SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – There were plenty of times Sunday at Shinnecock Hills where it seemed like it might have just been too much for Wyndham Clark.
The jeers and the pressure. The misses and the opportunities that were lost.
But as he did all week, he battled. He locked into the process, something he worked on and through for all 72 holes, and blocked out the noise. And come Sunday, as the sun set behind a cloud on a perfect summertime night in the Hamptons, he became a major champion again.
“The first one was amazing, and this one seems even better,” Clark said.
Clark, who also won the U.S. Open in 2023, became just the ninth true wire-to-wire winner in the championship’s history. He shot a 3-over 73 Sunday to finish at.4 under for the week, topping Sam Burns by one. It took Clark only six starts at the U.S. Open to win the trophy twice – the third-quickest number in history.
After being so steady through the first 54 holes – Clark raced out to a six-shot advantage heading into Sunday’s finale and barring a historical collapse it was almost a forgone conclusion he would win 24 hours later – he finally showed come chinks in the armour.
Clark bogeyed two of his first five holes and didn’t make a birdie until the par-4 10th, when he clipped a wedge to just four feet. He gave it back with a bogey on No. 13 and in the rear-view mirror was Burns, who had made four birdies on his front side.
Burns couldn’t keep things going late, however. He made a silly bogey on No. 15, missing a four-footer there. He got that back with a birdie on the next hole but missed two makeable birdie tries on Nos. 17 and 18 to fall just short. He has, however, become a bit of a U.S. Open specialist of late, going T9-T7-2 in his last three starts at the major – the only player to finish inside the top 10 in each of those three years.
“I think to start the day seven shots back, I knew it was going to take something really special, and I think I couldn’t have asked for a better start,” Burns said. “Then to have the chance on 18, I really thought I made that putt. I hit it exactly how I wanted with the speed I wanted and just didn’t go in, but really proud of the way we played today.”
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Clark kept the door open late, as he missed a six-foot par attempt on the penultimate hole. But just as he did in 2023 in his win at Los Angeles Country Club, he ended up playing a very similar kind of championship finale. Clark landed his approach about 60 feet away but nestled his first putt up to just inches to lock up the title.
Through the week he was 14th in strokes gained: off the tee and fourth in strokes gained: putting. He put himself in good positions almost better than anyone, and he managed to convert his opportunities – a great combination at U.S. Open venues as difficult as Shinnecock Hills.
The putt on No. 18 was short but the celebration was long. He embraced friends and family including his father – who flew in overnight from Denver to be there and surprise him.
“He’s never been there to see me win. Not only that, to finally have him there for a win is amazing, but especially on Father’s Day,” Clark said. “I know in (2023) it was obviously a great Father’s Day present for him, but I know he wanted to be there here in person. So, for him to surprise me was amazing, and so I can’t wait to spend more time with my dad tonight and celebrating this, because it’s not just my win. It’s my team.”
Given the fact that Clark had played so well – and has been lately, as this was his second win on tour in four starts – and is American, and was obviously emotional in thanking his father and all the people that meant so much to him after his major triumph, it was curious to see and hear how poorly the fans were treating him through Sunday’s winning march.
“They definitely didn’t want me to win,” Clark said. “It’s pretty rare in a (U.S. Open) or major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots.”
Part of this was due to Clark’s own actions – he smashed a locker at Oakmont Country Club last year after missing the cut and also a sponsor sign at the PGA Championship the month prior – and he actually seemed fine to take on the antagonist role.
“I sure hope (this win) closes the door on (the locker-room incident). 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 Tour),” Clark said. “I guess if I am, any press is good press, right?”
But the other side of the coin is that for Sunday’s finale he was paired with Scottie Scheffler, who was gunning to complete the career grand slam for the first time.
Scheffler is the closest thing we now have – with Rory McIlroy doing it last April – to Tiger Woods, results- and greatness-wise. Everyone was cheering for something special. It just so happened to be that Clark, who already had villainous history, was in Scheffler’s way (on his birthday, no less). Clark said even Ted Scott, who has been on the PGA Tour for decades and has caddied Scheffler to 20 PGA Tour titles, acknowledged that no one was really pulling for Clark through the finale, but to battle and win was impressive.
“… I think it shows a lot about Wyndham, how he handled not only this golf course but I think the crowd today as well and is a well-deserving champion,” said Scheffler, who finished tied for fourth after shooting a 1-over 71 on Sunday.
Scheffler’s effort was his 17th top-10 finish in his last 22 major starts. The only other golfers to have that kind of run are Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
See? Scheffler is in the pantheon.
This week, however, belonged to Clark.
The last time he won was in California, so of course the USGA opened a bottle of Screaming Eagle cabernet sauvignon (which on average costs thousands of dollars). He’s hoping for more of the same this time around. A tough battle. A hard week. And a winner who might not be everyone’s favourite but is everyone’s champion regardless.
“I think winning something the second time,” Clark said, “I think you really appreciate what you did the previous time and how difficult it is.”