Keith Mitchell has one of the wildest rounds in US Open history as Wyndham Clark jumps out to early lead
America 250: Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 17, 1902, and became one of the greatest amateur golfers in history. As a teenager, he showed early promise, reaching the third round of the U.S. Amateur at age 14. He won 13 major championships, all as an amateur, and this record still stands. In 1930 Jones concluded:
The first round of the 126th US Open began on Thursday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island, with many of the highlights making headlines in the run-up to the tournament.
A win for world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler would literally guarantee him a career Grand Slam on his 30th birthday. After Rory McIlroy achieved the Grand Slam in 2025, he achieved another Masters victory in 2026. A second major win this year would give him seven points for his career and put him in even more impressive historic company. Only Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen and Harry Vardon won seven majors. And it would always leave him behind Tom Watson, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, Walter Hagen, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
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Scottie Scheffler of the United States tees off from the sixth tee during the practice round ahead of the 126th US OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 16, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) ((Photo: Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images))
The field features one of the best amateur groups in recent history with NCAA Men’s Division I Champion Preston Stout, 17-year-old Miles Russell and Auburn star Jackson Koivun.
Shinnecock is also considered one of the toughest tests in golf, and the forecast of extremely high winds led the USGA to issue a statement that they intend to “syringe” water into the greens to ensure the course does not blow away from them.
And yet, among all these narratives and the best players to watch, the golfer who had the wildest day was undoubtedly… Keith Mitchell?
Mitchell started his day on the 10th hole and made double bogey just after driving into the rough. He then made bogey on the 11th hole. And the 13th. And the 14th. And then the 16th, for good measure. Judging by the first nine holes on the back nine at Shinnecock, he was 41-under par. Sounds like a recipe for a missed cut, right?
After Mitchell made the turn on the front nine, he turned Tiger Woods on top. He birdied the first hole, then birdied the third. And the fourth. On the par-five fifth, Mitchell made one of only two eagles that day. He then completed the front nine with another birdie at the 479-yard par four. Six shots over par on the back nine, then six shots under par on the front nine.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER TELLS A TRUTH AND A LIE AHEAD OF WHAT COULD BE A HISTORIC US OPENING IN SHINNECOCK HILLS
This is a 41-29 card for a double par 70. One of the craziest rounds in US Open history.
Incredibly, of the thousands of rounds played at the US Open, this was the seventh time in tournament history to card 29 through nine holes. According to The Athletic’s Justin Ray, this was the first time a player had made the rounds at the U.S. Open in the ’40s and ’20s.
Keith Mitchell tees off on the 18th hole during the first round of the US Open golf tournament on June 18, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
And you can see how much this hurt Mitchell in the way his hair looks after he takes off his signature visor.
As far as other big names go, Scheffler had an unusual ups and downs. A two-over 72 with four bogeys and a double-bogey. McIlroy made 18 bogeys to finish one under, right in the middle of the hunt considering the challenging conditions limited scoring.
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Wyndham Clark of the United States walks to the 18th green during the first round of the 126th US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York on June 18, 2026. (Warren Little/Getty Images)
“In today’s conditions, I think anything below par or around par is a good score,” he said after the round. “It was a day where you really had to keep yourself in the tournament and not be left out of the tournament.”
But former US Open champion Wyndham Clark, who missed the cut at the PGA Championship and won just a week later, took a shocking four-stroke lead to go six under through 16 holes. A remarkable achievement considering the difficulty of the course.
If there’s one thing we know from major championship golf, it’s that things can change quickly. And as Keith Mitchell’s performance on Thursday showed, expect the unexpected.
