Wyndham Clark and the five words that defined his U.S. Open victory
· Yahoo Sports
SOUTHAMPTON, New York — After all the heckling Wyndham Clark received, the defining words of his second U.S. Open victory were the ones spoken directly into his ear on the 18th green.
"Toughest round you've ever played," dad Randall said as they embraced in celebration.
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Randall red-eyed to Long Island from Denver to witness what he hoped to be a coronation. Clark led outright since the Thursday gloaming and took a six-shot lead into the final round, a cushion no man has ever squandered in a U.S. Open.
Five holes into his Sunday, Clark's lead was one. Sam Burns, the PGA Tour's top putter last year, had putts to tie Clark between 9 and 29 feet on Nos. 11, 12, 17 and 18 — and missed all of them.
Wyndham Clark fends off Sam Burns, heckling to win second U.S. OpenWyndham Clark is the U.S. Open champion for the second time in three years.Similar to his 2023 U.S. Open victory, Clark two-putted from more than 50 feet on the 72nd hole to prevail by one shot (this time with a 3-over 73).
Similar to his 2023 U.S. Open victory, Clark was paired with a fan favorite in the final round — Rickie Fowler then, Scottie Scheffler now.
In 2023, Clark and his sports psychologist, Julie Elion, developed a plan to handle the Fowler fever: Every time he heard "Go Rickie!" cheers, he replaced the din with thoughts of his goals for the day.
At Shinnecock, when people said Clark would choke — which he started hearing late in Saturday's round — he replaced it with positive thoughts.
But the Clark of 2023 was not the same man as the Clark of 2026.
In between the two U.S. Open victories, Clark angrily flung his driver into signage at the 2025 PGA Championship, not far from a volunteer. Then at the 2025 U.S. Open, he damaged lockers at Oakmont after missing the cut.
"People probably didn't see what happened after, but it was a really tough two, three days for me," Clark said of his misconduct at Oakmont. "I was in a dark place, didn't really go outside much. It was a really negative, dark place. I just felt a lot of my career, world ranking, reputation, everything just dwindling."
Clark leaned on his team to get where he is today.
"I'm not getting angry as much as I used to," he said. "I think I get frustrated. My anger has kind of gone away, which is a huge blessing. I'd say the frustration is kind of obviously there. Anyone gets it in golf."
Meanwhile, for his game, he took on a swing coach late last year, Pat Coyner, and then changed putters. His world ranking, which was No. 3 in April 2024, plummeted to No. 75 this spring.
He caught fire in the last month, winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson with a final round 60, taking solo third at Memorial and a tie for 11th at the RBC Canadian Open last week. (In Canada, he donned a Jack Hughes USA Hockey jersey on one hole, knocked his tee shot to four feet and birdied amid boos — which he said turned out to be good preparation for the Shinnecock Sunday.)
Miles Russell, 17-year-old at U.S. Open, asks dad to caddie in emotional Father’s Day momentMiles Russell is the second-youngest man to make a U.S. Open cut since World War II.The U.S. Open final round started with the opening tee spectators serenading playing partner Scottie Scheffler on his 30th birthday. Then things turned.
"I didn't know it was going to be this harsh," Clark told Golf Channel. "I thought maybe there would be more 'Go Scottie!' cheers than it was booing against me."
Clark's mistakes were applauded. His stellar shots sometimes received scattered golf claps but not the roars associated with the leader of a major.
As his advantage dwindled, Clark reminded himself that he would have taken a narrow lead on Sunday if offered to him before the tournament started. Caddie David Pelekoudas kept telling him "good process" before hitting shots.
People repeatedly rooted for his shots to go into bunkers — which they often did on his 3-over front nine. Some fans were kicked out. Clark held his lead, and his nerve.
"New York didn’t really like me," Clark said on the 18th green in an interview that could be heard by the remaining crowd. "I love you guys, but I get it. Some of it’s self-deserved. I did some unfortunate things last year that I really regret. Hopefully I can win you over eventually."
Later in a press conference, Clark said he hopes this victory "closes the door" on what he did in 2025.
"I figured in my mind that this would maybe be the last time (it’s a storyline) just because it's one year removed," he said. "I'll probably always get them, but I hope I don't become the heel of the PGA."
He'll be introduced on first tees and in media as a two-time U.S. Open winner, the ninth man to win one by leading outright after all four rounds. The others in the last 50 years were Tiger Woods (2000, 2002), Rory McIlroy (2011) and Martin Kaymer (2014).
As he toted his trophy Sunday night, Clark was reminded of youth basketball growing up, when he cherished being on the road team, hushing the home crowd with his play.
"It sucks being the underdog or getting rooted against, but I can pull through,” he said, “and there's nothing like winning kind of an away game.”
What Rory McIlroy said after U.S. Open: ‘The wheels came off’Rory McIlroy was tied for third at one point Saturday, then struggled at Shinnecock.