Unpopular Wyndham Clark becomes multiple US Open champion at Shinnecock Hills
Americans lands title for second time in four years after seeing spectators turn against him at Shinnecock Hills
Wyndham Clark overcame some incredible opposition to him by home fans to complete a wire-to-wire win at Shinnecock Hills and land a second US Open title triumph in four years.
The 32-year-old Denver man deservedly became the tenth American in the last 12 editions to win the USGA event after becoming the first player since Martin Kaymer in 2014 to lead after all four rounds.
It was truly shocking, though, that Clark received little or no support from outside the ropes in the final round on Long Island as the vast majority of fans rooted for world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who was attempting to complete a career grand slam on his 30th birthday.
In the end, the 126th edition fell to Clark but only just. After holding a six-shot overnight lead, he won by just one shot from Sam Burns, closing with a 73 for a four-under total. Tom Kim, another birthday boy, finished two shots behind runner-up Burns, with Scheffler having to settle for a share of fourth on level par with JT Poston and Keith Mitchell.
"Oh, pretty amazing,” said Clark of getting his hands on the trophy again, having done so for the first time in Los Angeles three years ago. “I played some ugly golf the last two days, but my putter and short game kind of kept me in it.
"I mean to make all the putts I did with my PING putter that I love so much has been amazing. But, honestly, it comes down to just believing that good things are going to happen and that you're going to make a putt, and you know, unfortunately, the ones that I needed to make, I did.”
As for the crowd, he admitted that trashing the Oakmont locker-room after missing the cut in this event last year had contributed to that. "Yeah, New York didn't really like me,” he said. “I love you guys, 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. I'm still sorry. So, hopefully, I can win you guys over eventually, but I get it. They root for Scottie. Grand Slams only happened a few times, so he's gonna get it, and he's the best player in the world.”
Clark started the day holding the biggest 54-hole lead in this event since Rory McIlroy landed his maiden major win in 2011 at Congressional, where the Northern Irishman had built up an eight-shot cushion and maintained that margin in the closing circuit.
Eleven years prior to that, of course, Tiger Woods held a ten-shot lead with a day to go at Pebble Beach and that outcome was never in doubt either as he landed the third of his major victories in style with a stunning 15-shot success.
Not every commanding three-round lead, though, has been converted in the game’s marquee events. Take Greg Norman, for example. The Australian was in the exact same position as Clark heading into the final round of The Masters in 1986 yet lost out to Nick Faldo.
Painfully for Norman, that was the largest last-round collapse in major championship history and, on a glorious sunny Sunday on Long Island, Clark set out trying to ensure that he avoided the same fate.
It became evident straight away that the majority of the fans wanted to see Scheffler come out on top rather than Clark and, at times, they actually overstepped the mark. Indeed, some spectators were ejected by the USGA and rightly so.
That happened as the leaders arrived at the turn, at which point Clark, having dropped shots at the second, fifth and seventh, led by only one shot from Burns. Mitchell was one further back, with Scheffler among three players on level par.
A sublime approach from Clark at the tenth earned a thumbs up from playing partner Scheffler, who matched the leader’s first birdie of the day there before both players missed decent chances at the par-3 11th.
Burns, who held the 54-hole lead 12 months earlier at Oakmont before slipping to seventh at the end after a closing 78, made an untimely bogey at the 15th. That blow was soon softened, though. Clark dropped a shot at the 13th after seeing his approach trundle off the back of the green. Then, minutes later, Burns rolled in a 17-footer for a birdie at the par-5 16th, roaring with delight as it toppled into the hole.
The gap between the pair was back to just one shot again, with Scheffler, Mitchell and Kim all looking as though they had too much ground to make up at that point sitting on one under. Scheffler fell four back when he three-putted the 14th, where Clark’s long birdie putt shaved the edge of the hole.
Burns could have moved level with Clark. His birdie putt attempt from nine feet at the par-3 17th was pretty woeful, though. That same couldn’t be said of his birdie effort at the last. As it slid past the right edge, Burns fell to his knees. A closing 67 was only bettered on the day by 66s from Joaquin Niemann and Ludvig Aberg.
Playing with Burns, Mitchell signed for a fourth straight 70, creating history as the only player to card even-par scores in each round in this tournament. The consistent week’s work also saw him record his best finish in a major.
Just as Burns finished, Clark found trouble with his tee shot at the par-5 16th. His recovery, though, from a nasty spot in rough was one of the shots of the week and he capitalised on it by finding the green with the next one then knocking in a 24-foot putt. He’d made an eagle there on Saturday and celebrated a birdie this time with a huge fist pump.
It wasn’t over yet, though. Clark, who’d been out in front since just after 7pm on Thursday, three-putted from a mile away at the par-3 17th. He needed to par the last to keep his nose in front. A superb lag putt from 70 feet left him with a tap in to become the champion again.
In doing so, Clark became the fourth player in the last 100 years to land this title twice in a four-year span. On Father’s Day, he shared a warm hug with his dad Randall, who’d flown in to be there without Clark knowing. Those fans who didn’t want him to win should have been hanging their heads in shame.
Tyrrell Hatton finished as the leading European in a tie for seventh on one over, one shot ahead of Justin Rose, Aaron Rai, John Parry and Tommy Fleetwod. McIlroy finished just outside the top 30 on six over, one ahead of Bob MacIntyre in joint-39th.
For the first time since the 2018 event at the same event, there were co-low amateurs as world No 1 Jackson Koivun’s five-over aggregate was matched by Ryder Cowan.
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