Clark leads as darkness descends on Shinnecock Hills

Wyndham Clark seized the lead at the US Open as the delayed opening round finally ran out of light at Shinnecock Hills.

Clark, the 2023 US Open champion at LA Country Club, carded five birdies and a wonderful eagle with just the only bogey to sit four shots clear of his nearest challengers.

Behind the American was a log-jam of competitors on two-under-par, including Dustin Johnson, Matt Fitzpatrick, Gary Woodland and John Rahm - all of whom still had holes to play from their opening rounds as the hooter sounded.

"That two-hour fog delay was very helpful, and it was really nice it (the wind) laid down so it definitely helped those last six, seven holes we played," said Clark, a winner at The Los Angeles Country Club in 2023.

Early finishers Sam Stevens, amateur Ryder Cowan and Max MacGreevy hold the clubhouse lead on that two-under-par mark.

US Open leaderboard

Earlier in the day, Rory McIlroy opened with a round of 69 that looked like it would be a shot or two better until the Masters champion stumbled late on with bogeys on his final two holes.

Still, it was a solid opening round and 11 strokes better than his Thursday effort here in 2018. That 80 was the joint-worst of his major career and led to him missing the cut.

"With the conditions today, anything under par or anything around even par is a good score," said the world number two, who is seeking to win his first US Open title since making his major breakthrough in 2011.

"It was a day to really just keep yourself in the tournament and not shoot yourself out of it, which is exactly what I did eight years ago here."

The highlight of McIlroy's round was the 396-yard drive and a pitching wedge to 11 feet which demolished the 597-yard fifth hole, playing downwind, for his first US Open eagle since Erin Hills in 2017.

Pádraig Harrington struggled to a 77 although he did manage to par his last seven holes with the majority of the damage done to his card on the front nine.

Graeme McDowell started fast but eventualyl signed for a 76 while Shane Lowry sat on four-over-par with four holes to play when play was halted.

Lowry got off to an excellent start with a birdie at the 10th - his first - but struggled thereafter, registering a double-bogey on the par-5 16th, with three further bogeys in his first 14 holes.