For the second time in his career, Wyndham Clark is a Major champion. And for the second time, he's won the US Open.
For the second time in his career, Wyndham Clark is a Major champion. And for the second time, he’s won the US Open. Clark was dominant for three rounds and held on in the final round to become the ninth player to ever win wire-to-wire at the US Open, just a year after he damaged lockers at Oakmont after missing the cut.
Shooting three over in the final round usually doesn’t bode well for anyone at a Major tournament. However, two things were true at the US Open at Shinnecock that made it so it didn’t hurt Wyndham Clark.
First, Clark had built up such a cushion that, obviously, it didn’t matter. He was up by six strokes, and he earned the right to have an off round and still win. Second, the course played really rough, and only three golfers finished under par for the whole weekend.
Clark was four under par after shooting three over, and it got a little hairy. Sam Burns shot three under, and Scottie Scheffler seemed to perpetually hang around. But Burns’ day finished before Clark and Scheffler, and Clark avoided adding a stroke on the last three holes to remain at four under and win his second Major.
Wyndham Clark isn’t the most popular guy on the PGA Tour. But after this weekend, it probably doesn’t matter. His success speaks for itself. There are only nine golfers, excluding Tiger Woods, actively on the PGA Tour with two or more Majors.
Still, fans heckled Clark all weekend. “Man, they definitely didn’t want me to win,” the golfer said. “It’s pretty rare in an Open Championship or a major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots. I mean, that was tough, but sometimes being the underdog is nice.”
Scottie Scheffler was going for a career Grand Slam at the US Open, and he hung around long enough to give the fans something to think about. “I get it. They were rooting for Scottie,” Clark said. “Grand Slams only happen a few times. He’s going to get it. He’s the best player in the world. But today, it’s my day.”
“It was good to be kind of back in the arena,” Scheffler said of his weekend. “I felt like at times this year I was on the outside looking in. I felt like I had given up too many shots early in the week. The positions I put myself in the last couple of years — I was in the final group, in leads, holding leads after 54 holes 36 holes. This year, I haven’t had many 36-hole leads. I haven’t had any 54-hole leads.”
This is Clark’s second US Open title, and it comes three years after his first. The years in between have not been totally excellent, but Clark has now doubled up and proven that his first Major was not a fluke. He’s one of the best golfers in the world.
