Finau falls back as Clark captures first major title at rare US Open in Los Angeles

It may be safe to assume Father's Day 2023 won't be going on Tony Finau's career highlight tape.

The Salt Lake City native carded four bogeys in his first 11 holes to fall back in Sunday's final round at the Los Angeles Country Club, falling back to 32nd as Wyndham Clark, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler commanded center stage on the final day of the U.S. Open in Los Angeles.

Clark shot 10-under 270 to win his first major on the PGA Tour in the 123rd U.S. Open, one shot better than McIlroy and three up on third-place Scottie Scheffler. Cameron Smith finished fourth at 6-under, followed by Fowler, Tommy Fleetwood and Min Woo Lee.

But it was on Father's Day Sunday that Clark made his late mother Lisa proud while hoisting an 18-inch sterling silver trophy over his head.

"I just felt like my mom was watching over me today. I wish she could be here; I miss you, mom," said Clark, who lost his mother to breast cancer in 2013, in a post-round interview with NBC Sports. "I just feel like I've worked so hard, and I dreamed about this moment for so long. There have been so many times I've visualized being here ... and I feel like it was my time."

Finau shot 68-69 in the opening rounds to keep sight of the 59th top-10 finish of his career before the weekend. But the 33-year-old father of five labored to a 2-over 72 in Saturday's third round, ending with back-to-back bogeys to drop into a tie for 15th.

Perhaps that was an omen of things to come.

Finau, who splits time between his home in Lehi and another near his swing coach Boyd Summerhays in Scottsdale, Arizona, started strong with a birdie on the par-5, 585-yard first hole at LACC's North Course. But the West High graduate carded bogey on three of the next four holes and couldn't find his rhythm the rest of the way, carding back-to-back bogeys on the back nine before a bogey on No. 17 left at 4-over 74 on the day and tied for 32nd at 3-over 283.

The six-time PGA Tour champion has never finished higher than fifth place at the U.S. Open.

The only other Utah golfer in the field at the first U.S. Open in the City of Angels in more than 70 years — Arizona State sophomore Preston Summerhays — shot consecutive 73s and missed the cut at 6-over.

Fowler, who shared the lead with Clark at 10-under through 54 holes, dropped back a shot with bogey on the par-4, 505-yard second hole to allow McIlroy back into contention. Fowler carded back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 to fall behind the leaders.

Under a thick marine layer while the Tour honored the 50th anniversary of former BYU golfer Johnny Miller's U.S. Open victory in his home state, the Northern Irishman ranked No. 3 in the world opened his final round with a birdie to jump into a share of the lead. But Clark added to birdies on the front nine and led by as much as two shots as the leaders moved toward the final stretch.

After carding a U.S. Open-record 62 in Thursday's opening round, Fowler shot 75 in the final round.

Clark's birdie on the par-5, 612-yard 14th hole gave him a three-shot lead over McIlroy, who led by three over a group that included Fowler, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith. The Denver, Colorado, native with just one victory in 136 previous starts on the PGA Tour gave two shots back with consecutive bogeys as his lead was trimmed to just one shot with two hole remaining.

But McIlroy couldn't taken't advantage, shooting even-par 70 in the final round to finish runner-up to the first-time major winner.

"I'll rue some of the chances I missed," McIlroy told NBC Sports. "It was hard to get the ball close all day ... and then that spot on No. 14, coming up a bit short. I hung in there, I fought right till the end. Didn't quite get the job done, but I'm going to keep coming back until I get one."

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