US Open leaderboard LIVE: Golf result and reaction as Rory McIlroy outduelled by Wyndham Clark
Rory McIlroy loses by a single shot to suprise winner Wyndham Clark on dramatic final day
Rory McIlroy’s major golf heartbreak continued as he narrowly missed out on US Open glory, beaten by a single stroke by unheralded American Wyndham Clark at Los Angeles Country Club.
Clark’s previous best performance at a major was a tie for 75th at the 2021 PGA Championship, yet he held his nerve like a seasoned pro to grind out victory on 10-under with a round of 70 after four birdies and four bogeys.
He was three strokes clear after 14 holes and appeared to be cruising to glory, before bogeys at 15 and 16 gave the chasing McIlroy a sniff. However, the Northern Irishman was simply unable to make a putt all day as a lone birdie on the 1st was cancelled out by a bogey at 14 for an uninspired round of 70, which meant pars at 17 and 18 were enough for 29-year-old Clark to add his name to the long list of US Open winners.
McIlroy’s major drought now stands at nine years and his quiet Sunday with the putter was reminiscent of last year’s Open at St Andrew’s when he couldn’t reel in a catchable Cameron Smith – who incidentally finished fourth in Los Angeles on -6 after an impressive final-day 67. All the other contenders for the title heading into the day faded badly as Rickie Fowler (75) and Scottie Scheffler (70) never mounted a serious challenge, although Tommy Fleetwood’s brilliant 63 enabled him to end in a tie for fifth on five-under.
Relive all the action from the final round of the 123rd US Open below.
Fowler and Clark underway
Fowler -10, Clark -10
As the clock ticks over ten thirty here in the UK, our leaders get underway. Fowler is up first, and that is right. It nestles down in the rough and you suspect he won’t be able to get at this first green in two. Clark makes no mistake and he’s nicely positioned up the right side of the fairway.
Early bogey for Schauffele
Schauffele -4 (2), Nagano -4 (2)
That left miss off the tee is back again for Xander and, in the end, his attempt to save par lips out on the left side. Back to four under and the absolute opposite of what he would have been looking for to start his round.
Nagano makes par to remain as he is.
Pars for English and Johnson
English -8 (1), Johnson -6 (1)
English recovers from his horrific drive to give himself a long-range look at birdie...but it messes on the right. It’s a par but that feels even a tad fortunate given that drive.
Johnson is short after two and gives himself a good look at birdie after his first putt but it slides past. His putting has let him down these last couple of rounds and that’s a missed opportunity again at the first.
Fleetwood drops back
Fleetwood -5 (16)
A par on 15 is met by trouble off the tee the following hole. He hacks out and has a lengthy par putt but it comes up just short. He drops back to five under and will need a birdie in the last two holes to equal the lowest US Open score.
Rory underway
McIlroy -9, Scheffler -7
Right, here we go. McIlroy gets his round underway as he bombs a drive down the left-hand side. Scheffler hits before him and his ends up in an awful position in some thick rough next to the left fairway bunker.
Pars for Schauffele and Nagano
Schauffele -5 (1), Nagano -4 (1)
Neither of these two can take advantage of the par-five first and walk off with a pair of pars.
English in trouble off the tee
English -8, Johnson -6
Our third-from-last-group is underway. Johnson’s trickles into the right rough but English’s is way right. It goes beyond the spectator stand and into the food and drink area - my goodness!
Eagle for Fleetwood
Fleetwood -6 (14)
Wow! An inch-perfect seven wood into the 14th green gives Fleetwood around 20 feet for his eagle...no mistake for the Englishman and he moves up into the dizzy heights of fifth.
He’s also eight under for the round. Another birdie coming home would see him break the record for the lowest round in major championship history...
Resurgent Fowler on the brink of history
Fowler (-10), Clark (-10) - 22:30pm BST
Last year, Rickie Fowler didn’t even compete in the US Open, such was his fall down the world rankings. The American has three second-place finishes in major championships but few could have predicted a resurgent Rickie quite like this. He broke records in the first round with the lowest score in US Open history and will look to cement his place in this tournament’s history with a win today.
His playing partner, Wyndham Clark, is relatively unknown when compared to those around him at the top of the leaderboard, but the 29-year-old is a recent winner on the PGA Tour and has looked right at home over the last few days. A sparkling iron into 18 yesterday secured his place in the final pairing and he’ll be looking to make that count over the course of the next five or so hours.
This final pairing get underway in just under half an hour.
Cantlay into the top ten
Cantlay -3 (3)
A birdie-par-birdie start for the American sees him jolt up the leaderboard. It’s never quite happened for him at the major championships so far but there’s still plenty of ranking points (and money) to be played for over the course of the day for those further down the leaderboard.
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