The US Open saw multiple holes-in-one, two players breaking the lowest round recorded in tournament history and a host of records broken; We look at some of the key moments from Wyndham Clark's one-shot victory and maiden major title
Monday 19 June 2023 23:02, UK
Wyndham Clark etched his name into the history books with his victory at the US Open, becoming golf's latest first-time major champion as part of a record-breaking week in Los Angeles.
Clark followed his breakthrough PGA Tour title last month at the Wells Fargo Championship by registering a maiden major, finishing a shot clear of Rory McIlroy at Los Angeles Country Club, with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler claiming third spot ahead of Open champion Cameron Smith.
It's the seventh time in eight years the US Open has produced a first-time major winner, while the tournament will remain long in the memory for all the note-worth records equalled or broken during an entertaining week.
Benign conditions and favourable pins on Thursday saw six players card scores of 65 or lower, the most in single round at a US Open, with this year's opening round marking the first time in the tournament's history that the whole field has managed to post a sub-80 score.
Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele were the standout performers on a low-scoring opening day, with Fowler becoming the first player in US Open history to card a '62 round' after posting 10 birdies - equalling another record - to set the clubhouse target at eight under.
Schauffele matched Fowler's total just over 20 minutes later after his bogey-free start to the week, with the pair joining Branden Grace - who set the initial record at The Open in 2017 - in equalling the lowest round in major history.
The field scoring average was 71.38 on Thursday, the lowest for an opening round of the US Open and the third lowest recorded at the event, while the par-three 15th became just the third hole in a US Open to give up multiple holes-in-one on the same day.
Matthieu Pavon and Sam Burns both made aces on the opening day, with Matt Fitzpatrick then becoming the first defending champion to make a hole-in-one when he posted the third of the tournament on the par-three 15th early in the second round.
Fowler continued to set more records on his way to opening up a one-shot halfway lead, with the 34-year-old birdieing his opening three holes to move to 11 under quicker than any player has ever managed in the tournament's history.
A rollercoaster second round saw Fowler post just four pars in a two-under 68, with the American smashing the 36-hole tournament record for most birdies by adding eight on Friday to take his tally to 18.
Fowler's 130 shots taken across the first two days also equalled the lowest 36-hole score in US Open history, matching the total set by Martin Kaymer on his way to victory in 2014, with tournament records continuing to tumble over the weekend.
Attention on Saturday once again centred around the par-three 15th, which became the shortest hole in US Open history when it measured at just 81 yards. That was some 219 yards shorter than the yardage for the par-three seventh, which was just a yard short from tying the longest par-three in the tournament's history.
Tom Kim made an early weekend charge with a front-nine 29 in his third round, reeling off six birdies in a fast start, while Austin Eckroat also turned in 29 on Sunday to also equal the lowest nine-hole score ever recorded at the US Open.
It was the first time two 29s have been recorded in one week at a US Open, while Tommy Fleetwood became the first player to recorded multiple 63s in the US Open and just the fourth to do so in major history during his stunning final round.
Fleetwood's fast finish saw him match the same total he posted on the final day of the 2018 contest, lifting him into tied-fifth, as McIlroy fell just short in his bid for a fifth major title and first since 2014.
McIlroy ended the week on nine under and with a total score of 271, the lowest 72-hole total at the US Open a non-winner, with the 59 greens in regulation made during the week also a tournament record for someone who didn't go on to claim victory.
The PGA Tour heads to TPC River Highlands next for the Travelers Championship, with McIlroy and Scheffler part of a strong field scheduled to feature 23 of the world's top 30. Early coverage begins on Thursday from midday via the red button on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage from 8pm.
Three of the four men's majors are now completed, with The 151st Open taking place at Royal Liverpool from July 20-23 and exclusively live on Sky Sports.
