Weather was the main story at the U.S. Open and the early leader, Wyndham Clark, surged in spite of it.
The story of Thursday's opening round of the U.S. Open was the less-than-ideal weather conditions at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, with dense fog delaying action by nearly two hours early on and roaring winds making play no less easier once visibility improved.
In the midst of these harsh conditions on one of the biggest stages in golf, Wyndham Clark was able to rise above it all and grab a four-shot lead after a suspended Round 1 on Thursday.
Through only 16 holes of action, Clark went 6-under-par bolstered by three straight holes of birdie or better on 3, 4 and 5.
The one-time U.S. Open champion set himself up well to contend for another victory at the tournament in his young career, which would also be his second major win.
Biting on the heels of Clark was a packed group of seven golfers that all finished at -2, at least before play was halted late Thursday night.
The crowded pack consisted of Sam Stevens, Ryder Cowan, Max McGreevy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Dustin Johnson, Gary Woodland and Jon Rahm.
Of those seven only Stevens, Cowan and McGreevy played the full 18 holes, making them the de-facto leaders. However, the four backing them up have all won at the U.S. Open previously in their careers.
More notable golfers through the crowded field included Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg and Bryson DeChambeau all knocking on the door at -1.
McIlroy and DeChambeau have both already captured wins at the tournament, while Aberg is still searching for his first major win after many near misses in his short tenure.
Despite all the solid performances from several of these golfers, the spotlight was arguably the brightest on Scottie Scheffler. Not only is he the No. 1-rated golfer in the world, he is seeking the career grand slam with a win at Shinnecock Hills.
These storybook dreams did not start with the brightest of moments, as Scheffler stands at +2 following his debut. Although it could be much worse, all things considered, and he has shown time and time again his ability to heat up late.
Friday will get underway not-so bright and early with the resumption of Round 1 before getting into the second round of the weekend.
Those that make the cut are setting themselves up to be in a tough fight down to the final hole on Sunday in another exciting major in the calendar year.
