SOUTHAMPTON, New York, June 21: Sahith Theegala produced another display of remarkable patience to remain firmly in contention at the 2026 U.S. Open, spearheading a strong showing by Indian-origin golfers as Wyndham Clark tightened his grip on the championship after three demanding rounds at Shinnecock Hills.
The Indian-American, one of two Hero-supported players in the field, carded an even-par 70 to stay at one-under-par 209, six shots behind leader Wyndham Clark. Theegala shares second place with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, South Korea’s Tom Kim, and American Sam Stevens, while fellow Indian-origin stars Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai are tied 17th, ensuring an impressive Indian presence heading into Sunday’s finale.
Bhatia, who is also backed by Hero, had had rounds of 70-70-73, and he is three-over-par, while reigning PGA Championship winner Rai recovered from an opening 74 with rounds of 67 and 72 to also occupy a share of 17th place. Rory McIlroy, chasing a seventh major title and his second major triumph of the 2026 season, is also tied 17th.
For Theegala, however, the moving day represented far more than the numbers on the scorecard. His round featured just one bogey, at the sixth, and one birdie—a tap-in at the 18th after two superb shots—but the statistics hardly reflected how well he played.
“It was a grind,” Theegala said after his round. “I hit it really, really well today. I might have missed one or two fairways, honestly, and only one or two greens. I hit it kind of right where I was looking almost all day. Just middle of the green, a lot of putts from 12 to 30 feet that just could not buy one.”
Despite repeatedly giving himself birdie opportunities, nothing dropped.
He said, “It was one of the biggest tests of patience I’ve ever had in a single round in my life,” he said. “It’s so easy to get frustrated with how well I hit it and not having anything to show for it. But I’m very happy with how today went.”
His persistence was finally rewarded at the closing hole, where two excellent shots left him with a stress-free tap-in birdie.
“It was really nice not having to putt on the last hole,” Theegala said. “It was very rewarding because I really played awesome today, and it’s nice to at least have one birdie to show for it.”
The finish ensured he stayed within striking distance, even though Clark continued to separate himself from the field.
The 2023 U.S. Open champion negotiated another punishing day with an even-par 70, relying on outstanding scrambling to preserve his lead. Clark saved par seven times after missing greens and produced the championship’s only eagle on the par-five 16th after a stunning 275-yard three-wood left him a four-foot putt.
“That’s what you have to make to win U.S. Opens,” Clark said of his clutch par saves. “You’re not going to have too many birdie putts, and when you do miss, it’s really hard to hit a gimme.”
Clark now carries a six-shot cushion into the final round, becoming just the fifth player in U.S. Open history to hold such a lead after 54 holes. Statistics also favour the American—20 of the previous 21 players to enjoy a lead of six strokes or more entering the final round of a major championship have gone on to win.
Yet Theegala insists there is little point worrying about the leaderboard early on Sunday.
“I can’t even worry about what Wyndham is doing for the first nine to 12 holes,” he said. “It just requires so much mental energy to play each and every hole out there.”
Instead, the Californian plans to stick to the approach that has carried him into contention.
“The goal is to put yourself in position come back nine on Sunday, and then that’s when you can start leaderboard watching,” he explained. “There’s a lot of danger involved in pushing it a little bit, but you do have opportunities to make a push at the end there.”
Theegala also revealed that merely reaching the championship had been his initial objective after injuries disrupted his 2025 campaign and forced him to miss two majors.
“Honestly, I was just hoping I would get into the tournament,” he said. “I love U.S. Opens. I don’t know if they necessarily fit my game, but I just love really, really hard golf courses.”
Without burdening himself with lofty expectations, he has instead embraced the challenge. He added, “I really didn’t have too much expectation other than to enjoy the week and embrace the challenge, and it’s worked out really well so far.”
Scheffler remains Clark’s most accomplished challenger. The World No. 1 recovered brilliantly from bogeys on each of his opening two holes to post a three-under 69, highlighted by a sparkling back-nine 32 that included birdies on the 14th, 15th, and 16th holes. A win will see Scheffler complete the career Grand Slam and join one of golf’s most exclusive clubs.
Tom Kim and Sam Stevens, both searching for breakthrough major victories, are also tied alongside Theegala and Scheffler at one-under, while Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo surged into a tie for sixth with the round of the day, a three-under 67.
Although Clark begins the final day as the overwhelming favourite, Indian golf followers will have plenty to cheer. Theegala has already produced the finest major performance of his career and now has an opportunity to challenge for one of golf’s biggest prizes. Alongside Bhatia and Rai, who have also battled their way into the top 20, the Indian-origin contingent has enjoyed one of its strongest collective weeks at a major championship.
With Shinnecock Hills expected to play even firmer on Sunday, Theegala knows patience, precision and perseverance will once again be the keys. If the leader falters and the chasing pack can apply pressure, the 28-year-old has given himself every chance of scripting the biggest moment of his career.
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