Wyndham Clark outbattled the wind, the unforgiving rough, 155 rivals and a decidedly frosty New York crowd to claim his second US Open Championship at a fiercely challenging Shinnecock Hills.
Starting the final round with a six-shot lead – a margin that had only once been previously thrown away in Major championship history – Clark fired a closing three-over-par 73 to finish on four-under and seal a one-shot win over fellow countryman Sam Burns to follow up his win at Riviera Country Club in 2023.
However, it wasn’t the long walk to an easy victory that many had envisioned, and although he was never headed, there were times when it looked like the 32-year-old from Colorado was in danger of joining Greg Norman in collapsing under the weight of his own expectation during the final round.
With the wind having dropped to a steady 10-15mph on Sunday, compared to the 30-35mph gusts that caused such havoc over the previous three days, good scoring was possible, but a combination of firmer greens and the need to be aggressive meant that while Clark was there to be shot at, most of the chasing pack found themselves going backwards rather than forwards in their pursuit of the third round leader.
EARLY WOBBLY
Paired in the final group with Scottie Scheffler, Clark looked to be slightly rattled by a crowd who had clearly chosen the grand slam-chasing world no.1 as their favourite, with one fan heard shouting ‘get in the bunker’ as Clark hit his tee shot at the opening hole.
Bogeys by the leader at 2, 5 and 7 on the front nine opened the door to a host of potential challengers, including Burns, Scheffler, Sam Stevens, JT Poston and Tom Kim, but one by one they too dropped shots or missed makeable birdie putts at key moments, ensuring that the Clark didn’t have to force the issue or take on risky plays in order to keep his head in front.
Burns, who was unlucky not to win last year’s US Open when falling foul of bad weather and a bad rules judgement during the closing holes at Oakmont, looked the man most likely to mount a serious challenge when making birdies at 3, 5 and 8 to move within one shot of Clark. But bogeys on 9 and 16, followed by a couple of missed birdie putts, including a 10-footer on the par-3 17th and a 17-footer on 18, proved costly.
Scheffler, too, suffered a cold putter throughout the final round, indeed the week, with the world no.1 making only eight birdies over 72 holes, and time after time failing to convert those 10-15 footers that have been meat and drink to the four-time major champion in the recent past.
CRUCIAL BIRDIE
But it was only when Clark holed a stunning 25-foot birdie putt from off the green on the testing par-five 16th that it felt like he would become the first winner of the tournament since Martin Kaymer in 2014 to lead from the first round to the last. Standing on the tee of the par-3 17th a two-shot lead, the 32-year-old Denver native played a conservative 9-iron to the front of the green of the 183-yard hole, but a nervy three-putt bogey from 60 feet sent Burns scurrying to the driving range to keep warm ahead of a potential play-off.
But that proved a wasted trip when, after finding the first cut of rough with his 314-yard tee shot on the 490-yard, par-4 18th, Clark was able to bully his ball up on to the green and bravely two-putt from just over 50 feet to claim a one-shot victory and the second major title of his career.
HOSTILE CROWD
The New York crowd reacted with a noticeably muted response to their 2026 US Open champion, with most of the cheering being limited to members of Clark’s family and friends, who stormed the green to congratulate their hero.
How much of the bad vibe among the galleries towards Clark was down to the negative press that he attracted when smashing up his locker in anger after missing the cut at last year’s US Open, or whether they were simply rooting for other players, is not completely clear, but it’s safe to say that the atmosphere around the 18th green felt much like it did when Stewart Cink spoiled Tom Watson’s party at the Open Championship at Turnberry in 2009.
The champion himself was also all too aware of lack of support for him out on the course and was at pains to express his continued contrition for his past behaviour.
“New York didn’t really like me,” Clark said in his post-round interview. “I get it. Some of it is deserved. I did some things last year that I really regret. I’ve been sorry multiple times and I’m still sorry, but hopefully I can win these guys over eventually.
Critics aside, Clark expressed his delight at having backed up his 2023 victory and shown that he was not going to do down as a one-hit major wonder. “The first one was a breakthrough of knowing I can do it,” he said. “This one was a lot of redemption. Last year was so tough, a terrible year. I left last year’s US Open at Oakmont in a shambles. It’s amazing what a year can do. I’m leaving here as a champion and I’m just so blessed.”
PODIUM FINISHERS
With Burns taking sole possession of the runner’s up spot on three under, South Korea’s Tom Kim recorded his second-best finish in a major to take third on one under. Scheffler tied for fourth with fellow countrymen JD Poston and Keith Mitchell, while Tyrrell Hatton shot a closing 67 to end in a tie for seventh with Joaquim Niemann, Gary Woodland and Sam Stevens at one over.
Niemann, in particular, has reason to feel this was a missed opportunity after recording a tournament-wrecking septuble-bogey 11 on the par-4 6th on Thursday. Two of those 11 strokes were penalty shots for throwing a club in frustration after hitting two balls out of bounds, thus triggering a new ruling on serious misconduct. That rule states ‘players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by acting with integrity, showing consideration to others and taking good care of the course.’
Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, John Parry and recently crowned PGA champion Aaron Rai were all a stroke further adrift in a tie for 11th, while world no.2 Rory McIlroy conceded that the course had “won the battle over me” after finishing on six over par for the week – and a share of 32nd – after a final round 73.
COURSE CONDITIONS
After being criticised for ‘losing the course’ at previous US Opens held at Shinnecock Hills in 2004 and 2018 due to a lack of watering, the United States Golf Association was adamant it would ‘remain playable’ throughout the week, but there were many who said that the inconsistency of the playing surfaces due to mid-round watering changed the nature of the challenge depending on the timing of the draw.
There is no question that the soft conditions presented on Thursday gave those that played in the afternoon groups – Wyndham Clark included – a big advantage as the strong winds subsided, and that the course should have played firm and fast from the start, but coping with the elements and managing a course that is so exposed to them are part and parcel of the unpredictable nature of golf, and the reason why it remains so compelling a sport to both play and to watch.
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