Scheffler gets some help from Clark, but can't take advantage at the US Open

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler got part of what he needed — a crack in Wyndham Clark's game that might have kickstarted his own run at completing the career Grand Slam.

But Scheffler never nailed down the other part — namely, applying any pressure of his own on the player who left the door open Sunday at the U.S. Open before sneaking away with the win.

While Clark hung on to beat Sam Burns by one shot and capture his second title in four years in the toughest test in golf, Scheffler will wait another year for a chance to fill that last hole on his Grand Slam resume.

“I felt close again,” Scheffler said. “It's just little things here and there.”

With Clark struggling most of the day, the world’s No. 1 player celebrated his 30th birthday by making a grand total of two birdies over a round of 1-over 71 at Shinnecock Hills. He actually beat Clark by two shots in their final-pairing showdown. But he came in trailing by six.

In a more telling sign of the opportunity he could not cash in on, Scheffler started as the best bet to reel in Clark among those jammed in a four-way tie for second heading into the round. He left in a three-way deadlock for fourth, passed up by Burns (67) and left behind by fellow birthday boy Tom Kim, who shot 70 and finished alone in third.

Scheffler's struggles were all part of a strange day and a strange vibe around Shinnecock. It was filled with lots of cheers for everything he did well, but also cheers for Clark's mishaps — the product of a New York crowd familiar with Clark's history of smashing a locker at Oakmont last year out of frustration.

"You like seeing the fans cheer for you," Scheffler said. “I think sometimes it can get a little too much when balls are kind of going off greens and you start hearing cheers. That felt a bit much to me.”

It never really led to momentum, though, for the Texan, who won the British Open last year and put himself in position to become the seventh player to complete the career Grand Slam. He'll have to wait until next year at Pebble Beach. On Sunday at Shinnecock, he spent most of the day stuck in neutral.

His chances to mount a comeback got delayed on the par-3 seventh, where he needed two shots from a bunker and a 15-foot putt just to save bogey. That kept him within four of Clark. But he never drew closer than three.

Scheffler's last, best chance might have been on the par-5 16th, when Clark teed off into the thick fescue and Scheffler was in perfect shape in the fairway. But Scheffler hit driver off the deck into the rough and Clark hit a fantastic shot back into the fairway. When Clark made birdie there to Scheffler's par, the lead was five and it was a two-man contest between Clark and Burns, who was playing three groups ahead.

"He showed what he’s made of there with a great birdie on 16," Scheffler said. “Wyndham has a pretty good -- I don’t know if 'escapability is the right word — but he’s, I would say, a very underrated scrambler.”

With the tip of his cap, Scheffler also gave a nod to reality: He lost this tournament over the first two and half days — or maybe even over the first nine holes, where he made the turn at 3 over after a three-putt from 30 feet for double-bogey on No. 8.

Two months ago, Scheffler overcame a similarly slow start at the Masters and made a Sunday charge to finish one shot shy of Rory McIlroy in what would have been an unprecedented comeback from 12 strokes down heading into the weekend.

This time, Scheffler was eight back of Clark after the first day.

“I’ve been pretty good in first rounds over the last few years, and for some reason, the sharpness just hasn’t been there early in tournaments,” Scheffler said. “I haven’t had those leads that I’ve needed in order to win tournaments. I’ve been playing catch-up all year.”

And so, Scheffler heads into the defense of his British title still with four majors to his name, but no U.S. Open. One thing those wins have in common: He has had at least a share of the lead heading into the final round of all of them.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Scottie Scheffler watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark walk to green on the 12th hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Scottie Scheffler waves after his putt on the third hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Scottie Scheffler waits to play on the eighth hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — With Senegal in a difficult spot in World Cup group play, coach Pape Thiaw is not revealing how many changes he might make for his team's game against Norway on Monday night.

“Am I going to shake things up a bit? Well, you’ll find this out,” Thiaw said through an interpreter at a news conference Sunday.

Senegal hung in tough against tournament favorite France for the first half of its opener Tuesday before losing 3-1. Édouard Mendy allowed three goals on eight shots in that game, which included Kylian Mbappé scoring from long range moments after Senegal finally got on the board in stoppage time.

Reserve goalkeeper Mory Diaw accompanied Thiaw to the news conference, but denied his appearance may indicate he would start in place of Mendy.

Senegal has only Iraq left to play after facing Norway in Group I, so the Lions of Teranga are treating their second game as if it is a must-win final.

“We’re in a very tough group; we knew this coming in,” Thiaw said. “We obviously lost the first one, but there’s everything left to play for. We cannot get this wrong.”

Whoever is in net — and on the field — for Senegal, the biggest challenge is slowing down Erling Haaland, the high-scoring striker who had two goals in a 4-1 rout of Iraq on Tuesday after leading Europe with 16 in qualifying.

“Yes, Haaland, but it's not Haaland alone,” Diaw said through an interpreter. “Haaland by himself, he can’t do anything. He needs his teammates, so it’s not how do we stop Haaland. It’s up to us to be prepared for the game against Norway.”

Diaw was echoing Thiaw, who said his plan was to neutralize Norway as a team. Of course, that begins with Haaland, who scored 27 goals in 35 Premier League games for Manchester City this past season and has 57 internationally.

“Haaland obviously doesn’t need any introducing,” Thiaw said. “We’ve got good defenders. We’ve got very high-level defenders who have played in very high-level competitions and have come across strikers of this caliber.”

After reports lingered for months that Thiaw was coaching without a contract, he said he now has one. He declined to say how long it was for, calling the details confidential and the timing less than ideal.

“It took too long,” Thiaw said. “But it was not really a money issue. It was more principles and respect issue, but it’s been resolved.”

Thiaw also acknowledged players had some problems but said they have been worked out. Amid reports that Senegal is enduring food issues without a team chef at the World Cup, Diaw was asked what his complaints were and responded that the team handles issues internally.

“I don’t think we need to come and air our dirty laundry here,” Diaw said. “We’ve got a group of players, professional players, and we’re here to represent our Senegalese country and that’s what we’re here to do. And we’re trying to do the best that we can (Monday night). And all of the other problems or these scandals, there’s nothing that’s going to take away from our focus on our common objective.”

Haaland and his teammates would move on to the round of 32 with a victory. Norway is in the World Cup for just the fourth time and first since 1998.

Reaching the round of 16 is the furthest Norway, a slight favorite against Senegal, has advanced at the tournament. Coach Ståle Solbakken thought his team could not move on yet, but getting to six points with head to head as the first tiebreaker would get the job done.

"We need to put (together) two good performances," Solbakken said. “We know how important the game is. We know what we have to do, and that’s our main focus.”

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

Norway's Erling Haaland (9) smiles as he leaves the pitch at the end of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Iraq's Zaid Tahseen, right, grabs Norway's Erling Haaland during the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saves the ball during the World Cup Group I soccer match between France and Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw, left, shakes hands with France head coach Didier Deschamps at the end of during the World Cup Group I soccer match between France and Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

France's Bradley Barcola (12) scores a goal against Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (16) during the World Cup Group I soccer match between France and Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)