Wyndham Clark is on the precipice of winning his second U.S. Open in four years, and shockingly it is his putting leading the way. Clark has built his six-stroke lead at Shinnecock Hills via the flat stick, leading the field in strokes gained/putting through 54 holes.
Clark needed to be steady on the greens during Saturday’s third round, and a stretch of impressive par-save putts illustrate the importance. Seven-footers fell at Nos. 6 and 9. A five-footer on 10. A six-footer on 11 and a 14-footer at 13. None gimmes on shinny’s slippery putting surfaces. Miss them all and it’s a one-shot lead, not half-a-dozen.
Mind you, Clark wasn’t always so proficient on the greens. Earlier this year he was languishing 132nd in strokes gained/putting, giving away shots in six of eight starts, as he worked his way through an **** ortment of putters. Finally, at the Masters, Clark switched to a Ping Scottsdale Tec Ally Blue Onset mallet putter that clicked.
Clark’s putter has several strips of lead tape on the bottom that virtually cover the sole to counterbalance the weight of his long, oversize Superstroke Revl Mid F/C grip. The 38-inch putter has 3 degrees of loft, a 20-degree lie angle and an estimated head weight of 400 grams.
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