Wyndham Clark Holds Nerve to Win US Open at Shinnecock Hills

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Wyndham Clark captured his second U.S. Open title in four years on Sunday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, holding off a furious charge from Sam Burns and a hostile gallery to win by one stroke at 4-under-par 276. Clark shot a 3-over 73 in the final round — the highest closing round by a U.S. Open champion since Graeme McDowell’s 74 in 2010 — but did just enough to avoid what would have been a record-breaking collapse, according to AP News.

A Six-Shot Lead Nearly Vanishes

Clark entered the final round with a six-stroke advantage, the largest 54-hole lead in the U.S. Open in 15 years. But within five holes, that lead had shrunk to a single shot after bogeys at the 1st, 5th, and 7th. The 32-year-old American birdied the 10th with a superb approach to four feet to restore a two-shot cushion, but a bogey at the 13th brought the margin back to one.

The defining moment came on the par-5 16th. After driving into the fescue, Clark gouged his ball out, narrowly cleared a bunker, and rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt that gave him breathing room. He three-putted the 17th for bogey, reducing the lead to one again, but a two-putt par from 50 feet on the 18th sealed the victory.

Redemption from the Depths

Clark’s victory completes one of the most dramatic redemption arcs in recent golf history. Just 12 months ago, he missed the cut at the U.S. Open at Oakmont and smashed two 121-year-old lockers in frustration — an incident that severely damaged his reputation and sent him into what he described as a “dark place.” As The Guardian reported, Clark said: “After what happened at Oakmont was obviously the lowest point. People probably didn’t see what happened after, but it was a really tough two, three days for me.”

“The first one was kind of just the breakthrough of knowing I can do it,” Clark said after the win. “And then this one was a lot of redemption. Last year was so tough, a terrible year. I left this place in shambles, and it’s amazing what a year can do.”

Hostile Crowd and a Father’s Presence

The gallery at Shinnecock Hills was overwhelmingly behind Scottie Scheffler, who was attempting to complete the career Grand Slam on his 30th birthday. Multiple spectators were ejected for heckling Clark, who acknowledged the hostility was partly self-inflicted. “New York didn’t really like me — I love you guys,” Clark said. “But I get it. Some of it’s self-deserved.”

Clark’s father, Randall, took an overnight flight from Denver and was present for his son’s first-ever victory witnessed by him — which also happened to fall on Father’s Day. According to Yahoo Sports, Clark used a simple mental trick to cope with the hostile atmosphere: “Anytime someone said something negative to me, I replaced it with something positive.”

The Putter That Changed Everything

Clark’s resurgence has been closely tied to a putter change earlier this season. After years with the Odyssey Versa Jailbird, he switched to a Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset and signed an exclusive agreement with Ping. At the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May, he set a PGA Tour record by gaining more than 12.5 strokes on the field with his putter, as Heavy.com reported.

“I played some ugly golf the last two days, but my putter and short game kind of kept me in it,” Clark said. “To make all the putts I did with my Ping putter that I love so much has been amazing.”

What’s Next

The win moves Clark from No. 75 to No. 8 in the world rankings — a stunning ascent from a player who was two years without a victory just a month ago. Sam Burns finished second at 3-under after a final-round 67, while Tom Kim took third at 1-under. Scottie Scheffler finished tied for fourth at even par.

Clark becomes the first wire-to-wire winner of the U.S. Open since Martin Kaymer in 2014. With two U.S. Open titles now on his resume, the question is whether this victory will finally close the door on the Oakmont chapter — and whether Clark can build on this momentum to challenge for more major championships.