If anyone can catch Wyndham Clark at the 2026 U.S....

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- The roar could be heard from well above the 14th green, reverberating through the fairway and all the way up to the iconic Shinnecock Hills clubhouse where the sharp sound gave everyone pause. It was the loudest of the day -- the loudest of the week perhaps -- and it could only mean one thing. Scottie Scheffler had finally made his presence known in the U.S. Open. What had made the New York crowd bellow late Saturday afternoon was what had made Scheffler himself let out his own roar. A chip-in birdie from 65 feet and suddenly Scheffler could be seen displaying the kind of fiery emotion he's reserved for winning major championships. A vicious fist pump, a yell and a sudden bounce in his step that had been missing. "We've been battling for three days now," Scheffler said of that moment. "So to steal a shot there at least is a pretty good feeling." He followed up the high of 14 with another birdie on 15 -- a 12-foot putt that went in with the kind of confidence Scheffler's stroke has, at times, lacked. Scheffler fist pumped again. A tap-in birdie on 16 after hitting a sky-high 3-wood to 15 feet made it three in a row and suddenly, on a day where seemingly every player took a step back, a day where Shinnecock finally showed its true colors, Scheffler made his inevitable charge and was one of only two players who were able to card a round under par. "I'd rather be leading," Scheffler said. "I could be 7 shots back and could be 3 shots back. I don't know what it's going to be." As Scheffler hit the putting green following his round, Wyndham Clark made his own move, grinding for difficult pars on the back nine until he sent a 3-wood sky high into the Long Island air on 16 in the same way that Scheffler had done. Clark, however, made the short eagle putt and by day's end held a historic six-shot lead heading into the final round Sunday. "It's extremely challenging out there," Scheffler said. ""I'll need a really nice round tomorrow if I'm going to try and catch Wyndham." Clark will not be caught easily, not just because of his seemingly insurmountable lead but also because he has been here before, with a slimmer lead even, and finished the job. In 2023, he held Scheffler off, among others, at LACC after holding a share of the 54-hole lead. There is an experience and a comfort there that wasn't present when he won his first major. "I'm definitely a lot more confident and believe I can do it. I'd say in '23 there was still doubts. Not necessarily doubts, but I hadn't done it, so there was a lot of unknown," Clark said. "Now that I have done it, I know I can do it, and I can do it again." Yet there's no mistaking what Scheffler's presence represents on the leaderboard and in the final group. He looms, not quite like Tiger Woods did in his heyday, but with the strongest force we have seen since him. If there is anyone who can erase a six-shot lead, who can do what appeared impossible in the late Southampton afternoon as Clark never lost his momentum, it's Scheffler. He is not the only one hoping to track Clark down -- three other players are 1-under while four more stand at even par -- but Scheffler is the only one who may have the firepower to do so. It will help too, that as Clark attempts to hold on to one of the biggest leads we've seen in recent major championship history, Scheffler will be right there alongside him, adding pressure to proximity. "Scottie is the best player in the world, and he's going to play probably really good. He always does, but it's nice to have a six-shot lead on him," Clark said. All year, the No. 1 player in the world has been simmering as his game has not quite failed him but has not quite been able to get him back in the winning circle since his first event of the season in Palm Springs. Scheffler has, through gritted teeth, preached patience and pushed back against the narrative that there's something wrong with his game. His finishes, despite zero wins, have featured seven in the top-10 and have not once dipped below a tie for 24th. Even without a win, Scheffler has been able to provide proof and testament of his unbelievable floor. "I feel like this year I've been what I would describe as close," Scheffler said earlier this week. "The margins are just so small I think in this game." On Saturday, it felt like the margins were as small as they have been all week at Shinnecock. The final round will likely give us the hardest edition of this course we have seen this week in terms of setup. The wind will be down but there's an expectation that the USGA will finally allow the venue to play as firm and difficult as it has in the past. And if Scheffler is looking for hope in a comeback, the reality is that no one thrives when it's difficult more than he does. His game is built to withstand and separate, but now it is him who has to chase. "It's all in Wyndham's hands, really. If he plays a really solid round of golf tomorrow, if he shoots even par or 1-over or 2-over, he's going to win the golf tournament," Xander Schauffele, who sits at 1-under, said. On Sunday, Scheffler will flip a page that is heavy with meaning. He turns 30 years old and will step on the first tee with a chance to win the career Grand Slam. It is remarkable that this moment has already arrived, created in the span of just four years by Scheffler's remarkable run atop the sport. "I think it's appropriate to understand what's at stake. I've worked really hard for a long time to have a chance to win golf tournaments and to win major championships," Scheffler said. "I think understanding the moment and giving it your best shot I think is all part of the process. We want to be in these positions. This is why we practice and play, to have the opportunity to win golf tournaments, and that's what tomorrow is." The mountain Scheffler has to climb Sunday is steeper than it ever has been. Yet if anyone can accomplish what appears to be a Herculean task, it is him. Should he achieve it, it won't just be an unprecedented comeback; it will be historic.