Wyndham Clark won his first and only major championship at the 2023 U.S. Open, but there’s a more recent black mark on his USGA record he would like to move past.
Clark is playing this week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club one year after a brusque end to his stay at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh.
Clark missed the cut and was found to have badly damaged a locker in an Oakmont locker room before he left that Friday. The next month, Oakmont announced Clark was banned from the property after discussion between the club’s membership and the USGA.
Oakmont would consider lifting the ban if Clark met a number of prerequisites, including not only paying for the damages and making a charitable contribution but also competing anger management or other counseling.
Clark promised at the time he would “show them who I really am with the apology and the things I’m going to do.” A year on, Clark said he still feels remorse for his outburst.
“That was a really challenging time and something I’ve deeply regretted and feel awful that I did that,” Clark said Monday at a press conference at Shinnecock Hills. “But there were so many good lessons in that that really taught me a bunch.
“I’ve really come a long way, and I’m excited for this year’s Open for some redemption and to move forward and enjoy the challenges of Shinnecock and how great this place is and how amazing this championship is.
He was not asked further about the incident.
Clark beat Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy by one shot at Los Angeles Country Club to win the 2023 title. He went more than two years without a victory from February 2024 till May 2026, when he shot 30 under par to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in the Dallas area.
“It’s amazing,” Clark said of his U.S. Open history. “Being a major champion is one of the greatest things in golf, and to come back, to feel that and be in the champions’ locker room is really neat, and coming back to this great championship is something that always kind of reminds me of that amazing year in ‘23.”
