U.S. Open Sets Round 3 Tee Times, Pairing Wyndham Clark With Matt Fitzpatrick at 3:45 p.m.

Q: With a record five amateurs in the field, could one of them shock the golf world this weekend?

Yes, but it would still be a major long shot. The strongest case is Ryder Cowan. He reached the weekend at even par and sat tied for 11th after 36 holes, only seven shots behind Wyndham Clark. On a course as punishing as Shinnecock Hills, where conditions are expected to stay windy and scores can move quickly, that keeps him relevant. Cowan already showed he can handle the stage by briefly holding the lead in Round 1, and his position alongside established names such as Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler underlines how well he has played. Jackson Koivun is the other amateur with real intrigue. He is the top-ranked amateur in the world, has multiple high-end college and amateur honors, and already owns several top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events as an amateur. His pedigree suggests he is capable of producing a headline round if conditions suit him. Still, the historical and competitive barriers are enormous. No amateur has won the U.S. Open since John Goodman in 1933, and Shinnecock is one of the hardest major venues in golf. Clark leads by four, and the players closest to him include proven major champions and elite professionals such as Matt Fitzpatrick, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. So the realistic shock this weekend is not necessarily an amateur winning the championship, but one seriously contending deep into Sunday. Cowan looks best placed for that, while Koivun has the talent to make a late charge.

3 articles · Updated · PGA TOUR · Jun 19

Round 3 at Shinnecock Hills will close with leader Wyndham Clark and Matt Fitzpatrick teeing off at 3:45 p.m. ET, the final pairing for Saturday's Moving Day.
Clark earned that spot after a Round 2 birdie extended his lead, putting him in the marquee late wave as the championship heads into the weekend.
Scottie Scheffler and Brian Harman go out at 2:01 p.m., followed by Rory McIlroy and Maverick McNealy at 2:12 p.m. in two of the key chasing groups.
The day starts at 9:00 a.m. with Dylan Wu and Jacob Bridgeman, with the full field scheduled in twosomes through the afternoon at the 126th U.S. Open.