Wyndham Clark overcame nerves, negative vibes from an inhospitable New York crowd, and the unrelenting demands of Shinnecock Hills to complete a wire-to-wire victory and claim his second U.S. Open title Sunday in Southampton, N.Y.

Despite some of the lightest breezes of the week, Clark struggled all day to hold his game together amid the gallery raining Bronx cheers upon him for every poor shot he struck while pulling for Clark’s playing partner, Scottie Scheffler, celebrating his 30th birthday and vying to complete the career Grand Slam. A final-round three-over 73 enabled Clark to finish one stroke ahead of a charging Sam Burns. Clark, 32, finished at four-under 276 to become the ninth player to win the national title in wire-to-wire fashion and the first since Martin Kaymer in 2014.

“It’s surreal,” Clark said in adding to his 2023 victory at Los Angeles Country Club. “I played some ugly golf the last two days but my putter and short game kept me in it. Honestly, it comes down to believing good things are going to happen.”

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In his sixth U.S. Open start, Clark became the 24th player to win multiple U.S. Open titles. He captured his fifth career PGA Tour title and second this year. He received $4.5 million, more than twice the $2.16-million reward Brooks Koepka took home in 2018 at Shinnecock. Clark was projected to rise from 34th to eighth in the world rankings.

Burns, who held the 54-hole lead a year ago at Oakmont before struggling to a closing 78 in abysmal conditions after a downpour, was attempting to join Arnold Palmer for the largest final-round comeback in the championship. Palmer trailed by seven strokes in the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver.

Twice the Louisiana native climbed within a stroke of Clark, the second time after drilling an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-5 16th hole. He had terrific chances to tie on the final two holes, but he weakly pushed a 10-footer for birdie on the par-3 17th and then burned the edge from 17 feet on 18. Burns flipped his putter when the ball stayed out and was seen still agonising over the putt as he entered the scoring trailer. He groaned as he tilted his head back in his hands and closed his eyes.

Burns carded a 67 to offer the only threat to Clark, who looked nothing like the player who could do no wrong after opening with a 64 and increasing his lead each day to forge a six-shot advantage through three rounds. Clark entered Sunday tied for the fourth-largest lead in U.S. Open history and was the 22nd player to lead a major by six or more shots through 54 holes. He avoided joining Greg Norman, who lost a six-shot lead in the 1996 Masters to Nick Faldo, in failing to protect a lead that sizable.

Warren Little

After recording 10 birdies and two eagles in the first three rounds, Clark converted just two on a sunny afternoon on Long Island. But the second one was massive, a 25-footer from the back of the green at the par-5 16th after he had pulled a tee shot into the high fescue left of the fairway. He muscled out his second shot, then wedged somewhat indifferently. But the putter that had saved him throughout the week bailed him out again. When the ball trickled in the cup, Clark pumped a fist and actually received his first encouraging and enthusiastic cheers of the day.

He later acknowledged his black-hat status with the crowd. “New York didn’t really like me. I love you guys, but I get it,” Clark said, drawing more fan reaction. “Some of it is self-deserved. I did some unfortunate things last year that I really regret. Hopefully, I can win you guys over next week. But I get it; they were rooting for Scottie. The [career] Grand Slam has only happened a few times. He’s going to get it. He’s the best player in the world. But today is my day.”

A Denver native who recently, by coincidence, joined Cherry Hills and whose game has been given a boost by the club’s director of instruction, Pat Coyner, still made it interesting. A three-putt bogey at the par-3 17th—his fifth bogey of the round after only seven the previous three days—again left him one stroke ahead of Burns.

Par at the last enabled him to tie Retief Goosen’s four-under score for the lowest winning aggregate total at Shinnecock. But even that was a struggle after he missed the fairway and could only gouge an approach well below the hole. But he cosied a 52-footer within inches left of the cup and let out a yell and a fist pump after tapping in.

He shared hugs and kisses with his girlfriend Emily Tanner and a host of friends who rushed out on the 18th green. When he turned around, Clark spotted his father, Randall, who had arrived from Denver on a red-eye flight to surprise his son. “Oh, my God,” Wyndham exclaimed before a long embrace with his dad, who was sobbing.

“I’m so proud of you,” the elder Clark said to his son through tears.

After his unfortunate behaviour last year at Oakmont, the low point to a difficult year, and then the battle with himself and the crowd on a pressure-packed afternoon, those five words from his dad on Father’s Day might have been the best reward of all.

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Main Image: Andrew Redington