Wyndham Clark withstands hostile crowd and final-round wobble to win second US Open at Shinnecock Hills

Wyndham Clark entered the final round of the 126th U.S. Open with a six-shot cushion, a lead so large that a collapse seemed almost unthinkable. By the time he tapped in for victory on the 18th green, that margin had been reduced to a single, nerve-shredding stroke. The 32-year-old American became only the ninth true wire-to-wire winner in tournament history, but he did it the hard way, carding a three-over-par 73 while a vocal New York gallery openly rooted for his rivals.

A lead under siege

Clark had looked untouchable through 54 holes, building leads of two, four and six strokes after each of the first three days. On Sunday, however, he stumbled early with bogeys on the second, sixth and seventh holes. Sam Burns, starting seven shots back, pounced with four birdies in his first eight holes, draining a 50-foot putt on the par-four eighth to send the crowd into a frenzy. By the turn Clark's overnight advantage had dwindled from six strokes to just one.

Playing the villain

Much of the crowd's energy was directed against Clark rather than for his opponents. Spectators yelled for his ball to find bunkers and rough; one fan was ejected after shouting "Don't choke, Wyndham!" The hostility traces back to last year's U.S. Open at Oakmont, where Clark smashed a locker in a fit of rage after missing the cut. Combined with a past remark that the Masters Par 3 Contest was "great birth control" and his 2023 win over fan favourites Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler, Clark has become a polarising figure.

“Man, they definitely didn't want me to win.”

Even playing partner Scottie Scheffler, who turned 30 on Sunday and was serenaded with "Happy Birthday", appeared uncomfortable with the animosity. Scheffler later said it felt "a bit much" when cheers erupted for Clark's misfortunes. Clark tried to reframe himself as an underdog, a role he embraced during his breakthrough 2023 victory. "Anytime someone said something negative to me, I replaced it with something positive," he said.

Burns comes agonisingly close

Burns, 29, shot a final-round 67, the day's second-lowest score, and had a putt on the 18th green that would have forced a playoff. The ball burned the edge of the cup, and Burns crumpled to his knees. An hour later, the near-miss brought him to tears as he reflected on the chance to win a first major on Father's Day with his two-year-old son present.

“It's just not very often we have a chance to win a major on Father's Day. I think just the weight of that and knowing what that memory could have been like, it would have been really special.”

Scheffler and the waiting Grand Slam

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler began the day tied for second, six strokes back, and needed a fast start to breathe life into his bid for the career Grand Slam. Instead, he managed only two birdies in a one-over-par 71 and finished in a tie for fourth, four shots behind Clark. Tom Kim, who also turned 30 on Sunday, shot an even-par 70 to claim third place outright. Joaquin Niemann recovered from a first-round 11 that included a two-shot penalty under the new code of conduct for club-throwing to finish tied for seventh.

Conduct code bites

The punishment handed to Niemann was the first of its kind, a sign that golf's governing bodies are serious about curbing tantrums. Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley endorsed the stricter stance on the Golf Channel. Broadcaster apologies for player language and Clark's locker-room incident at Oakmont have fuelled a narrative of entitlement at the top of the men's game.

“The powers that be, the R&A and USGA, along with Augusta National, are making a very strong stance here about codes of conduct. And about boundaries.”

The tour now heads to Royal Birkdale for the British Open from July 16–19, where Burns may be absent as he and his wife expect their second child.