Clark wins second US Open trophy despite hecklers

Wyndham Clark secures a wire-to-wire triumph contempt hostile reception from New York crowd.

Wyndham Clark has recovered a measurement of redemption for smashing a locker astatine past year’s US Open by winning this year’s edition, but aft merciless heckling, helium fears becoming the PGA Tour’s villain.

Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, withstood taunts from New York fans to occurrence a three-over par 73 and drawback a one-stroke triumph implicit chap American Sam Burns astatine Shinnecock Hills successful New York for a 2nd large title.

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“The archetypal 1 was amazing, and this 1 seems adjacent better,” Clark said. “Especially aft specified a sour sensation past twelvemonth successful this championship, to person immoderate redemption and triumph this again is astir surreal.”

Clark has repeatedly apologised for damaging the locker astatine Oakmont successful Pennsylvania aft missing the chopped past year.

“I definite anticipation it closes the doorway connected it,” Clark said. “I’ll astir apt ever get [hecklers], but I anticipation I don’t go the bottommost of the PGA.”

Clark recalled the aftermath of the incidental arsenic his darkest time, ne'er dreaming helium would triumph the US Open a twelvemonth later.

“After what happened astatine Oakmont was evidently the lowest point,” Clark said. “It was a truly pugnacious two, 3 days for me. I was successful a acheronian place, didn’t truly spell extracurricular much.

“I conscionable felt a batch of my career, satellite ranking, reputation, everything conscionable dwindling. That’s a unspeakable feeling.

“In that moment, I decidedly didn’t deliberation I’d beryllium present this twelvemonth doing this.”

While immoderate joked astir what Clark mightiness person done to his locker had helium squandered a six-stroke pb successful the past round, Clark said helium has overmuch amended power of his anger.

“I’m not arsenic aggravated arsenic I utilized to be,” Clark said. “I deliberation I get frustrated. My choler has benignant of gone away, which is simply a immense blessing.

“It’s a operation of things disconnected the people being great,” helium said. “My crippled feels similar it’s successful a bully position. I’m conscionable happier wherever I’m astatine successful life.

“Last year, I got excessively caught up successful things that truly didn’t matter.”

It didn’t assistance being bypassed for past year’s Ryder Cup team.

“That was besides different conscionable jab to the tummy that I didn’t marque that,” helium said. “I’m conscionable blessed I’m present connected the different broadside of things.”

That helped him grip hecklers and a assemblage that greeted his large shots with soundlessness portion cheering his errors.

“They decidedly didn’t privation maine to win,” Clark said. “It’s beauteous uncommon successful a large to person fans benignant of boo against your shots oregon cheer for atrocious shots. That was tough. But sometimes being the underdog is nice.

“I benignant of brought it connected myself. I’m arrogant of myself I battled through. Things truly could person gotten distant from me. I stood tough.”

Wyndham Clark held connected done challenging ⁠conditions and an unfriendly assemblage astatine the 2026 US Open to grounds a ⁠rare wire-to-wire triumph [Kate McShane/Getty Images via AFP]

‘Lot of grit’

He joked astir his fewer cheers from onlookers with caddie Dave Pelekoudas.

“If we heard idiosyncratic cheer for me, I’d go, ‘There’s 1 idiosyncratic that likes me,'” Clark said.

“But it’s tough, man. I’ve played present a Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup connected overseas soil, and it benignant of had that ambiance a small bit.”

Scottie Scheffler caddie Ted Scott praised him aft the finish.

“He went retired of his mode to say, ‘Hey, that took a batch of grit. No 1 was truly pulling for you, and to conflict done and win, that was impressive,'” Clark said.

Clark teased the locals astatine past week’s PGA Canadian Open by wearing a USA hockey jersey that brought him boos.

“They were beauteous harsh connected me,” Clark said. “It sucks getting rooted against, but I tin propulsion through, and there’s thing similar winning an distant game.”