SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — It’s not often that the U.S. Open is a road game for an American player, but that’s exactly what Wyndham Clark — born in Colorado, resident of Arizona — fought through on Sunday at Shinnecock Hills.
Mocking his tee shots, celebrating his wayward approaches, cheering his misses, the gallery at Shinnecock Hills reveled in every one of Clark’s missteps. Fortunately for him, unfortunately for them, there weren’t quite enough missteps to devour all of his 54-hole, six-shot lead, and as a result, Wyndham Clark won his second U.S. Open on Sunday — finishing at 4-under, one shot better than Sam Burns.
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In the process, he forced a gallery that spent much of the day heckling him to, at the very least, respect him.
As he walked to the par-5 16th, the lead down to just one over Burns, Clark ripped his tee shot into the deep fescue to the left. He caught a miserable lie, one that all but assured bogey and a tie with Burns. But then he pitched out, pitched on and drained a 24-foot downhill putt that effectively put the tournament away.
As the putt dropped, Clark pumped his fist with the force of a tiger (Tiger), and all the gallery could do … was clap.
It was the defining moment for Clark at this championship, one that showed the mettle of a man who grinded his way around Shinnecock Hills better than anyone over the course of four days. He drained knee-knocking par putt after knee-knocking par putt, never relinquishing the lead despite the pressure of the moment or a gallery that didn’t want to see him win.
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“New York didn’t really like me. I love you guys,” Clark said on NBC after the win. “But you know, I get it. Some of it’s self-deserved. I did some unfortunate things last year that I really regret, and I’ve been sorry multiple times and I’m still sorry, so hopefully I can win you guys over eventually.”
“… The first one was kind of just the breakthrough of knowing I could do it. This one was kind of redemption. … It’s amazing what a year can do.”
The U.S. Open is the monster in the closet of every player, the lurking fear that keeps them up at night, with one dramatic and obvious difference: the U.S. Open is all too real, and it arrives every year. The USGA, which manages the Open, delights in “testing” (their words) or “abusing” (players’ words) the field, brewing up a demonic alchemy of speedy greens and treacherous pin placements. Throw in swirling wind and baking heat, and that’s as tough as major championship golf gets.
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Shinnecock Hills has long held a well-deserved reputation as the most fearsome course in the U.S. Open rotation. Coming into this week, only three players in the last four Opens had finished their week below par. Shinnecock was the site of multiple famous course collapses, from the 2004 final where the USGA watered greens in the middle of the round to Phil Mickelson’s spiteful putt of a moving ball in 2018.
So players approached this week with a mixture of trepidation, respect and terror. “If everything is going the way everyone wants it in terms of weather, setup, I think it’s the best championship test in the country,” Rory McIlroy said earlier this week. “I think it tests all aspects of the game: driving, iron play, you need to have your wits about you on the greens.”
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The USGA, meanwhile, opted for early mercy. “We could brutalize this place the next few days if we wanted to,” USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer said. “That’s not what we’re about. We really want it to be fair, and we want it to be what Shinnecock Hills has always been. It will be tough enough.”
On Thursday, at least, it wasn’t. Mother Nature played a little rope-a-dope with the U.S. Open field, and the promised heavy winds that the USGA had anticipated didn’t arrive. That meant the easy greens the USGA had set up had no natural defense, and Clark took immediate advantage. He posted a -6 round — one that required a bit of Friday morning to complete — and stood clear of the field by four strokes after the very first day.
The course started to bite back on Friday, and while Clark was able to turn in an even-par round to stay at -6, most of the rest of the field wasn’t so fortunate. Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, who had been within sight of the lead Thursday, ejected from the entire tournament, missing the cut and raising significant questions for their respective futures.
By Saturday, Shinnecock and the USGA managed to find their balance, and everyone’s card suffered. Everyone except for Wyndham Clark, that is, who managed to extend his lead to six full strokes over the field, thanks in large part to the multiple par saves he used to salvage his card, hole after hole.
“That’s what you have to make to win U.S. Opens,” Clark said Saturday. “You’re not going to have too, too many birdie putts, and when you do miss, it’s really hard to hit a gimme, so you’ve got to make those kind of 5- to 12-footers.”
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Clark is a fascinating figure in the world of golf, the 2023 U.S. Open champion who’s far better known for his off-course explosions than his on-course achievements. He slung his driver into a sponsor sign at the 2025 PGA Championship, then destroyed a locker at Oakmont a month later at the U.S. Open. He’s spent the last year apologizing and trying to make amends, but it’s clear the gallery at Shinnecock Hills wasn’t having any of it.
From the very moment Clark teed off on Sunday with a six-stroke lead, the gallery was in ABW — Anybody But Wyndham — mode, especially with fan favorite Scottie Scheffler joining Clark in the final group. This is, after all, the same gallery that roasted McIlroy and the rest of Team Europe last September at the Ryder Cup; torching a guy with skeletons like Clark is a tap-in for them.
Clark saved himself with par putts on Saturday, but on Sunday, his luck finally ran out. He bogeyed the 1st, struggled with the par-5 5th, then missed a short par tester on the 7th to fall to 4-under. At the same time, Burns fought forward from even par to draw within a stroke of Clark.
Within an hour and 20 minutes after Clark teed off, his six-shot lead was all but gone.
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But if he was feeling the pressure as he made the turn to No. 10 — from the shrinking lead or the heckles from the crowd, where some were ejected — it didn’t show. An approach to 4 feet led to a birdie and a two-shot lead.
As the holes dwindled, Clark was not only battling Shinnecock, but the crowd, which became increasingly partisan against him, even as Scheffler — celebrating his 30th birthday Sunday while also seeking to complete the career grand slam — failed to make a run at the lead and wound up finishing four shots back at even par. There were cheers for Clark’s ball to roll over the green at 13, fans urging for it to “go” as he pitched it back by the hole, and a mini-roar when he missed the par putt. It was enough for the USGA to kick some fans out of the venue.
Three pairings ahead of him, Burns was not going away. Moments after the Clark bogey, Burns dropped a 17-foot birdie putt at the par-5 16th. The lead was back to just one.
Burns missed an opportunity to tie Clark on the 17th, just pushing a 10-foot birdie putt wide. Then at 18, another birdie dove away from the hole at the last roll, causing Burns to drop to his knees as he tossed his putter.
From there, all he could do was wait.
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The window appeared to open wide when Clark drove it into the fescue at 16, but then immediately slammed shut when Clark scrambled for the all-world birdie.
He would need it. A three-putt at 17 led to a bogey, reducing the lead once again to a single stroke. Just like three years ago at L.A. Country Club, Clark would need a par at 18 to avoid a playoff and win the U.S. Open.
Sunday, as it was in 2023, he had to get down in two from outside 50 feet. He did, and a second U.S. Open was his.
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Ryan Young
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Ryan Young
Wyndham Clark has pulled it off. After nearly seeing a huge six-shot lead slip away, Clark has secured the U.S. Open for a second time.
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Ryan Young
Wyndham Clark has reached the green in regulation at 18. He’ll have two putts to seal the deal here…
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Ryan Young
Well, Wyndham Clark just three putted for bogey at the 17th after pushing what should’ve been a simple par putt. Not great.
The lead is just one now as he heads to the 18th…
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Ryan Young
Well, that might just do it. After an awful drive, Clark managed to save birdie at the 16th with another huge putt.
He’s now up by two with two holes left.
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Ryan Young
This is about as good as it could possibly get for Wyndham Clark. What a shot at the 16th.
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Ryan Young
Sam Burns dropped to his knees after his birdie look at the 18th just barely missed. He’ll have to settle with a 3-under 67 instead.
That’s got him to 3-under on the week, one shot back. Now, he’ll wait.
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Ryan Young
Wyndham clark can’t get that birdie look to fall after a solid approach at the 15th, either. So he’ll head to the 16th with a one-shot lead.
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Ryan Young
Wyndham Clark nearly drained a deep birdie look at the 14th, but had to settle with a tap-in par instead.
He still leads by one with four holes to go after Burns blew a birdie look up ahead of him.
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Jay Hart
Wow, it’s a birdie for Burns at 16 via a 17-foot screamer that found the middle of the cup. It was a must make at the par 5. He’s now just one back of Clark.
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Jay Hart
It’s a miss from 8 feet, and the lead is back to 2 shots, whith some fans cheering when Clark’s putt slipped by the hole. He’s down to -4
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Jay Hart
At 12, his birdie putt turned right just before hit hit the hole, and did the same at 13. Millimeters from two birdies, he’ll settle for par. Still four back.
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Jay Hart
It’s getting pretty ridiculous now with the crowd, actively rooting against Wyndham Clark. They rooted for his ball to go over the green just now at 13, then urged his chip back to “go.”
Some fans have already been kicked out for actively rooting against him. But man, this has to be tough for Clark.
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Jay Hart
It’s a miss from 4 feet for par for Burns at 15, and now he’s three back. It’s still Wyndham Clark’s tournament to lose.
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Jay Hart
It’s a tie, between Ryder Cowan and Jackson Koivun. Both finished at +5, a solid finish at Shinnecock … also, one ahead of Rory McIlroy.
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Ryan Young
With Scottie Scheffler’s birdie at the 10th, Wyndham Clark responded with one of his own.
His lead is back to 2.
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Ryan Young
Scottie Scheffler is back under par after a huge birdie putt at the 10th. He’s not out of it yet, but needs to make a move soon if he’s going to catch Clark.
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Ryan Young
Wyndham Clark had to scramble again, but he’s saved another par at the 9th. His giant advantage may be gone, but Clark keeps finding a way to hang in there from all over the course.
He’s now headed to the back nine at 3-over on the day with a one-shot lead.
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Jay Hart
Scheffler couldn’t get it out of the trap at 6, but did drain a lengthy breaker to avoid a double.
Shortly after, Clark missed a short putt for par and now the lead is just 1.
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Ryan Young
After four birdies through his first eight holes, Sam Burns finally slipped. He left a par look at the ninth just short for his first bogey of the day.
That’s pushed Clark’s lead back to two.
