Xander Schauffele says it's Wyndham Clark’s US Open to lose

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Xander Schauffele entered Saturday with a chance at the U.S. Open lead, but poor putting and a pair of double bogeys left him seven strokes behind leader Wyndham Clark.

Now, tied for sixth place at even par, the two-time major winner and career U.S. Open scoring leader was among the chorus of chasers at Shinnecock Hills saying it was Clark’s tournament to lose.

Only Arnold Palmer in 1960 has overcome a seven-stroke deficit to win a U.S. Open.

“It’s all in Wyndham’s hands, really,” Schauffele said. “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. That’s how I think it’s going to pan out.”

Schauffele followed a near-flawless 66 on Friday with a 73 on Saturday. He started the third round at 3 under and was only three behind after Clark bogeyed the first hole.

But Schauffele soon went backward, with bogeys on the third and sixth holes bookending a birdie on five. Things got worse on the back nine, with two double bogeys in a three-hole stretch.

On 10, Schauffele put his tee shot in the rough, his approach in the sand and rolled his bunker shot off the back of the elevated green. On 12, he three-putted after stops in the rough and a bunker short of the green.

After sinking a combined 126 feet of putts on Friday, Schauffele made just 47 feet of putts Saturday. His longest was just 6 1/2 feet.

Schauffele ranks 48th on the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained putting, 101st in putts per round and 115th in putting average.

Birdies on 13 and 15 and a sand save for par on 11 salvaged Schauffele’s day. Or, as he described it to reporters afterward, “kind of a long day, U.S. Open day."

“It was kind of a little bit of everything, to be honest,” Schauffele said. “Kind of a slow start. Then had a bad stretch of golf there 10 through 12. I hit a great bunker shot on 11, but could have been worse, I guess.”

“Then I was just trying to get back into touch. Wyndham is playing great ... and kind of the rest of the herd is trailing by a lot, and I’m one of them.”

Schauffele plays exceptionally well in the U.S. Open, but hasn't won the tournament.

He finished in the top 10 in seven of his nine previous appearances, including a tie for third in 2019, and owns the best scoring average among players with at least 20 rounds. His worst finish was a tie for 14th in 2022.

“The way this tournament is panning out, if I can — in my mind, if I can get to 4 or 5 under, that would be all-world,” Schauffele said. “I’m not even sure if that’s possible tomorrow.”

Xander Schauffele waves after his putt on the fourth hole during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2026.(AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Xander Schauffele hits from the bunker on the second hole during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Xander Schauffele watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2026.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Xander Schauffele hits from the bunker on the sixth hole during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2026.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Xander Schauffele watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Saturday, June 20, 2026.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber launched two long home runs in Philadelphia's eight-run third inning and Bryce Harper became the 11th player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, leading the Phillies to a 15-3 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday night

Schwarber led off the Phillies' huge inning with a solo homer off Mets starter Freddy Peralta, sending the ball 456 feet into the second deck in right field.

Later in the inning, Schwarber hit a three-run shot off Cionel Perez into nearly the same spot, 457 feet away.

Schwarber is the 67th player in major league history to hit two home runs in an inning and the second this season, joining Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, who accomplished the feat on June 12. He's the fourth Phillies player to do so, along with Trea Turner (Aug. 19, 2023), Von Hayes (June 11, 1985) and Andy Seminick (June 2, 1949).

Schwarber hit his third homer of the game — giving him a major league-leading 28 — in the seventh, a two-run shot off Tobias Myers. He finished 4 for 5 with six RBIs and scored four runs.

Harper completed his first career cycle by the fifth inning. He hit a solo home run in the first, his 16th of the season. He doubled and scored on an error in the third, then singled after Schwarber’s second home run.

In the fifth, Harper lined a ball into the gap in left-center field and motored around to third base for a two-run triple. He's the first Phillies player to hit for the cycle since Weston Wilson on Aug. 15, 2024. Harper finished 4 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs.

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Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper reacts to hitting a triple for the cycle during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber, center, celebrates his three-run home run and his second of the inning with teammates during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber, front right, celebrates after his home run with Bryce Harper (3) during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)