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.
Rory McIlroy suffers more major heartbreak as Wyndham Clark shockingly wins US Open
American Wyndham Clark held his nerve to win his first major championship at the 123rd US Open as Rory McIlroy once again missed out on a fifth title.
Clark, a 120-1 outsider at the start of the week, carded a closing 70 at Los Angeles Country Club to finish 10 under par, a shot ahead of McIlroy.
McIlroy’s only birdie of his own 70 came on the opening hole and his sole bogey on the 14th helped give Clark the breathing space he needed to complete a hard-fought but deserved victory.
The world No 32 only won his first PGA Tour title last month and had missed the cut in his previous two US Opens, while his best finish in any major was a tie for 75th in the 2021 US PGA.
By contrast, McIlroy has now recorded 19 top-10 finishes since winning the last of his four majors in the 2014 US PGA – a month after claiming the Open at Royal Liverpool, footage of which had influenced his somewhat conservative approach this week.
Read the full report from a dramatic final day in Los Angeles:
Rory McIlroy suffers more major heartbreak as Wyndham Clark shockingly wins US Open
Clark held on to beat McIlroy by a single shot in Los Angeles to extend the Northern Irishman’s major drought
Until next time
Well, who says golf isn’t entertaining? Four days of drama that took us right down to the very last hole. And what a story we have to show for it - Wyndham Clark wins his first major championship having bested Rory McIlroy after a gruelling final day.
For Rory the wait goes on - Hoylake, anyone?
Thanks for tuning in throughout the week! We’ll see you soon...
Leaderboard
And here is how the final leaderboard looks:
-10: Clark
-9: McIlroy
-7: Scheffler
-6: Smith
-5: Fleetwood, MW Lee, Fowler
-4: Kim, English
-3: Rahm, Schauffele, Johnson, Eckroat
Clark speaks follow his trophy celebration
Wyndham dedicates his win to his late mother who passed away when he was at college:
“I felt like my mum was watching over me. She can’t be here - I miss you mum - but I just feel like I’ve worked so hard and dreamed about this moment for so long.
“There have been so many times I’ve visualised being here in front of you guys, winning this championship and I just felt like it was my time.”
“US Opens are tough. I had a tough lie on eight- that up and down for bogey was probably the key to the tournament and kept me in it. It’s tough on the back nine trying to win a tournament and I kept saying ‘I can do this, I can do this.’”
“That shot on 14 was the shot of the week for me - to make birdie there and then grind it out for the win was amazing.”
McIlroy speaks to CNBC
“I think with the putter, I’ll rue some of the chances I missed.
“It was hard to get the ball close all day. It was that, and my wedge shot on 14 that came up a little bit short. Those are the couple of things I’ll rue today.
“But I hung in there, I fought right to the end and just didn’t quite get the job done but, as I said yesterday, I’m going to keep coming back until I get another one.”
WYNDHAM CLARK WINS THE US OPEN
And what about Rory? Well, the wait goes on. Just one birdie the whole day and that came at the first with a two-putt. It was a putting display reminiscent of St Andrews last summer - that short birdie effort on the eight, in particular, will be one that haunts him for the foreseeable.
Perhaps the fatal mistake was the wedge into 14. To find the bunker with a wedge from the middle of the fairway will be one he’ll rue as well.
Wyndham Clark played his part and deserved his win but Rory will know that it was out there for him to win today and that perhaps is what makes it even worse.
WYNDHAM CLARK WINS THE US OPEN
It’s tough to put into words what a gutsy display that was from the American. He won for the first time on the PGA Tour earlier this year the Wells Fargo but his best major performance prior to this week was a tie for 75th.
That shot into 14th will live long in the memory but even after that, the composure to refocus following the dropped shots at 15 and 16 was remarkable.
He was the hunted man all day but he gutted it out and now has his name in the history books.
WYNDHAM CLARK WINS THE US OPEN
The winning moment for the American:
WYNDHAM CLARK WINS THE US OPEN
Clark -10 (70)
The crowd are hardly giving Clark the ideal circumstances in which to try and two-putt for his maiden major championship.
But up he steps...over the ridge, perfect pace and it’s a marvellous putt.
It’s a mere tap in for the par and CLARK WINS THE US OPEN!
Safely on the green , Clark leads by one
Clark -10 (17)
From the fairway, he takes aim and finds the fairway but it’s short. He would have wanted it to hop on a few bounces but he’ll have to two-putt from around 60 feet to win the US Open.
Goodness knows what must be going through his mind right now.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies