As Bill Withers once sang, “Just one look at you, and I know it’s gonna be a lovely day.” And it was at The Los Angeles Country Club for the final round of the 123rd U.S. Open Championship, especially for 29-year-old Wyndham Clark, who captured his first major-championship victory by one stroke over Rory McIlroy. Clark was unflappable during a round that saw him combine strong ball striking with a timely ability to recover from wayward shots.
Here are 10 Stats to Know from Round 4:
1. This is the first time that Wyndham Clark has made the cut at the U.S. Open, in his third attempt. Over the last 100 years, only three players won the U.S. Open the first time they made the championship cut: Lucas Glover, 2009 at Bethpage State Park; Lee Janzen, 1993 at Baltusrol Golf Club; Orville Moody, 1969 at Champions Golf Club.
2. Clark ranked in the top five in both Strokes Gained Off the Tee (2nd) and Strokes Gained Putting (4th). Prior to this week, Clark played in 69 measured tournaments, and he finished in the top 10 in both categories once. That was at the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open, where he finished T-56.
3. Clark (1 over par for his last nine holes) is the first U.S. Open champion to shoot over par on the back nine on Sunday since Justin Rose at Merion in 2013 (+1).
4. This marks the third year in a row that the U.S. Open champion won his first career major by one shot over a minted major champion. Matt Fitzpatrick won by one shot over Scottie Scheffler (and Will Zalatoris) last year; Jon Rahm won in 2021 by one shot over Louis Oosthuizen in 2021.
5. The scoring average this week was 71.76, the lowest in U.S. Open history. However, in terms of score relative to par, this was the fourth-lowest at +1.76, behind 2017 (+1.20), 2019 (+1.35) and 1990 (+1.47).
6. Amateur Gordon Sargent (69-71-75-69) is the sixth amateur to have a pair of rounds in the 60s at a U.S. Open, joining Viktor Hovland (2019, Pebble Beach), Brian Campbell (2015, Chambers Bay), Scott Verplank (1985, Oakland Hills), Lanny Wadkins (1971, Merion) and Marty Fleckman (1967, Baltusrol).
7. 2021 U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm shot 65 on Sunday, the 10th round of 65 or lower this week on the North Course at LACC. The previous high for any single U.S. Open was five.
8. Rory McIlroy won the 2011 U.S. Open. If he goes on to win another one, he will set the record for the longest span between his first and second titles. Only three players went at least 10 years between consecutive U.S. Open victories: Hale Irwin (1979, 1990), Julius Boros (1952, 1963) and Gene Sarazen (1922, 1932).
9. The record for the lowest U.S. Open round in relation to par by a player representing England is 7 under by Tommy Fleetwood (63), who did it on Sunday and also in the final round at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in 2018.
10. With his third-place finish, Scottie Scheffler has finished in the top 10 in 13 of his last 17 events this season (76 percent). Since 1970, only four players have competed in at least 10 PGA Tour events in a season prior to the U.S. Open and finished in the top 10 in at least 75 percent of those starts: Tiger Woods (twice, in 2000 and 2001); Greg Norman (1990); Tom Watson (1980); and Jack Nicklaus (twice, in 1973 and 1975).
Greg Midland is the USGA’s editorial director.
