Clark builds big US Open lead after Scheffler boosts Grand Slam hopes

Wyndham Clark will take a commanding six-shot lead into the final round of the US Open, while Scottie Scheffler boosted his career Grand Slam hopes with an impressive fightback at Shinnecock Hills.

Halfway-leader Clark moved a huge step closer to a second US Open title in four years after another impressive display, in which he capitalised on the best of the conditions and his sublime scrambling to post a level-par 70.

The American produced a stunning eagle at the par-five 16th to pull further clear of the field, having already made two birdies and three bogeys in his round, with a final-hole bogey leaving Clark heading into the final day on seven under and one of just five players still in red figures.

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Clark is in prime position to complete a wire-to-wire victory and second worldwide win in four starts, with 12 of the last 13 players holding a 54-hole lead of six shots or greater in a men's major going on to win.

He will now have a Sunday pairing with Scheffler, one of only two players to break par on Saturday, with the world No 1 sitting tied-second on one under as he chases the elusive major required to become just the seventh male to complete the career Grand Slam.

Scheffler is joined on one under by Sahith Theegala, Sam Stevens and Tom Kim, with two-time major winner Xander Schauffele among the group on level par, while Matt Fitzpatrick - playing alongside Clark - dropped to one over following a four-over 74.

Tommy Fleetwood - runner-up in the 2018 US Open at this venue - and Collin Morikawa join Fitzpatrick in tied-10th, while Rory McIlroy dropped to tied-17th and 10 strokes back after carding five back-nine bogeys in a third-round 73.

How Clark extended historic lead at Shinnecock

A three-putt bogey at the first saw Clark's overnight lead halved as Stevens - playing two groups ahead - opened with a birdie, only for the 2023 champion to respond with a two-putt birdie at the fifth to get back to seven under.

Clark got up and down to save pars over his next two holes but bogeyed the par-four eighth after finding the sand with his approach shot, with a long-range two-putt at the ninth avoiding another dropped shot and seeing him reach the turn two ahead.

Stevens started his back nine with successive birdies to hand a four-shot buffer to Clark, who followed further impressive saves at the 10th and 11th by holing from 15 feet to salvage a par at the 13th.

Clark saw a five-foot birdie at the 14th cancelled out by a close-range bogey at the next, before the 32-year-old responded with an incredible approach into the par-five 16th and five-foot eagle to jump seven ahead.

A three-putt bogey at the par-four last cut Clark's lead but gives him a huge cushion heading into Sunday, the largest in a US Open since McIlroy's wire-to-wire win - and breakthrough major - in the 2011 contest.

Scheffler started seven strokes back and fell further behind after opening with back-to-back bogeys, but responded with four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine - including a spectacular chip-in from off the 14th green - to move to one under.

"We've been battling hard for a few days, and I did a good job of keeping myself in the tournament," Scheffler said. "I'll need a really nice round if I'm going to try and catch Wyndham."

A round-of-the-day 67 moved Emiliano Grillo into tied-sixth with Schauffele, Keith Mitchell and Sam Burns, while McIlroy heads into the final day 10 strokes behind despite briefly being within four after three consecutive birdies on his front nine.

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