For these in pursuit of Clark, they’ll take consolation in realizing the previous six midway leaders haven’t gone on to win the title.
And that is the biggest 36-hole lead on the US Open since Dustin Johnson led by 4 the final time it was staged at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, when Brooks Koepka emerged because the winner.
And that this is without doubt one of the hardest programs on the planet, the place pictures may be misplaced straight away, as former US Open champion Johnson discovered to his value when he posted a quadruple-bogey eight on the par-four fifteenth.
Fitzpatrick is the one different former champion underneath par and the Englishman put collectively a usually tenacious spherical, with two birdies in his closing three holes lifting him again to the place he began the day.
McIlroy was seemingly able to cost when he too reached three underneath with a birdie on the eighth however his wedge play value him dearly.
He misjudged pictures on the tenth, eleventh and twelfth holes, when the gusting wind was at its strongest, along with his ball falling off the again of the greens as he posted three successive bogeys.
The 37-year-old responded with back-to-back birdies, however a thinned chip which ran right into a bunker, contributed to a double-bogey six on the fifteenth.
“Even par going into the weekend is not horrible. I am solely three again of second place however clearly Wyndham’s constructed a little bit of a lead,” he stated on Sky Sports activities.
Three bogeys on the again 9 additionally curtailed his taking part in accomplice Tommy Fleetwood’s progress and left him at one over. Fleetwood completed runner-up right here in 2018 when he shot a 63 within the ultimate spherical after beginning it six adrift of eventual champion Koepka.
Scheffler, who’s making an attempt to change into the seventh participant to finish the profession Grand Slam is stage with McIlroy, after carding a two-under 68.
The American lower a annoyed determine at occasions regardless of hitting 12 out of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. His placing – the place he ranked 61st on strokes gained – was his frailty, hindering his skill to climb the leaderboard.
Fitzpatrick’s brother Alex can also be at stage par on his US Open debut, whereas his compatriot, the newly topped US PGA champion Aaron Rai registered a 67 to take a seat at one over together with Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg.
Tyrrell Hatton is a stroke again and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre simply made the lower after a second-round 74.
Nevertheless, two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau missed the lower for a 3rd successive main, whereas Jon Rahm shipped six pictures in 5 holes on the again 9 to play himself out of the weekend.
