The third round of the 2026 U.S. Open starts Saturday morning at Shinnecock Hills in New York, with Wyndham Clark carrying a four-shot lead into the day. Clark, who shot a one-under 69 on Friday to reach seven under, goes out with the field behind him and the wind expected to make the course play much harder.
That is why the US Open tee times matter now: the schedule already has Clark in front, but the leaderboard is still close enough that one rough stretch can change everything. Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick were part of a four-way tie for second at the halfway point, while Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler were further down the board and still within range if Saturday turns chaotic.
Coverage begins early. Peacock, USOpen.com and the USGA app start featured group coverage at 9:10 a.m. ET, USA carries third-round TV coverage from 10 a.m. ET to 12 p.m. ET, and NBC takes over from 12 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET. Peacock also simulcasts NBC’s broadcast during that afternoon window, giving viewers a full stretch of live coverage as the round unfolds.
The tee sheet stretches from Dylan Wu and Jacob Bridgeman at 9:00 a.m. to Keith Mitchell and Akshay Bhatia at 2:23 p.m., with major names spread through the middle of the day. Chris Gotterup and Eric Lee go at 9:11 a.m., Jordan Spieth and Joaquin Niemann at 10:55 a.m., Justin Rose and Ben Kohles at 1:12 p.m., and Scottie Scheffler and Brian Harman at 2:01 p.m. Rory McIlroy is listed again later with Maverick McNealy at 2:12 p.m., a sign of how crowded the Saturday schedule is from top to bottom.
What sits underneath the tidy schedule is the part Shinnecock Hills usually exposes. Wind on Long Island can turn a good round into a survival test, and Clark’s edge is not the sort that feels safe if the afternoon gusts build. He already has the lead and the status of a major champion, but Saturday is the day that asks whether those things still hold up when the course starts asking harder questions.
If Clark keeps control, he can turn the final two rounds into a chase of his own. If the wind bites, the opening tee times may matter less than who can keep the ball in play when the scoreboard starts to tighten.
