t be here,” he stated. “Miss you mum.
“I’ve worked so hard and I’ve dreamed about this moment for so long. There’s been so many times I’ve visualised being here in front of you guys and winning this championship. I just feel like it was my time.”
For Clark, there have been a variety of pivotal moments throughout his last spherical. He did nicely to solely bogey the par-five eighth after being unable to clear his ball from the thick grass till ultimately saving himself with a near-perfect chip out of the tough.
He went three pictures clear with a birdie on the 14th however that was again to only one shot two holes later after back-to-back bogeys.
But McIlroy was not in a position to put sufficient stress on his rival within the closing holds to maintain the margin of a victory to a single stroke.
Afterwards, McIlroy stated: “When I do finally win this next major, it’s going to be really, really sweet. I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major championship.
“There are a couple of things I will rue, the chip on 14 being one. It was really hard to get the ball close but I hung in there and just didn’t quite get the job done.
“I have just got to keep putting myself in these positions. Sooner or later it’s going to happen for me. I will keep coming back until I get another one.”
Tommy Fleetwood produced a shocking last spherical of seven-under par, which included two eagles, 4 birdies and a bogey to depart him in fifth total on the shut.
Meanwhile, Rickie Fowler, who had beforehand shared the lead with Clark dropped again to Fleetwood on five-under with a closing five-over par final 18.