Clark in control of US Open as wind derails McIlroy and Scheffler

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Rory McIlroy played the first two rounds in a group with his Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood By Steve Sutcliffe BBC Sport journalist Published 13 minutes ago US Open, round two leaderboard -7 W Clark (US); -3 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), T Kim (Kor), X Schauffele (US), S Stevens (US) Selected: -2 C Morikawa (US); -1 J Thomas (US); Level A Fitzpatrick (Eng), R McIlroy (NI), S Scheffler (US); +1 A Rai (Eng), J Rose (Eng), L Aberg (Swe), T Fleetwood (Eng); +2 T Hatton (Eng); +4 R MacIntyre (Sco) 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 in the more benign conditions late on Thursday and early on Friday, and 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 Thursday's when 40mph gusts of wind buffeted the Long Island course in New York state. But it was clearly penal enough to trouble Scheffler, particularly on the putting surfaces. "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. McIlroy makes solid US Open start before conditions alter dynamic Published 1 day ago US Open round three tee-times Published 2 hours ago Clark aiming to restore reputation Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Wyndham Clark missed the cut at the US PGA Championship last month Clark, who won his national title at the Los Angeles Country Club three years ago, had an infamous meltdown 12 months ago, smashing a locker in the clubhouse at Oakmont after missing the US Open cut. That led to him receiving a ban from the Pennsylvania club