Wyndham Clark reflected on his villainous status among many golf fans after his victory at the 2026 U.S. Open on Sunday, June 21.
“Man, they definitely didn’t want me to win,” Clark, 32, told reporters. “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.”
The Colorado native was heckled relentlessly all weekend, with one fan even kicked off the grounds at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, for berating Clark.
Clark played Sunday’s final round alongside fan favorite Scottie Scheffler, who was attempting to complete the career Grand Slam.
“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.”
Clark explained that he used some of the fans’ vitriol to spur him on to victory, much in the same way he did when he won his first U.S. Open title in 2023.
“Anytime someone said something negative to me, I replaced it with something positive,” Clark said.
He added, “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.”
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Clark entered Sunday’s final round with a six-stroke lead but was forced to hold on to win by a single stroke after his lead slipped away during a dramatic day at Shinnecock.
Much of the animosity toward Clark stems from an infamous incident at last year’s U.S. Open, when he destroyed two lockers at Oakmont Country Club after missing the cut. Clark was banned from the club until he paid for repairs and required to attend anger management courses.
“After what happened at Oakmont was obviously the lowest point,” Clark said on Sunday. “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.”
He added, “At that moment, I just felt a lot of my career — world ranking, reputation, everything — just dwindling. That’s a terrible feeling.”
