Joseph LaMagna
7d ago
Amazing week. Amazing tournament. Thank you to everyone who followed along and support our coverage. We don't take it for granted.
COVERAGE ENDED
2026 U.S. Open - Sunday
Live blogging from the team at Fried Egg Golf for Sunday of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
Contributors
Brendan Porath
Kevin Van Valkenburg
Joseph LaMagna
Andy Johnson
Garrett Morrison
PJ Clark
Matthew Galloway
Adam Woodard
Austin Sapin
Reading along? to react and reply.
Kevin Van Valkenburg
7d ago
This might seem like an inconsequential thing, but Andy pointed out that Wyndham Clark hit two incredible lag putts in two different US Opens to win. A pretty clutch thing under pressure, perfect speed control.
Joseph LaMagna
7d ago
Sam was very dignified in defeat, playing with his son and bouncing back and forth between the range and inside where he could watch the conclusion in privacy.
Very impressed with how much better he is as a player than 2-3 years ago. And how he handled a very close call today.
Garrett Morrison
7d ago
This crowd has been 1) pretty ungenerous to Wyndham and 2) uh... really into the fact that it's both Scottie Scheffler's and Tom Kim's birthday?
Garrett Morrison
7d ago
The 17th gets overshadowed by Shinnecock's other very memorable par 3s, but it has been the pivotal hole in multiple final rounds at the U.S. Open. Greg Norman's chances in 1995 ended with an errant tee shot on 17, as did Phil Mickelson's in 2004. DJ bogeyed it in 2018 so that Brooks Koepka knew he just had to make a bogey on 18 to stay clear of Tommy Fleetwood.
This year, the key shot of the championship may end up being Burns's yakked birdie putt on 17. Let's see how Wyndham fares on the hole, though.
(Here's our profile of 17 if you want more.)
PJ Clark
7d ago
Some shockingly audible groans from the Shinnecock Clubhouse brigade on the 18th green as they show Wyndham’s birdie on 16…
Austin Sapin
7d ago
A reminder on the current U.S. Open playoff format:
- Two-hole aggregate playoff
- The playoff will be conducted on Nos. 17 & 18
- If the players remain tied, the playoff goes to sudden death on Nos. 17 and 18 until a winner is decided
Adam Woodard
7d ago
The biggest story to follow down the stretch here:
Keith Mitchell bogeys No. 17 to drop back to even on the day and for the championship. One more par away from the perfect week of 70-70-70-70.
Garrett Morrison
7d ago · edited
Unclear what we're supposed to gather from these two views of the tee shot on 14
Garrett Morrison
7d ago
Some juicy yellow squares incoming...
Garrett Morrison
7d ago
PJ addressing Long Island's behavior on the wrap-up pod
Kevin Van Valkenburg
7d ago
Even if you are rooting against Wyndham Clark, and there are many of you, how are you not impressed with the way he's handling all this? You have a sea of bros screaming for your ball to get in the bunker on every shot, no one is cheering when you make a ridiculous up and down, and you keep stuffing shots like the one he just hit into No. 10 to set up a birdie? (A birdie barely anyone cheered for.)
I'm impressed. He's not playing his best, but is high-level mental game stuff. He could have gone Greg Norman easily, and is still hanging in there.
PJ Clark
7d ago
One (1) fan just yelled “Let’s go Wyndham!” coming up to the ninth green.
That fan was promptly booed.
Joseph LaMagna
7d ago
Sam Burns is striping it. In total command of his game and arguably the best putter in the world - No. 1 imho.
One back of Wyndham who has to go through a difficult stretch. Feels like Burns’s tournament to lose.
Garrett Morrison
7d ago
The runoff on the right side of 6 green (left in the photo below) has been wreaking havoc all week. Clark and Scheffler both just found it. The more conservatively you play the hole — left off the tee, right on the approach — the more this runoff becomes a factor. A great hazard for the modern data-driven player, who's always going to play away from the biggest trouble.
Kevin Van Valkenburg
7d ago · edited
Attention Shinnecock members: If you lost a Pro V1x with a KING STREET stamp in the left fescue of 5 green, I found your ball during the final group of the US Open. Hopefully you took a stroke and distance penalty in accordance with the rules and didn’t drop a ball out of a false bottom of your pants pocket.
Andy Johnson
7d ago
I’ve never heard a quieter crowd reaction than when Wyndham made that putt on 4. I was following Burns on 8 — right next to 4 — and it sounded like a sigh. Fans are yelling ‘everyone is rooting against you’ at him. A unique scene, given that golf fans typically cheer for any good shot, regardless of who hits it, in stroke play.
Adam Woodard
7d ago
Watching the broadcast all week has just made me even more mad at Phil Mickelson for fumbling the off-ramp to his competitive playing career.
He could have been his own version of Johnny Miller for the next generation of fans, a lead analyst on these broadcasts who isn’t afraid to speak his mind and elevates the product to the level worthy of a major championship. Instead we’ve got a rotating cast of average voices struggling to find their place while bringing nothing constructive to the table.
Garrett Morrison
7d ago
Fleetwood 🫠
Kevin Van Valkenburg
7d ago
Some very palpable anti-Wyndham sentiment out here, and the tournament is not having it. The cops are kicking out people for heckling, including this young man who yelled “Don’t choke Wyndham!” on the 4th tee.
Austin Sapin
7d ago
PJ Clark
7d ago
We officially have the last man on the range at the 126th United States Open: Viktor Hovland.
He’s gone through his full bag already today, chipped and hit about a dozen bunker shots, and has returned to the main range area with yet another full bucket. I was told he spent three hours hitting balls yesterday afternoon alongside the leaders on the range as well. Hovland is not a stranger to the late weekend range session at the U.S. Open — he finished in solo third last year at Oakmont — but it’s a lot different to be out here alone at 3:00 on Sunday.
Adam Woodard
7d ago
“If he hits it perfect he can hit it close.” - Smylie on Scottie’s approach to the first green.
You’re not getting that kinda expert analysis anywhere else but NBC, folks
Joseph LaMagna
7d ago
Re: Matthew’s post below and Miles Russell’s dad caddying for him on 18, you have to wonder if Mr. Russell scouted out No. 18 all day and learned exactly how the green breaks.
Should caddie changes be allowed???
PJ Clark
7d ago
Julie Elion, Wyndham Clark’s sports psychologist who you may remember from yesterday’s NBC broadcast, has arrived on the range while the 54-hole leader is at the chipping area.
She asked Bones Mackay, “are you walking with us today?”
Matthew Galloway
7d ago
Cool moment for Miles Russell on 18. Surprised his dad outside the ropes to sub in and caddy up the last fairway. The kid is pretty wise for 17 and a great treat for dad. Happy Father’s day everyone!
PJ Clark
7d ago
Mitchell, Schauffele, and Burns are locked in on the right side of the range — the “Knowers” side, per Andy — working on flighting shots in the wind.
Notably, Sam Stevens and Emiliano Grillo are on the left end, with Stevens almost in the last stall on the entire range.
Kevin Van Valkenburg
7d ago · edited
Revisiting The Weirdest Five Minutes In U.S. Open History
I don’t blame you if you’ve had enough Phil Mickelson content to last a lifetime, considering recent developments. But my colleague Brendan Porath encouraged me this morning to go back and experience Phil’s decision to slap a moving ball on the 13th green at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, and it really is a fascinating time capsule. I’m not going to encourage you to waste your time unless you’re really a masochist, but I threw together a quick running diary of the television broadcast because it’s a delightful time capsule that one day people will study to understand Mickelson and the effect he had on the golf world at times.
0:01 — The Fox broadcast (remember them?) cuts to the 13th green, where Mickelson is putting from above the hole. At this point Phil is +10 in the third round and putting for bogey, so you know something interesting is going to happen here. Veteran play-by-play man Joe Buck hits us with the “this for bogey a moment ago” so you know some junior producer in the truck had to be hyperventilating when this happened, demanding the main feed cut to Mickelson but without giving away exactly what was about to take place.
0:05 — Phil guns his putt by the hole, and begins walking after it. When I say he hit his putt with too much pace, what I mean is he hit it so hard, I’m not sure it was going to stay within the bounds of Suffolk County. I’ve seen slap shots hit softer.
0:13 — Curtis Strange, also working the Fox broadcast, delivers the first bit of candid commentary. “His speed has been terrible,” Strange says. There will be more to come.
0:15 — You can actually see the exact moment when Phil’s brain was permanently scrambled by years of the USGA tormenting him. He starts walking after the ball, but just as it crests the hill and threatens to dribble onto Tuckahoe Road, through National Golf Links of America and into Great Peconic Bay, he breaks into the kind of sprint a 48-year-old man does when his hat has been blown off by the wind. This is not exactly Bo Jackson breaking into the open field. It’s more like watching someone in a bowling alley break into a jog upon learning there are complimentary pigs in a blanket being handed out by the pinball machines.
0:17 — “Whoa,” says Paul Azinger. At this point the ball is still moving.
0:19 — Phil hits his moving ball. It’s actually a really good putt! It lips out and goes five feet by. I’ve always thought the funniest what-if in this whole scenario was how everyone would have reacted if Phil had actually made this putt. His contention, if you remember, is that he had been contemplating this as a strategic move for years and finally decided this was the right time to deploy it. Who among us hasn't contemplated throwing themselves an alley-oop for a strategic four-putt?
0:20 — ”Woah!” says Buck. “That’s stunning!” This is a man, remember, who briefly lost his own mind when Randy Moss pretended to moon Packer fans, so you know he’s seen some disgusting acts in his day.
0:25 — Buck brings rules official David Fay into the booth to discuss what happens next, and we see Phil walking briskly through what looks like a parking lot. “Phil Mickelson, this is a live look at him I guess leaving the golf course?” (He was actually just walking to the 14th tee, but in retrospect, it would have been tremendous theater if Phil had just kept walking and never stopped until he reached a ferry to Connecticut.)
0:54 — A shellshocked Fay explains that the last time he saw something like this, John Daly was the person committing the crime, which is sort of like when a president does something that might be impeachable, and everyone immediately references Richard Nixon. It's important to put things in context by talking about the GOAT.
1:03 — Phil strolls across the player walkway, looking like he expects to be arrested at any moment and he’s mentally working his way through a rolodex of lawyers he can call.
1:08 — Fox cuts back to a replay of Phil’s next putt, which he also misses. He taps in for a score. What score? No one has any idea. Phil grins at Beef Johnston, who laughs nervously. You’re laughing! Phil Mickelson just debased our national championship and you’re laughing!
1:40 — Strange’s and Azinger’s commentary is a mixture of confusion with a side of low-simmering anger. I actually think if Strange knew he’d get a pardon, he’d have walked out of the booth and tried to strangle Phil. Azinger suggests he’s gone mad. “He’s putted bad enough that I think he just snapped,” Azinger says.
2:03 — Buck asks Fay if he can figure out what Phil made on the hole. “Um, I’d have to count,” Fay says. “The strokes he made, plus two strokes. So… I don’t know. One could argue it’s a serious breach. How far would the ball have gone had it not been stopped?” Remember when golf broadcasts used to be interrupted by episodes of Law and Order Special Victims Unit? This feels like one of those times Christopher Meloni would have been helpful. “It was only going to be a putt for double bogey, you sick f–!”
2:30 — ”We’re thinking it’s going to be a nine,” Buck says. “It’s currently an eight in the computer. Either way it doesn’t matter, this is a guy who just snapped.”
2:57 — ”That’s the most out of character I’ve ever seen Phil,” Azinger says. Man, Paul, it’s me calling from the year 2026, and boy do I have bad news for you about what is yet to come.
3:07 — Curtis Strange says he believes Mickelson has to be embarrassed by what he’s just done. “He knows there are a lot of kids out there watching, a lot of people admiring this guy,” he says.
3:08 — ”And with good reason!” Buck chimes in.
3:15 — Like a genuine psychopath, Phil splits the 14th fairway with an iron. Always living in the eye of a storm of his own making, that one. Except when it came time to actually WIN a U.S. Open, I suppose.
3:22 — “John Daly’s reputation took a hit after what happened at Pinehurst in 1999,” Fay says. “I fear the same will hold true for Phil.” Bless you, David Fay, because in the words of Doc Holiday, Phil had not yet begun to defile himself.
I’m skipping ahead here to the end of the round, to a scene I was actually present for, when a throng of media gathered around the edge of the Shinnecock clubhouse as Strange interviewed Mickelson. Phil agreed to meet with Strange after spending a good 30 minutes talking with his agent Steve Loy, presumably trying to come up with a way to explain himself. His interview was only 1:30 seconds long, and I’m time stamping it here if you really want to re-live it.
0:06 — Curtis Strange sticks a microphone in Phil’s face, radiating the energy of a dad who isn’t mad, he’s just really disappointed. “It’s a simple question,” he says. “What happened at 13?”
0:10 — Phil attempts to defend himself, and now we get to my favorite part of all this: Phil Mickelson attempting to argue this was actually a brilliant move by Phil Mickelson. It’s like watching Reese Witherspoon’s character command the room in Legally Blond. “It’s my understanding of the rules,” he says. “I’ve had multiple times where I’ve wanted to do that, I just finally did.”
0:44 — ”Does it show disrespect to the championship?” Strange asks.
0:50 — ”It’s certainly not meant that way,” Phil says. “It’s meant to take advantage of the rules as best as you can.”
Phil would take a very different tone when he showed up at the Open Championship a month later. “I made a big mistake and I wish I could take it back,” he said. “It wasn’t a great moment and I wish I could take it back, but there is not much I can do now other than try to act a little better.”
Garrett Morrison
7d ago · edited
This morning, Shinnecock played as easy as it has all week — less than a stroke over par for the morning wave. Not a surprise. The forecast consistently held that Sunday would see the lightest winds of the championship, and so far that's what's playing out.
The greens are still pretty receptive by Shinnecock's standards. As usual, they'll dry out as the afternoon goes on, so there's no point in rendering a final verdict at 1 p.m. local time.
HOWEVER, I feel the need to make a few big points about the current Shinnecock discourse:
1) For me, the setup has been just a tiny bit conservative this week. I'm not hugely disappointed. I'm not calling for John Bodenhamer's and Jeff Hall's heads. In fact, I found Saturday pretty much pitch perfect. I just think the greens could have been firmer this morning and on Friday. I've still enjoyed the golf course and the shots it has demanded. But I'm here to give an honest opinion, and my honest opinion is that an A+ Shinnecock Open would walk a little more on the wild side.
2) If Wyndham Clark weren't six shots ahead, the online commentariat would be far more pro-Shinnecock right now. LACC got punished in public opinion for a Clark win, and so far this U.S. Open has received similar treatment. Sorry, but Clark played a badass round of golf yesterday. The course did its job by testing him on every shot, and he extended his advantage over the field in spite of not having his best stuff. It wasn't luck; it was great golf. If Rory or Scottie had done the same thing in the same position, everyone would have been in raptures. But since Wyndham did it, "Shinnecock might stink." Adults shouldn't reward adults for having such takes.
3) The USGA got murdered for riding the line at Shinnecock in 2004 and 2018 — by the players, by the media, by everyone. Yes, the USGA misjudged the speed and firmness of 7 and 10 greens on Sunday in 2004. But I thought the 2018 setup was great. A few back-nine pins got spicy on Saturday afternoon, but that's part of Shinnecock's deal. I spent the week defending the course on Twitter, and guess what? I don't remember having much back-up in that fight. So it's tough to blame the USGA for treading carefully this week. What incentive do they have to flirt with the edge if their only supporters are going to be a few geeks like me? As long as the mainstream golf world is obsessed with fairness and inclined to believe everything pros say, the USGA is not going to take big risks on setup.
Okay, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I'm just going to try to enjoy the final round of the U.S. Open at one of the world's greatest golf courses. Shouldn't be too much to ask of myself.
Andy Johnson
7d ago
One of the surprising joys of the 2026 U.S. Open has been an aspect of our walk in. When we cross the bridge over Montauk Highway, the USGA has put up a wall listing the chronological U.S. Opens and their winners.
Without fail, every trip past this 50-yard-long display, I find myself looking at it, thinking about players and tournaments of yesteryear. And I'm not alone. Beyond my own nostalgic, demented golf fan thoughts, I've enjoyed listening to the fans we're walking with discuss the likes of, "Wow, Ralph Guldahl was really something," or, "You know, we've been to Onwentsia. Susie got married there." It's a nice nod to history, and on the walk in, it's a nice table-setter before fans are greeted with one of the most majestic views in golf from the Shinnecock Hills clubhouse.
Brendan Porath
7d ago
An iconic moment from the last U.S. Open Sunday at Shinnecock.
You can watch the full clip here ... some rumblings about how boring this week has been -- I disagree with that, but it has not been to the level of hijinks in 2018. We still have a day to go so I think the judgments are premature. Nevertheless, this was a wonderful Father's Day memory for us all. https://x.com/BrendanPorath/status/2068723677756031215
Joseph LaMagna
7d ago
This is Calamity Jane II, the putter Bobby Jones used to win 10 of his 13 majors. It is on display in the media center today.
Putter fargiveness has come a long way…
Kevin Van Valkenburg
7d ago
What does Wyndham Clark shoot today?
Be the first to vote
Brendan Porath
7d ago · edited
History on the line today: The Wyndham Rewards Club
There have been 23 golfers to win the U.S. Open more than one time. Wyndham Clark can join the two-time winners group today with his second title in four years, putting both LACC and Shinnecock up on the wall.
Setting aside the legends who have done it more than twice – Jones (4), Hogan (4), Nicklaus (4), Woods (3), Irwin (3), and I guess Willie Anderson, who won it four times between 1901 and 1905 – the two-time winner’s club is sprawling with several subcategories to bucket players into based on the full scope of their careers. There are 17 players who have won it twice, and I might categorize (not rank!) them thusly:
Early 20th Century
Putting these guys in their own category only by era and am not interested right now in sorting or discussing. We're not here to compare them to the potential for Wyndham today lol.
Alex Smith (not the QB)
John McDermott
Walter Hagen
Gene Sarazen
Ralph Guldahl
Immediate Postwar
Cary Middlecoff
Julius Boros
Billy Casper
Legends who won two U.S. Opens, and a bunch of other majors
Their two U.S. Open wins are just a piece, albeit a significant one, of a fuller, dominant career in many different arenas.
Lee Trevino
Ernie Els
Brooks Koepka
Made their careers at the U.S. Open
These guys won two national championships and it is the pinnacle of their career, the first line on the golf obit. They are listed in a loose attempt at rank order, unlike the groups above. Wyndham would obviously slot into this group today with a victory, down with Andy North, but with many more years to climb into different categories. Bryson’s work in the YouTube space was not factored into this assessment, but he is obviously someone who also has years to adjust and will likely move into different categories given his impressive finishes at many majors.
Payne Stewart (also won a PGA)
Retief Goosen
Curtis Strange
Bryson DeChambeau (still TBD)
Lee Janzen
Andy North