Rory McIlroy finished runner-up in the US Open as Wyndham Clark secured his major breakthrough just six weeks after his first PGA Tour win.
Clark carded a final-round 70 to win by a single shot from McIlroy in what had developed into a head-to-head between players in separate groups, one which looked to provide McIlroy with a huge opportunity to end his long major drought.
McIlroy though made bogey at the par-five 14th hole which Clark followed with a superb birdie to move three clear, before bogeys at the 15th and 16th holes saw his lead reduced to just one.
That's where it remained after Clark scrambled par at the 17th hole while up ahead, McIlroy left himself one final long-range birdie look on a day which had seen his putter let him down as it had at St Andrews last July.
With such a wide fairway to aim at it was always likely that Clark would avoid disaster and with McIlroy unable to conjure a moment of magic, the American was left to first hit the green and then two-putt from long range for his first major win.
Clark did that, showing impressive poise to complete the job and confine McIlroy to second place and his 19th top-10 finish since last capturing a major championship back in 2014.
The moment @Wyndham_Clark became a major champion. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/TIlB87G3o3
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 19, 2023
“I just feel like my mom was watching over me today,” an emotional Clark said at the presentation ceremony. “She can’t be here… miss you mom.
“She was so positive and such a motivator in what she did. She’d be crying tears of joy (now). She called me ‘winner’ when I was little.
“When she was sick and I was in college, she told me, ‘Hey, play big’. Play for something bigger than yourself. You have a platform to either witness or help or be a role model for so many people.
“I know she’d be proud of me. I feel like I have worked so hard and dreamed about this moment for long. So many times I’ve visualised being here in front of you guys winning this championship.”
McIlroy will be left to rue a short missed birdie putt at the eighth hole and a poor wedge to the 14th which ultimately cost him a shot and gave Clark the breathing room he needed to edge to a narrow and dramatic win.
“The golf course was playing really tricky and obviously the scores in the final few groups reflected that,” said McIlroy, who matched Clark’s closing 70.
“There was a couple of things that I probably would have done differently, but all in all, I played a solid round of golf.
“That one wedge shot on 14 (which plugged in the face of a bunker), missed birdie putt on eight – really apart from that, I did everything else the way I wanted to.
“It’s fine, fine margins at this level and at this tournament especially, but I fought to the very end. I obviously never give up.
“And I’m getting closer. The more I keep putting myself in these positions, sooner or later it’s going to happen for me. Just got to regroup and get focused for the Open at Hoylake in a few weeks’ time.”
