To say that fans at the Shinnecock Hills were unkind to Wyndham Clark would be an understatement. He clinched his second US Open last week, but his victory did not compensate for the verbal onslaught he faced. Amid cries of “Don’t Choke, Wyndham!” and “Get in the bunker!”Clark maintained a steady pace and never lost the lead. When asked to reflect on the ceaseless heckling and how therapy helped him wade through it all, he recounted taking lessons from last year’s troubles.

“Yeah, I mean, dealing with what happened last year was significantly harder than what happened this last weekend. That’s fun,” he told Trey Wingo on the Straight Facts Homie! podcast. “But dealing with what happened last year was a lot tougher. You know that was a lot of embarrassment and shame.”

“And that’s some of the tougher things to overcome, so once I overcame and battled through that, I’m like, alright, I can handle almost anything golf can throw at me,” he added.

Missing the cut and tarnishing a historical locker at the prestigious Oakmont Country Club in a display of petulance was not ideal. Last year’s US Open indeed served as a dark period for Wyndham Clark. The club subsequently banned Clark, demanding he pay for damages and donate to a charity. While Clark saw through these demands with a fervent apology and intended to “move on,” fans at Shinnecock Hills had different plans. This is where Clark’s sports psychologist, Julie Elion, shines through. 

Having worked with Clark since 2023, Elion insisted that self-improvement is rarely a smooth ride, even in golf.  “In fact, it’s most often not,” she wrote in her book, Mastering Your Mental Game. In that context, Clark’s progress in the past year seems fitting. For Elion, the golfer took “a long time to begin examining his life” and is being rewarded for doing so. And that proved pivotal against a crowd waiting for him.

Clark arrived in New York as the villain. Fans were feasting on his mistakes and greeted his big moments with disdainful silence. When Clark’s bunker shot landed well away from the fourth hole, fans scampered towards the ball in a fit of cheers. Many spectators couldn’t help but rejoice when a chip shot rolled back towards Clark’s feet. Such vitriol from the home crowd makes for a “strange and surreal experience,” per Sky Sports’ Mel Reid, but it’s hardly an isolated incident.

Fans in New York are known for their hostility, more so since the 2025 Ryder Cup. That, along with the city hosting the US Open, one of the biggest golf events of the year, is a recipe for disaster. Clark, however, remained steadfast.

Before the US Open, Clark had prepared himself on and off the court. His victories at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May and a third-place finish at the Memorial Tournament meant that Clark arrived as one of the most in-form golfers at the tournament. Couple that with a mental ploy whenever the crowd jeered him or rooted for someone else, and Clark was back on the swing.

“I knew there was gonna be a lot of negativity towards me or cheers for Scottie, so there was a very similar thing,” Clark said after the win. “Anytime they said that, I replaced it with something positive, either about myself or my game or what’s gonna happen.”

Despite seeing his six-shot advantage dwindle to one in the final round, Clark maintained his lead and persisted with a three-over-par 73. Reveling in his win, he acknowledged that some of the resentment was self-inflicted, admitting he “kind of brought it on myself.” Yet amid the sea of jeers, Clark had a familiar voice rooting for him—for the first time in-person.

Clark’s win was commemorated by his father’s presence, who flew overnight from Denver to watch his finish. Among the surprises, having his father alongside him for a victory earned on Father’s Day was probably the best.

And while it’s reasonable to assume he won’t be in favor of a raucous New York crowd, Clark refuses to deny them of watching golfing excellence.

Despite hostility, Wyndham Clark wants to see more golf in New York

Clark isn’t the first to take heat from a feverish New York crowd. During the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, numerous complaints came from European teams, including Rory McIlroy, as they faced constant abuse from fans. To that end, Clark’s position at the Shinnecock Hills wasn’t too different. However, when asked if such incidents should affect New York’s future hosting of golf events, Clark chose a stance that may win him a few fans’ hearts.

“I disagree. I think New York’s one of our best cities in the world, especially in the US. And I think the fans are passionate. They love their city, they love our country,” Clark said on The Rich Eisen Show.

Whether this statement will work in Clark’s favor or not remains to be seen. Regardless, the golfer’s approach suggests progress in both conduct and play. Despite facing adversity, Clark’s recent wins are a testament to his mental health journey, which will be crucial for his bid at the Travelers Championship in TPC River Highlands.