Wyndham Clark hangs on to lead midway through US Open third round

Wyndham Clark held on to the U.S. Open lead midway through the third round at Shinnecock Hills on Saturday, with a pair of bogeys against one birdie seeing him at six under par.

The 2023 champion bogeyed on first hole but recovered quickly with a birdie thanks to a sublime approach shot on the fifth. He landed in the bunker en route to another bogey on the par four eighth.

His playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick, the winner in 2022, had a harder time after starting the day at three under par as he bogeyed four times on the front nine.

Clark's U.S. compatriot Sam Stevens was hot on his tail in his eighth major start as he began the day at three under par but improved to four under with a pair of birdies against one bogey.

Clark is looking to turn the page on an embarrassing locker room incident at last year's tournament on a tricky course that many struggle to tame.

One of the pre-tournament favourites Rory McIlroy was at even par through the first two rounds but tumbled down the leaderboard on Saturday, imploding with four bogeys on the back nine.

World number one Scottie Scheffler held on to his dream of clinching a career Grand Slam as he was five shots off the pace with one hole left to play in the round.

The early pairings got underway on Saturday morning after two days of tough, windy conditions that tested some of the field's most experienced competitors, including former champion Brooks Koepka, who made the cut at his last 11 U.S. Open starts but did not reach the weekend this time around.

The cut came in at four over par, with 67 professionals and five amateurs advancing.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Southampton, New York)