SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — A year ago, Wyndham Clark had to apologize for smashing Oakmont Country Club’s 121-year-old lockers after he missed the cut in the U.S. Open.
Clark didn’t leave any dents at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island this week, but he certainly left his mark as he captured his second U.S. Open title Sunday after nearly squandering a six-stroke lead in the final round before holding on for a one-stroke victory at 4 under.
Clark, who became the ninth wire-to-wire winner of the U.S. Open with a closing round of 3-over 73, saw his lead shrink to only one stroke in Sunday’s final round. But after Sam Burns narrowly missed birdie putts on Nos. 17 and 18 ahead of him, Clark took control again.
Clark won again despite many of the fans in New York rooting for anyone but him to come out on top. At least one fan was ejected from the course for heckling Clark, and others cheered when his tee shot went into a bunker on No. 7.
“Man, they definitely didn’t want me to win,” Clark said. “It’s pretty rare in an Open Championship or a major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots. I mean, that was tough, but sometimes being the underdog is nice.”
Clark played in the final round with Scottie Scheffler, who was trying to complete the career Grand Slam, and fans serenaded the world No. 1 golfer with “Happy Birthday” on Scheffler’s 30th birthday.
“I get it. They were rooting for Scottie,” Clark said. “Grand Slams only happen a few times. He’s going to get it. He’s the best player in the world. But today, it’s my day.”
Burns finished second at 3 under after carding a 3-under 67, his best finish in a major. Tom Kim, a three-time PGA Tour winner who had to qualify for the U.S. Open after falling to 141st in the Official World Golf Ranking, finished third at 1 under after posting an even-par 70.
Scheffler couldn’t get anything going on the greens in Sunday’s 1-over 71 round. He tied for fourth at even par, along with Keith Mitchell (70) and J.T. Poston (67).
“It was good to be kind of back in the arena,” Scheffler said. “I felt like at times this year I was on the outside looking in. I felt like I had given up too many shots early in the week. The positions I put myself in the last couple of years — I was in the final group, in leads, holding leads after 54 holes [and] 36 holes. This year, I haven’t had many 36-hole leads. I haven’t had any 54-hole leads.”
Clark, 32, captured his first U.S. Open title at the Los Angeles Country Club in 2023. He has now won twice in only six starts in the national open; only John McDermott (four starts), Walter Hagen (five) and Ernie Els (five) accomplished the feat in fewer starts, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Clark was an underdog in the last round of the U.S. Open three years ago. He played in the final group with California native Rickie Fowler and held off Rory McIlroy and Scheffler to win his first major.
“I kind of did the same thing,” Clark said Sunday. “Anytime someone said something negative to me, I replaced it with something positive. You know, some of it’s self-deserved. I kind of brought it on myself, but I also get it too. Scottie was going for the career Grand Slam, and it hasn’t happened very often.
“Yeah, it was tough, but I’m proud of myself that I battled through. I mean, things really could have gotten away from me. I stood tough. I would have liked to have won by more, but as long as you win, it doesn’t matter.”
It was dicey until the end. After hitting his tee shot on the par-5 16th into tall native grass down the left side, Clark rebounded with another incredible recovery shot. He blasted his ball out of the grass and back into the fairway. Then he hit his third shot to 24½ feet and made a birdie putt to extend his lead to two.
“It wasn’t good,” Clark said of his lie after the tee shot. “Even though there was a ton of grass around me, I thought it could come out a little knuckly and jump. It didn’t quite do that, but I’m glad I pulled the shot off because things could have gotten a little ugly there.”
On the par-3 17th, however, Clark hit his tee shot to 69 feet. He left his first putt 6 feet short then missed the ensuing putt. The three-putt bogey left him with a one-stroke lead over Burns with one hole to play.
Clark pushed his drive on the 18th into the first cut of rough on the right side. His approach reached the green, about 52 feet from the hole, leaving him two putts to win. Clark nestled the first one only inches from the cup.
After the winning putt, Clark embraced his father, Randall, who had taken a red-eye flight from Denver on Saturday night. It was the first time Randall Clark had watched his son win on the PGA Tour in person — on Father’s Day no less.
“For him to surprise me was amazing, and so I can’t wait to spend more time with my dad tonight and [celebrate] this because it’s not just my win,” Clark said.
Clark has become a divisive golfer since the incident at Oakmont Country Club in last year’s U.S. Open. He kicked in two lockers and was banned from the storied club until he paid for them to be repaired. He also was required to make a donation to charity and undergo anger management counseling.
“After what happened at Oakmont was obviously the lowest point,” Clark said. “People probably didn’t see what happened after. But, you know, it was a really tough two, three days for me. I was in a dark place. I didn’t really go outside much. It was a really negative, dark place.
“At that moment, I just felt a lot of my career — world ranking, reputation, everything — just dwindling. That’s a terrible feeling.”
Even Scheffler felt as if some of the fan behavior Sunday might have crossed the line.
“The crowd was tough today,” Scheffler said. “New Yorkers, they are tough people. There was a good turnout from the fans. You like seeing the fans cheer for you. 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. But at the end of the day, I can’t control fan behavior.”
Wyndham Clark on Sunday became the eighth golfer to have held sole possession of the lead after all four rounds of a U.S. Open.
For a while, it seemed that Clark would become the first golfer to lose more than a five-stroke lead in the U.S. Open. Greg Norman is the only player to lose a six-shot lead in any major, in the 1996 Masters.
Clark looked uncomfortable from the start. He said he woke up Sunday morning with a “pit in his stomach.”
After posting a 3-over 38 on the front nine, Clark was just one stroke in front of Burns, who had four birdies and carded a 3-under 32 on the front.
Clark was fortunate to get the right side of the draw in Thursday’s opening round after a fog delay left the notoriously difficult course softer than expected. He posted a 6-under 64 and followed that with a 69 and a 70. His 54-hole total of 7-under 203 was the lowest ever at Shinnecock Hills.
His game showed cracks on the weekend, however, as he hit only 20 of 36 greens in regulation in the final two rounds. But he converted 66% of his scrambling opportunities, which ranked third in the field, and gained more than 1.5 strokes on the green.
As Clark walked toward the Shinnecock Hills clubhouse with the sun setting Sunday night, a couple of New Yorkers cheered him as he carried the shiny U.S. Open trophy again.
Apparently, not everyone was rooting against him.
“I sure hope it closes the door on it,” Clark said. “I figured in my mind that this would maybe be the last time just because it’s one year removed. I’ll probably always get them, but I hope I don’t become the heel of the PGA. I guess if I am, any press is good press, right?”
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