Wyndham Clark turned the 2026 U.S. Open into a one-man show at Shinnecock Hills, and he carries a six-shot lead into Sunday as the final round arrives. Clark sits at 7 under after a gritty even-par 70 on a brutal Saturday, the lowest 54-hole total in tournament history at Shinnecock.
Only four players reached the clubhouse under par behind him, headlined by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. This final round predictions piece narrows the field to the contenders who can still win and lays out our Sunday picks. The leader is rightly favored, but the closing markets still reward a closer look at the chasers.
Last Updated: Sunday, June 21, 2026
2026 U.S. OPEN FINAL ROUND DATE, TIME & HOW TO WATCH | |
|---|---|
| Where | Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, NY |
| When | Sunday, June 21 – 9:00 AM ET (USA broadcast start) |
| TV | USA Network, then NBC and Peacock |
R3 Recap and Leaderboard Update
Saturday was Shinnecock at its meanest. Morning gusts touched 35 mph, the USGA quickened the greens, and only two players in the entire field broke par. Clark handled it best. He saved par repeatedly around the turn and struck the only eagle of the week on the par-5 16th. A closing bogey for a 70 barely dented his cushion, and his overnight four-shot lead grew to six.
Scheffler provided the only real charge, making three straight birdies and shooting 32 on the back nine for a 1-under 69. He sits alone as the most credentialed pursuer at 1 under. Sam Stevens, Tom Kim and Sahith Theegala join him in a tie for second, also at 1 under, leaving just five players in red figures. Rory McIlroy unraveled with a 40 on the back nine, while Xander Schauffele undid his round with two late double bogeys. The leaders, Clark and Scheffler, will tee off in the final pairing at 2:30 p.m. ET, with Kim and Theegala in the penultimate group at 2:19.
The table below frames the realistic contender set. With the lead at 7 under and scoring this hard, our window is six strokes. That captures the five players under par; everyone else would need a historic Sunday just to reach Clark.
2026 U.S. OPEN – LEADERBOARD ENTERING THE FINAL ROUND | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Score | Back |
| Wyndham Clark | -7 | — |
| Scottie Scheffler | -1 | 6 |
| Sam Stevens | -1 | 6 |
| Tom Kim | -1 | 6 |
| Sahith Theegala | -1 | 6 |
Leaderboard accurate as of Sunday, June 21, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest Golf Odds - Props
Top Pick to Win — Wyndham Clark
The Pick: Wyndham Clark to win. When a player leads a U.S. Open by six and the course is fighting everyone, the math is hard to argue with. Clark has extended his advantage each day, from two shots Thursday to four Friday to six Saturday. He has already proven he can win this championship, having captured the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. His ball-striking has held up in the wind that wrecked so many cards around him, and he owns the lowest 54-hole score Shinnecock has ever seen.
History backs the front-runner, too. No player has surrendered a lead larger than five shots in 125 prior U.S. Opens, and Greg Norman's 1996 Masters is the only blown six-shot lead in major history. Clark simply needs a steady, mistake-light round; he does not have to chase anything.
The case against is real enough to respect. Clark has never won wire-to-wire, and a six-shot cushion can shrink quickly if the wind returns and he makes two early bogeys. Front-running under major pressure is its own test, and the short price offers little value in the number itself. As a straight prediction of the champion, though, Clark is the clear call. Get the current price via TheSpread.com before backing him.
Value Play — Scottie Scheffler
The Pick: Scottie Scheffler as the top chaser (+150 to win without Clark, via TheSpread.com). If anyone erases six strokes on this course, it is the world No. 1. Scheffler is the lone contender with the ceiling to post a low number and apply real heat, and his back-nine 32 on Saturday showed the gear is there. In TheSpread.com's market pricing the winner without Clark, Scheffler is a clear favorite at +150 over the rest of the chasers.
The case against is the same brutal arithmetic that makes Clark the pick. Six shots is an enormous gap at a U.S. Open, and Scheffler has won all four of his majors from in front, never from this far back on a Sunday. He needs a low round and a Clark stumble on the same afternoon. That is asking a lot. As a dart with upside rather than an outright the leader deserves, however, Scheffler is the only name that makes sense, and he is a worthy comeback flier still inside the contender set.
Final Round Outlook — Picks and Final Thoughts
With the outright board lopsided, the head-to-head pairings offer cleaner angles. In the penultimate group, TheSpread.com prices Sahith Theegala (-120) over Tom Kim in their final-round two-ball. Both sit at 1 under, but Theegala has looked steadier in the wind, posting a tidy 70 on Saturday built on 16 pars. The case for Kim (+100) is that the two-ball is nearly a coin flip, so the short price leaves little margin. Still, Theegala is the more reliable ball-striker right now, and that matters most at Shinnecock.
The final pairing carries its own market quirk. Scheffler is favored at -200 to shoot the lower round between himself and Clark (+165), a nod to his scoring upside even if Clark still lifts the trophy. The back nine is where Shinnecock decides things, and if Clark reaches the turn with his lead intact, this one is effectively over.
To recap our final round card: Wyndham Clark to win is the top pick, Scottie Scheffler as the top chaser (+150 without Clark) is the value flier, and Sahith Theegala (-120) over Tom Kim is the supporting two-ball play. For deeper context on how the week set up, compare our U.S. Open pre-tournament picks and the opening U.S. Open odds preview from Wednesday.
2026 U.S. Open Final Round Betting FAQ
Who is leading the 2026 U.S. Open after Round 3?
Wyndham Clark leads at 7 under par after a third-round 70. He holds a six-shot advantage, the largest 54-hole lead of the week, over a group tied for second at 1 under.
When does the final round start?
The first group goes off at 7:45 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 21. The leaders, Clark and Scottie Scheffler, tee off in the final pairing at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Who is in the final pairing?
Wyndham Clark and Scottie Scheffler are paired together in the final group at 2:30 p.m. ET. Tom Kim and Sahith Theegala make up the penultimate pairing at 2:19 p.m. ET.
What channel is the final round on?
USA Network carries coverage from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET, then NBC takes over from 12 to 7 p.m. ET. Peacock streams the broadcast online.
Who won the U.S. Open last year?
J.J. Spaun won the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. He finished at 1 under par, two shots clear of Robert MacIntyre, for his first major title.