“I faced it all, and I stood tall/ And did it my way.” Who’s to say Wyndham Clark, only the third player to win the U.S. Open in California and New York, wasn’t humming to Frank Sinatra? Yes, he had a six-shot lead. Yes, 12 of the 14 times a player led a major with six or more shots went on to win, as per Justin Ray. But Clark, who faced a hostile crowd, eventually did it in his own way.
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Let’s talk about Sunday when Clark won his second U.S. Open title in four years.
Scottie Scheffler (E/T4) had the weight of the world on his shoulders (literally). Sunday was Father’s Day, his 30th birthday, and a chance to join six golfers, including Rory McIlroy (+6/T32), to complete the Grand Slam. Though he practiced the patience he talked about ahead of the U.S. Open, he fell short, if only slightly.
He started the day with a bogey, then steadied himself over the next three holes with pars. But the 7th turned tricky. Both players ended up in the greenside bunker. Scheffler’s first bunker shot rolled back into the sand. He cleared it on the second try and eventually made a bogey. Clark made it out easily, but missed a chance for a par, moving back to four-under and three over for the round.
Even by the 10th, Clark kept the distance between himself and the rest of the field. Scheffler’s birdie added a bit of pressure, but his own moved him two shots clear of Sam Burns (-3/2nd) and four off Keith Mitchell (E/T4), birthday boy Tom Kim (-1/3rd), and Scheffler. By now, the tension between Clark and the crowd was more than obvious, with rowdy fans escorted off the property.
In fact, when he reached the 12th, another fan yelled “GO WYNDHAM!!!” In response, Clark chipped his shot to 12 feet, closer than Scheffler’s. He made a par, but remained three shots clear of Burns, who missed a par on the 15th. But a birdie on the 16th moved Burns just one shot off the lead.
At this point, it looked like Clark was flying too close to the sun, reminding one of Arnold Palmer, who lost a seven-shot lead on the back nine of the 1986 U.S. Open, eventually losing the playoff the next day. But it was also at this moment that the U.S. Open seemed like one. Burns, a fan-favorite, has never won a major. And a crowd that was actively against Clark, cheered for him when not for Scheffler.
But it wasn’t over yet. Scheffler missed a birdie opportunity on the 13th, and so did Clark, who moved to 4-under with just two strokes lead. One hole ahead, Scheffler made a bogey, moving him to even par. At this point, it seemed like Scheffler would have to wait another year to complete his Grand Slam.
Burns made a par on the 17th, ending his chances of a playoff. On the 18th, he made another par en route to a Sunday 67 for a clubhouse target of 3-under. Only a mistake from Clark would have forced a playoff with him, giving him the last-minute chance to win his first U.S. Open title.
Mitchell made a bogey on the 17th and fell to T4. Kim made a par, too, but remained three shots back of Clark. A par on the 18th effectively ended Mitchell’s run. Kim made par on the final hole to give himself the best birthday gift: a solo third at the U.S. Open.
Scheffler was all but relying on Clark’s mistake to get more chances. One bogey on the 17th pushed Clark back to four-under, just one shot ahead of Burns, who was waiting for one more chance in the clubhouse. Then came a bit of drama on the 18th.
Clark’s tee shot landed in the rough. After he hit his second shot with a nine-iron, it landed on the green, but a good 50 feet from the pin. Scheffler parred his hole to tie for 4th. He will now have to wait another year to complete his Grand Slam. Clark, meanwhile, made a par to win his second U.S. Open title. He also became the first wire-to-wire champion since Martin Kaymer in 2014.
Immediately, he smiled, turned around, and hugged his caddie, Scheffler, and his father for a long minute.
After the win, Clark, who was looking to win over the fans, said in a post-round interview, “New York City didn’t really like me, but I love you guys [the crowd cheered in the background]. But you know, I get it.” After accepting regret about the Oakmont outburst, he signed off with, “Today is my day.”
Indeed.
After another 70, Mitchell became the first player in U.S. Open history to shoot even par for each of his rounds. Xander Schauffele (+2/T11)ended his week at 2-over, finishing inside the top-15 for the 10th time in his tenth consecutive appearance. That’s the longest such streak since Jack Nicklaus did it for 12 years between 1971 and 1982, as per stats guru Justin Ray.
Away from the top of the leaderboard, amateur Ryder Cowan (+5/T23) made a par on the last hole to join amateur Jackson Koivun (+5/T23) at 5-over. And with that, both players ended the day with Low Amateur status and will get to share the Jack Nicklaus Medal.
As for Clark, it is hard to say if he has won the fans back, but he has certainly cemented his name in the history books.
And that should count for something.
