Wyndham Clark walked away with his second U.S. Open trophy at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York on Sunday, but the golfer knows a championship title alone won’t be enough to fully restore his standing with the public.
Clark edged out Sam Burns by a single stroke in a tense final round, though the atmosphere was far from welcoming. Many spectators departed before his third round even concluded, and others openly heckled him throughout the fourth round.
“New York didn’t really like me — I love you guys,” Clark said after finishing the tournament at four-under par. “But, you know, I get it. Some of it’s self deserved and I did some unfortunate things last year that I really regret.”
The source of that animosity traces back to the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, where Clark was banned after destroying locker room property in a fit of rage following a missed cut. That same year, he drew sharp criticism at the PGA Championship for angrily hurling his driver after a wayward tee shot.
Clark said he found a way to cope with the hostile crowd at Shinnecock Hills, even managing to find some humor in the situation with his caddie, David Pelekoudas.
“I was kind of making jokes about it with (caddie David Pelekoudas) where if we heard someone cheer for me, I’d go, ‘Oh, there’s one person that likes me,’” said Clark, who also claimed the title back in 2023.
“I’ve played now a Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup on foreign soil, and it kind of had that atmosphere a little bit,” he added.
Clark has been open about the significant mental work he has put into steadying himself on the course, acknowledging that the road back to composure has been a long one.
“What happened at Oakmont was obviously the lowest point,” Clark said. “I just felt a lot of my career, world ranking, reputation, everything just dwindling. That’s a terrible feeling. I would say in that moment I definitely didn’t think I’d be here this year doing this.”
