Wyndham Clark didn’t take the same stance as some others around the game of golf did toward the Long Island crowds at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club during the U.S. Open’s final round.
Clark, who captured his second U.S. Open championship, thanked the “passionate, honest, and demanding” fans on hand for the final round of the tournament, who largely rooted against him as he pressed to win the major title.
“To the fans, thank you for making this championship what it is,” Clark wrote as part of an X post late Monday night. “New York crowds are passionate, honest, and demanding. Whether you were pulling for me or not, you created an atmosphere I’ll never forget and pushed all of us to compete at our best.”
It was a starkly different response to the New York crowds that made the trip out to the east end of Long Island for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills than Golf Channel analyst Eamon Lynch, who called the fans “a stain on the game of golf,” while Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir called New York fans “poisonous” for their treatment toward Clark.
Clark had been heckled and cheered against during his final round, a notably unique situation in the sport of golf.
But Clark viewed the events of the weekend differently, helped of course by the fact that he is now a two-time winner of the U.S. Open, after jumping out to 7-under after the first two days and hanging on to go wire-to-wire, beating Sam Burns by one stroke for the title.
Clark also described Shinnecock Hills as “everything a U.S. Open should be, and I’m incredibly honored to have my name connected to it forever.”
His complicated history, which included destroying a locker inside the locker room at the legendary Oakmont Country Club and his awkward apology following the incident, has made him a controversial figure among golf fans.
“If I’m being honest, last year wasn’t filled with many highs,” Clark wrote in his social media post on Monday. “There were a lot more questions than answers, a lot more frustration than celebration, and plenty of moments that tested my belief in myself. This game can be incredibly humbling. It doesn’t owe you anything, and sometimes the only thing you can do is keep showing up and trust that the work will eventually pay off.
“That’s why this week means so much.”
Clark ended his message by explaining why winning Sunday had more meaning to him.
“This trophy means more because of the road it took to get here. The setbacks, the doubts, and the hard days all make this moment that much sweeter,” he wrote. “I’ll never forget this week, this place, and what it feels like to stand here as a two-time U.S. Open Champion.”
